Middletown transcript., 1916-03-11
CHAPTER II-continued.

at doesn't amount to an appoint
ment Just a job as assistant to Wal
ton, the engineer the contractors are
sending out. We're going to put up
a bridge somewhere in Africa"
That's it. l knew it." said the cap
tain. Going away. Want any money?
The question came like solid shot
out Of a four-pounder. Alan started.
coLOred and smiled, all at the same
time.
mo. thanks. sir" ne replied. "I've
got ali l need"
The captain hitched his chair for
ward, placed his hands on his knees.
leaned forward and glared out or the
avenue. 1.-The Lansings." he began.
kke a boy reciting a piece, "are devils
for drink. the Waynes for women.
Don't you ever let 'em worry you
about drink Nowadays the doctors
call us nonalcoholic. In my time 1t
was just plain strong heads for wine.
l say, don't worry about drink. There's
safety valve in every Wayue's gul-
let
but women, Alan" The captain
sIued around his bulging eyes. You
look out for them. AS your great
grandfather used to say, To women.
only perishable goods-sweets, flowers
and Kisses And you take it from me,
kisses aren't always the cheapest.
They say God made everything-dOwn
to little apples and Jersey lightning
But when he made women the devil
helped" The captains nervousness
dropped from his as he deliberately
drew out his watch and fob. Good
thing he did, too" he added, as a
pleasing afterthought. He leaned back
In his chair. A complacent look came
over his face.
Alan got up to say good-by. The
captain arose, too, and clasped the hand
Alan held out. zone more thing" he
said. Don't forget there's always
Wayne to back a Wayne for good or
bad" There was a suspicion of mois-
ture in his eye as he hurried his guest
off.
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. l am sorry. 1t has been
raining here very much. In the hollows
ell the bridges are under water. l have
invented a new game. 1t is called steam
boat" I play 1t on old Dubbs. We go
down into the valley and 1 make him go
through the water around the bridges.
He puffs just like a steamboat and when
he gets out he smokes all over. He is
too fat I hope you will come back very
soon. GLEN.
That evening Glen was thrown into
a transport by receiving her first tele-
gram 1t read 'You must not play
steamboat again, 1t is dangerous,
Alan" She tucked it in her bosom
and rushed over to the Firs to show 1t
to Gerry.
Gerry and Alix were spending the
summer ut the Firs, where Mrs. Ian
sing Gerry's widowed mother, was
still nOminaIIy the hostess. They had
been married two years. but people
still spoke of Alix as Gerry's bride,
and in so doing stamped her with her
own seal. To strangers they carried
the air of a 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 Aiix
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 q pin
prick would start an OK it took an up
heavaI to move Gerry. An upheaval
was on the way. but Gerry did not
know it. 1t was yet afar off,
To the Lansings marriage had al
ways been one of the regular func-
tiOns Of a regulated life-part of the
general scheme of things. Gerry was
slowly realizing that his marriage with
AIiX was far from a mere function, had
little to do with regular life and was
foreign to what he had always consid-
cred the general scheme of things.
Allx 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 vague way, feel that
bits of his impassive self were being
Clipped away.
Red Hill bored Alix and she showed
it. The first summer after the mar
riage they had spent abroad. Now
AIlx' thoughts and talk turned con-
stantly toward Europe She even sug-
gested a flying trip for the fall, but
Gerry refused to be dragged so far
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 Eitons, enter
tanned Red Hill as a whole to dinner.
With the arrival Of dessert, to AlIx'
surprise, Nance said, Port all arouRd,
please. Aunt Zane"
Lansings. Waynes and Eltons were
heavy drinkers in town, but it was
tradition. as Alix knew, that on Red
Hill they dropped it-all but the old
captain. 1t was as though, amid the