The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-04-27
CHAPTER xVIl-continued.

Alan's eyes cleaned with amuse-
ment at the ripping words. Alix was
certainly well. Then suddenly she COL
lapsed in chair. Three years! she
gasped. Her hands went up to hold
her head and she began to cry in a
way Alan had never heard a woman
cry before. The gasping sobs racked
his nerves. He felt as though the sobs
were tearing their way up from his
own breast. He gripped the arms of
the chair in which he sat. His body
telephoned to his brain that he was
going to faint and at such astounding
news Ten Percent Wayne woke up and
took charge. "Alix! the word snapped
out like the crack of a whip. "You
stop crying or I'll slap you, and when
| slap slap hard"
Altx choked, swallowed and looked
at him, outraged and unbelieving.
Alan's eyes were blazing. "You listen
to me-" he commanded, "listen to every
word | say. You've gone through lot
iii three years, but just fasten your
mind on to this: so has Gerry. That
note Is colorless because Gerry made
1t colorless. 1t doesn't tell anything,
because Gerry isn't a coward and be-
cause there are things he must tell
you face to face to get your answer
clear In his own mind. I'm making
you curious with every word. All right,
be curious. But you can be sure of
one thing; If Gerry had wanted me
to tell you his story he'd have asked
me- to, but he didn't. He didn't even
ask me not to. He was standing in
deep waters, but he had his head and
shoulders out. He wasn't asking for
my or anybody else's hand to help
him up the bank. He didn't ask me
not to meddle because he knew | was
man enough to see where he stood
without words. He trusted me-" AL
ans voice traIled off weakly. He
closed his eyes.
"But, Alan," said Alix, II must know
something. Is he well? Is he"
Alan held up his hand. Just one
thing and then I'm going to sleep.
never thought the old Rock would ever
loom so big"
Alix watched him doze off. She felt
strangely comforted by the crumb he
had tossed her. She went back in hel
mind to a dinner Of long ago. wher
SHE had defended Gerry's placid
weight against Alan. She sat on fol
bnlf an hour, busy with varying
thoughts. She looked curiously around
Alan's sitting room. How strang'
that she should be here and yet how
natural. How safe she felt She won
dered If it was all because of the de
fenses she had raised up in herself o.
whether any woman would feel SAT-
with the new and weakened Alan. Sht
slipped out without waking him anC
sent cable to Pernambuco. By nigh
she had an answer. Gerry had not ye
sailedI
Days passed. She went out only TO
exercise. Her mind was busy witt
wondering. The judge called regu
larly. He had put Off going to Rex
Hill. He wanted Alix to feel that {
friend was at hand and, besides, b,
had Alan on his hands. Alan wa
worrying him in new way. Some
thing had gone out of him. Sometime
he seemed to the judge mere she'll
blown egg, robbed of the seed Of life
The judge talked Of him often to Alix
but she could not fasten her mind ol
Alan. "Take him to the HILL" wa
her listless advice.
"I've tried" said the Judge. "and b,
says he's not ready-not strong enough
told him that's what he ought to g,
for--to get strong--and he said a fun
ny thing. There's kind of strengtl
we must generate or borrow. didn'
borrow, so now I'm generating. I
takes time And then he dropped of
to sleep. Before, he used to run yol
through with his tongue when b,
vented TO stop conversation. Now b
Just goes to sleep. It's just as effec
tive and almost as original"
One afternoon the Judge came Il