Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-06

ehihS- nSt 1t was. InoSe boys are
from the South. Must have brought
them with him. Then it was: He
knows something about the sun. He
keeps his head in the shade-spot from
that lonely palm And finally: Col
lingeford, l never despised your intel
iect before. What are you sulking
for? Can't you see what's up? Can't
you understand that if a man will
stand for two hours shifting an inch
at time with the shade rather than
disturb half dozen niggers at work
TO go and get helmet he isn't going
to call those niggers off to let a couple
Of loafers like us crawl across his
Orders? What you and l are staring
at is just plain common garden work
with capital W, stark naked and
ugly, but it's great
And wight there l saw the light. To
US two the mystery of Ten Percent
Wayne was revealed. He could drive
men. He could make bricks without
straw. While work was on. nothing
else mattered. Right and wrong were
and death was too good for the shirk-
er. And with the light | forgot the
brute in the man tearing along the
dizzy height of the girder to lash a
loafer and only remembered that he
had risked his life to avenge Just one
moment stolen from the days work"
The stem of Collingeford's wine
glass snapped between his fingers.
I'm sorry" he said, laying the pieces
aside. He smiled a little nervously
on the three tense faces before him.
II don't tell that story often. 1t goes
too deep. Not everybody understands
Some people call Wayne no better than
a murderer; but I'm not one of them.
And BOdsky says there have been a
lot of murderers he'd like to take to
his club"
u. Y, there's somebody listening
at the door," said the captain. Been
there some time"
j. Y. swung around and threw open
the door. He sprang forward and
caught Glen in the act of flight He
brought her back into the room and
sat down, holding her upright beside
him. j. Y. was proud and for mo-
ment COllingeford's presence CALLED
him. What were you doing, Glen ~
he asked.
Clematis was in that degree of en-
barrassment and disarray which
makes lovely youth a shade more love
ly. Her brown hair was tumbled
about her face and down her back
Her cheeks were flushed and her thin
white neck seemed to tremble above
the deep red of her slightly yoked
frock. Her lips were moist and parted
in excitement. She was sixteen and
beautiful beyond the reach of hack
neyed phrases. The four men fixed
their eyes upon her, and she dropped
hers. 81 was eavesdropping," she said
in voice that was very low but
clear.
"Why, Glenn said J. Y. gravely.
Glen looked around on the four men.
She did not seem afraid. Unconscious
" they waited for her to go on, and
about Alan. l heard Charley say he
was going to. / shall always caves
drop when anyone tells about Alan"
For a second her auditors We're
stunned by the audacity. Collinge-
ford's face was the first to light up and
his hand came down on the table with
a bang. Bully for you, young 'unr'
he cried and his clear laugh could be
heard on the lawn. Before it was
over, the Judge joined In, the captain
grunted his merriest grunt and J. Z.
patted Clem's shoulder and smiled.
Glen was of the salt Of the earth
among wOmankind-the kind that
waits to weep till the battle is over
and then becomes a thousand times
more dear in her weakness. Her big
eyes had been yelling with tears and
now they jumped the barrier just as
Nance rushed in and cried, What are
you all laughing att" Then she caught
sight Of Glenn From her she looked
around on the men. You four big
hulking brutes," she said. Come to
me, Glen, you darling What have
they been doing to you? There, there,
don't cry. Men are silly things. What
if they did laugh at you"
Glenn was sobbing on Nance's Shout
der. at isn't that" she gasped. II
don't-mind-that! But Mr.. Collinge-
ford ca-called me young one" e.
The three gray-heads kept their
faces with difficulty. Collingeford
leaped to his feet my dear young
lady-Miss Clematis-" he stammered,
''my word, now! l didn't mean it.
Swear l didn't. 'Pll do anything if
you'll only stop crying. Do stop and
listen to me- I'll grovel."
1t took him an hour to make his
peace.