Mexico Missouri message., 1916-02-10

Allx smiled. Slowly she reached one
hand over and placed it In Mrs Lam
sings. @You are crying because you
are granny now" she said, softly,
playfully.
Then came the day when Alix was
strong-strong enough. Mrs. Lansing
told her in a choked voice what they
knew and what everyone beIiel9d.
She cried softly in Alix' arms.
Poor mother!" said Alix, her lips
against the wet cheek. How strong
you've been! How you hid it from
me! What a burden to carry in your
heart, and smile. But listen, dear
mummy. You are all wrong. Perhaps
l would not have known it il you
had told me-then-but know it now.
Gerry is not dead. There is no river
that can drown Gerry"
Alix chung to her belief. SO strong
was her faith that Mrs. Lansing be-
came infected, but the judge held out
against them. my heart is with you"
he said, at the end of months, "but
my head won't turn. A naked man
even in South America would have
caused remark. Why shouldn't he
have come back for his clothes, for his
money? After all, he wasn't a fugi-
tive from justice. He was a man
wandering over the earth in pursuit Of
a mere within and a within doesn't last
forever"
Alix interrupted him. Judge,
have never been angry with you. We
all owe you too much. But if you
ever say was about Gerry again"
She, stopped and bit her lip but her
eyes spoke for her.
"My dear girl" said the judge and
only his color showed that he was
hurt, don't be angry with me. 1t
shall be as you say. I've only been
trying to save you from years of
weary waiting. If you have the coutA
age to wait for sorrow, 1 shall wait
too"
Alix kissed him. There" she said,
'I'm sorry 1 was rough"
you! roughr' laughed the judge
Then he jumped up. I'm forgetting
my duties. have a guest of my very
own at Maple House and must go to
him."
A few weeks before, Hon. Percy
Collingeford had looked up the judge.
1t was as much a pleasure to the
young man as a duty he owed to his
father, whose friend the judge had
been for many years.
Collingeford was no stranger to
America but he knew far more about
lodging arroyos in New Mexico on a
cow pony than he did about lodging
the open trenches and debris of Fifth
avenue on the trail Of a tea-party. He
was an Englishman, a younger son
with enough money to put him above
the remittance class, and he was pos
sessed of far more intelligence than
he had been born with, for, from his
youth up, he had sought out expert
ence in many places. He came back
from the Klondike with more money
than he needed for his passage but
only few kindred spirits knew that
he had made it hammering the piano
in The Fallen Star of Hope. He had
the English gentleman's common
creed: ride straight, shoot straight, tub
often and talk the kings English. That
creed fulfilled, nothing else seemed
to worry him.
He was dining with the judge at
the club one night when the name OF
Wayne-Alan Wayne-foated over oc-
casionally from a neighboring table.
Later as they sat over their coffee and
cigars Collingeford said abruptly, 81
know chap named Wayne"
"So? said the judge.
"Heard those people mention Alan
Wayne" explained Collingeford. 81
wonder if it was the same one-Ten
Percent Wayne of Africa"
"That's the one" said the Judge
and watched Collingeford's face.
Hum" said Collingeford. when 1
saw Wayne he was in shirt sleeves
and battered sun helmet. There are
some men that won't shake hands
with him, but I'm not one of them"
1t was then that the judge decided
to take Collingeford to Maple House
for over Sunday.