The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-02-04
CHAPTER Ii-Continued.

CHAPTER H-continued.
1T doesn't amount to an appoint
ment. Just job as assistant to WAL
ton, the engineer the contractors are
sending out. We're going to put up
a bridge somewhere in Africa
That's it. 1 knew it, said the cap
tain. "Going away. Want any money!"
The question came like solid shot
out of four-pounder. Alan started,
colored and smiled, ali at the same
time.
No, thanks. SIR Ae replied, I've
got all l need"
The captain hitched his chair for
ward. placed his hands on his knees,
leaned forward and glared out on the
avenue. "The Lansings," he began.
like boy reciting piece, "are devils
for drink, the Waynes for women.
Don't you ever let 'em, worry you
about drink. Nowadays the doctors
call us nonalcoholic. In my time it
was just plain strong heads for wine.
| say, don't worry about drink. There's
safety valve in every Wayne's gull
let.
But women, Alan"' The captain
siued 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 be 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
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
bad There was a suspicion of mois-
ture in his eye as he hurried his guest
off.
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. I am sorry. 1t has been
raining here very much. In the hollows
all the bridges are under water. I have
invented a new game. 1t is called steam
boat" play it on old Dubbs. We go
down into the valley and I make him go
through the water around the bridges.
lie puffs just like a steamboat and when
he gets out he smokes all over. He is
too fat. l hope you will come back very
soon GLEN.
That evening Clem 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 1t in her bosom
and rushed over to the Firs to show it
TO Gerry.
Gerry aud Alix were spending the
summer at the Firs, where Mrs. Ian
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 n couple about to be mar
ried at tile rational close Of a long en-
gagement No children or thought Of
children had come to turn the channel
OF life for Alix. On Gerry marriage
ho
ming to look as though he and Aiix
irifted 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 tile Rock, and Alan was right.
Gerry bad 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
heaTal.to move Gerry. An upheavaI
was or the way. but Gerry did not
know it. 1t was yet afar off.
TO the Lansings marriage had al
ways been one of the regular func-
tions of a regulated life-part of the
general scheme of things. Gerry was
slowly realizing that his marriage with
AIix was far from a mere function, had
little to do with a regular life and was
foreign to what he had always consid-
cred the general scheme of things.
Alix had developed. quite naturally,
into a social butterfly. Gerry did not
picture her as chain lightning playing
on rock, as Alan would have done,
but he did. in vague way, feel that
bits of his impassive self We're being
Clipped away.
Red Hill bored Alix and she showed
riage they had spent abroad. Now
Alix' thoughts and talk turned con-
stantly toward Europe. She even sug-
gested a flying trip for the fall, but
Gerry refused to be dragged so far
from golf and his club. He stuck dog
gedly to Red Hill till the leaves began
to turn. and then consented to move
back to town.
On their last night at the Firs Mrs.
Lansing, who was complacently Aunt
Jane to Waynes and E!tons, enter
tanned Red Hill as a whole to dinner.
With the arrival of dessert, to Alix'
surprise, Nance said, Port all around,
please. Aunt Jane"
Lansings, Waynes and Eltons were
heavy drinkers in town, but it was a
tradition, as Alix knew, that on Red
Hill they dropped it-all but the old
captain. 1t was as though, amid the