Mexico Missouri message., 1916-01-27
CHAPTER II-cOntinued.

IL doesn't amount 10 an appoint
Enent. Just job as assistant to Wal
ton, the engineer the contractors are
sending out. We're going to put up
n 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.
"No, thanks, sir" he replied, "I've
got all / need"
The captain hitched his chair for
ward, placed his hands on his knees,
aeaned forward and glared out on the
avenue. "The Lansings," he began,
like 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 nonalcohollc. In my time it
was just plain strong heads for wine.
I say, don't worry about drink. There's
a safety valve in every Wayne's gull
lot.
But women, Alanv The captain
slued 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. "One more thing" he
said. Don't forget there's always
Wayne to back a Wayne for good or
had" There was a suspicion of mois-
ture in his eye as he hurried his guest
of
Back in his room Alan found letters
awaiting him. He read them and tore
them up-all but one. 1t was from
Clem. She wrote:
Dear Alan: Nance says you are going
very far away. am sorry. 1t has been
raining here very much. In the hollows
sail the bridges are under water. / have
invented a new game. 1t is called steam
boat" ! play 1t on old Dubbs. We go
down into the valley and / make him go
through the water around the bridges.
He pufrs Just like a steamboat and when
ne gets out he smokes all over He is
too fat. / 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, 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 at the Firs, where Mrs. Lam
sing, Gerry's widowed mother, was
still nominally 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 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. It was begin
ming to look as though he and Aliz
rdrifted 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 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 upheava
was on the way. but Gerry did no
know it. 1t was yet afar or.
To the Lansings marriage had al
ways been one of the regular funC
tions Of regulated life-part of tn
general scheme of things Gerry wa
slowly realizing that his marriage wit
Alix was far from a mere function, hal
little to do with a regular life and wa
foreign to what he had always consid
sered the general scheme OF things
Alix had developed, quite naturally
into a social butterfly. Gerry did no
picture her as chain lightning playinI
on rock, as Alan would have done
but he did, In a vague way, feel tina
bits OF his impassiye self were beinI
clipped away.
Red Hill bored Alix and she showe'
It The first summer after the mar
alage they had spent abroad. Nov
AK thoughts and talk turned con
ssfantly toward Europe She even sug
ssested a dying trip for the fall. bu