The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-04-15
content ana knowledge, tenderness
and strength, pleasure and pain played
with each other like the lights and
; dappled shadows under swaying
bough.

&ppp AnAnNQlUU
When Glen and Alan reached home
long after the lunch hour they found
the Hill athrill with news Alix had
received a cable and had left ut once
for town. She had gone alone. That
could mean but one thing-Gerry was
at last coming back.
| 1t was from Barbados that Gerry
had cabled. Ever since he had written
his short note to Alix, through long
doubling weeks ut Piranhas and longer
days Of questioning and hesitation on
board the slow frcighter that was
bearing him home, Gerry had been
fighting himself. Only Liebers sudden
death and his burial. to which Gerry
had ridden post-haste, had come in be-
tween as solemn truce.
On the frcighter he had had time
enough and to spare to think. He had
spent hours going over the same
ground time and time again. For days
ne sat IN his chair on the short bridge
deck, staring out to sea, making over
and over the circle Of his life from the
time he had left home. He reinem-
bered sitting thus on the way out. He
remembered the turmoil his mind had
been In and the apathy that had fol-
lowed. the long rest ut Pernambuco,
the trip down the coast and up the
river. the glorious. misty morning Mt
l NJ ,,,;t
awakening. What did that awakening
stand for? Again he thought, if he
could choose-wOuld he wish to be
back rs he was bcfore-as he was on
the way out? 4 voice within him said
mo"
In those days when once more his
thoughts demanded to be seen in their
relation to Alix, that steady voice
within him was his only comfort. The
Hood at FnZenda Flores had swept
away all that his hands had done, but
the things that FuZenda Flores had
done for him could not be swept away
by any material force. They stood and
feared nothing-eXcept Alix.
| Wherever his mind turned. 1t came
back to AliX and found in her an i'm
passe. AliX assumed more and more
the portcntous attributes of one unat-
tached, sitting in Judgment over his
acts. His memory OF her frnilty, of
her fiowerlike detachment from the
bones-the skeletOn-of life her arti-
ficiality, made her seem ludicrously in
| n thn 30
could not picture her, much less esti-
mate the sentence she would pass. His
thoughts led him daily up to TINT i'm
pasSe and left him. Then came the
doubt and the question-why should
he lead himself bodily to the impasse
at all?
He was still fighting this point when
he reached Barbados but there an Incl
dent bcfell which brought Il new light
to his mind and then a new peace
to his soul
| He had gone ashore ut Rridgctown
simply because his whole body. per-
fcctly nttuned by three years of long
hours Of toll. was crying out for more
exercise than the narrow decks of the
freighter could afford
When the little group of passengers
reached shore, with the exception Of
Gerry and an old returning Rarbadinn,
they all turned in the same direction
as If by common impulse.
The Bnrbntlian glanced at Gerry and
jerkc' his head ut the disappearing
group. 'Men Of the world in the big
sense" he said.
"What do you mcan?" asked Gerry.
"SOn," said the Old Barbadnn, who
was very tanned and whose kindly
| eyes blinkcd through thick glasses,
"whcn a chap tells you he's a man
of the world you ask him If he ever
had a drink at The Ice house You
don't have to say in DridGctown' Ever
have drink ut the Ice house| Just
like that: and If lie says, no you
know he meant he was town rOundcr
when lie said he was Il man of the
world"
Gerry smiled md fell naturally in
step with the Barbadian as he moved
slowly on.
EYES," said the old man. "1t's sure
test. The man that hasn't crooked his
elbow at the big, round deal table in
! that old, ramslncklc drink house can't
say he's really Travelled. Long lost
brothers and friends have met there.
and when men that roam the high seas
want news of some pal that's disap-
pcared down the highway of the world
they drop in at the old Ice house and
ask what road he took It's halfway
house to all the seven seas"
"Have you lost anyonc?" asked
Gerry.
mo, I'm not thirsty for drink jus:
now" said the Barbadan with a
smile. "And you?"
"Nor L." said Gerry, laughing. I'm
out to stretch my legs"
"YOu can't do that here" replied the
old man. You don't know our sun
Come with me-" lie hailed a ram.
shacklc victoria.
Gerry hesitated. "You must have a
home you want to go to and friends
TO see. Don't worry about me. III
be careful about the SUM-"
BOY" said the Barbadan, "I'vc eot
home and I'm going to see it, but