Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-09-29

%ATW-Z
"f'd never have asked you to sarry me
in such q world"
her brother fingered ON the path
Agnes succeeded In making NJ other
demonstration, however, until Martin
had gained the road; then she threw
open the screen door and ran down
the porch steps. Jim caught and
kissed her and half carried her up the
steps again They paused In the hall
to look at each other under the light
Jim's inspection appeared far more
than merely satisfactory, but he failed
TO pass muster under Agnes eyes
'Why, what's ~bothering you, dear?"
she demanded solicitously.
"Nothingt7 Jim threw his hal on q
chair, and, hand In hand with Agnes,
he sought their place on the lounge
near the big, shaded lamp. Agnes
parents had gone out, and she and
Jim had the room to themselves. "I'm
rather extremely In need Of some sane,
rational, nonmilitary companionship
for a while What do you suppose I've
been doing? I just came from the
factory, where I've been to see If spies
weren't making bombs. Yes He
told her, in humorous detail the dis
cussions and his errand of the even
Ing. You can see from that the effect
of having a lieutenant about most of
the time, and Nellie's as bad"
II can see" Agnes agreed II
wasn't going to say anything about
your sister, Jim. till you'd mentioned
It, but
"Go, on, dearte."
IL had her to lunch today, and l
got her ideas"
About war;"
Fl wasn't going to bring up the sub
ject, but I'd been reading that dandy
new disarmament article about u
setting the example to the other ma
tions-sThe Mission of America by
Professor Doxen. The magazine was
open at 1t, and Nellie saw I'd been
reading 1t. l give you my word that
when / told her-as / had to-that l
thought 1t was the finest and most
practical thing I'd ever read she be-
came positively violent"
II know" Jim nodded. "And there
are so many things which you and l
can't UNDERSTANDINGS being In the
navy
THAT was exactly the tone. I could
hardly keep from laughing at her one
minute and the next telling her what
an infant she was. l didn't realize
what the navy was doing to her be-
fore. Now l know. Instead of grow
ing In thought or experience since
she's left Elgin she has been actually
going back. She's q year older than 1,
and she used to be older really, but
her mental age now is about the same
as Mart's. He was home for lunch
and agreed perfectly with every ride
ulous thing she said"
"He just asked me what Lieutenant
Wendell thought as though no one else
knew anything"
"Being eighteen, he's just at the
army and navy stage. 1 suppose you
were once, too, Jim, but-thanks be-
Agnes kissed him quickly-"you went
into business and outgrew it. Why,
Jim, I wouldn't dare marry II 1 be-
lieved that the world had to be con-
trolled by force and fear"
"And I'd never have asked you to
marry me In such a world
zoe aoV~r ,-A - 49, --o-iS go
that way. Amerfca-the millions like
you and 1, Jim-can show the rest of
the world that it's not l told Nellie
we'd agreed on that, and you felt, too,
that Professor Doyen was right-or
mostly right When war threatens the
way to keep 1t Off Is not to resist-that
only makes wal sure-but to refuse
his soldiers kill Us There can't be
any war, a there?"
"Of course notr- Jim was impatient
TO hold her close and dismiss discus.
sion.
That's what I told Nellie, but she
just laughed at me She said the men
would have to resist or they wouldn't
NC uIcl, d4Q LAc WOllGu WOulQ uIlNG
the men on to it when war really came.
But l said that wasn't So"
Jim brought her head down on his
shoulder. Let's talk about getting
married, Agnes
Married, dearT
@Yes; when"
Two hours later Jim drove again to
ward town In the bright moonlight
He smiled at the recollection Of his er-
rand to the factory early In the even
ing. Agnes had made him forgotten
remember only with amusement-the
wild alarms which had disturbed him.
Agnes and he were going to be mar.
ried In three months; they had decided
on the day. He was happy and be
whistled as he drove along. The win