The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-01-29

on.
Back in his room Alan found letters
. awaiting him. He read them and tore
them up-all but one. 1t was from
Glen. She wrote:
Dear Alan: Nance says you are going
very far away. / am sorry. II has been
raining here very much. In the hollows
all the bridges are under water. l have
invented new game. 1t Is called steam
boat" l play it on old Dubbs. We 60
down into the valley and make him go
through the water around the bridges.
He puffs just like steamboat and when
he gets out he smokes all over. He is
too fat. l hope You will coEle back very
soon. GLEN.
That evening Glen was thrown into
transport by receiving her first tele-
gram. 1t read. you must not play
steamboat again. it is dangerous,
Alan" She tucked it in her bosom
and rushed over to the Firs to show it
to Gerry.
Gerry and Alix were spending the
summer Mt the FRS. where Mrs. Ian.
sing. Gerry's widowed mother, was
still nominally the hostess They had
been married two years. but people
still spoke of AK as Gerry's bride,
and in 80 doing stamped her with her
own SEAL To strangers they carried
the air of couple about to be mar.
ried at the rational close Of a long en-.
gagement. No children or thought Of
children had come to turn the channel
Of life for Alix. On Gerry marriage
sat as an added habit. 1t was begin.
ming to look as though he and Alix
drifted together not because they were
carried by the same currents but be.
cause they were tied.
Where duller minds would have
dubbed Gerry the Ok, Alan had named
him the Rock. and Alan was right.
Gerry had a dignity beyond mere bulk.
He had all the powers of resistance,
none Of articulation. Where a pin.
prick would start an OK it took an up
heaval to move Gerry. An upheaval
was on the way. but Gerry did not
know it. 1t was vet afar off.
To the Lansings marriage had al
ways been one of the regular func-
tons of regulated life-part Of the
general scheme Of things. Gerry was
slowly realizing that his marriage with
Alix was far from mere function had
little to do with regular life and was
foreign to what he had always consid-
cred the general scheme of things.
Alt1 had developed, quite naturally,
into social butterfly. Gerry did not
picture her as chain lightning playing
on rock, as Alan would have done,
but he did, in a vague way, feel that
bits of his impassive self were being
Clipped away.
Red Hill bored Alix and she showed
1t. The first summer after the mar
riage they had spent abroad. Now
Alix' thoughts and talk turned con-
stantly toward Europe. She even sug-
gested flying trip for the fall. but
Gerry refused to be dragged 80 fur
from golf and his club. He stuck dog
gedly to Red Hill till the leaves began
to turn. and then consented to move
back to town.
On their last night at the Firs Mrs.
Lansing. who was complacently Aunt
Jane to Waynes and Eltons, enter
tanned Red Hill as a whole to dinner.
With the arrival of dessert. to Alix'
surprise. Nance said. Port all around,
please. Aunt Jane"
Lansings, Waynes and Eltons were
heavy drinkers in town. but 1t was a
tradition. as Alix knew, that ON Red
Hill they dropped tall but the old
captain. 1t was as though amid the
scenes of their childhood, they be-
came children and Just as French
man of the old school will not light a
cigarette In the presence of his fatller,
so they would not take drink for
drinks sake on Red Hill.
So Alix looked on interestedly as the
old butler set glasses and started the
port When it had gone the round
Nance stood up. and with her hands
on the tables edge. leaned toward
them all. For Wayne. she was very
fair. AS they looked at her the color
swept over her bare neck. Its wave
reached her temples and seemed to
stir the clustering tendris Of her hair.
Her eyes were grave and bright with
moisture. Her lips were tremulous.
I'VE drink to Alan" she said. to-day
IL Alan's birthday"
She sat down. They all raised their
glasses. Little Glen had no wine.
She put thin hand on Gerry's arm.
please, Gerry. plcnse!"
Gerry held down his glass. Clematis
dipped In the tip Of her little finger.
and as they all drank. graveIy carried
the drop Of wine to her lips
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