The Glenwood post., 1916-07-08

to smash or the world otherwise come
to an end, you can be sure Lieber will
get his water in a full bucket"
Kemp nodded and with "S'long
and good luck" disappeared down the
gangway.
At Pernambuco Alan found an &C.
emulation of mail awaiting him and
a liner bound for home. The liner was
too big to get into the little harbor be-
hind the reef. She rode the swell a
mile out from shore.
Alan lost no time in making his
transfer. From the tender he was
winched up to the deck in passenger
basket. As he left the wicker coop
he smiled at himself in disgust Ten
Percent Wayne had often jumped for
a gangway from the top Of flying
sea; never before had he gone on board
as cargo. But the smile suddenly left
his face. He reeled and put out one
hand toward rail. Somebody caught
his arm and led him to a long chair.
he sank into 1t and shivered.
1t was girl that had helped him.
As soon as she saw he was not going
to faint she left him, to come back
presently with the doctor and a room
steward. They took charge Of him.
Day after day Alan lay In his cabin,
listless, before he thought of his batch
Of letters. They were still in the
pocket of his coat. He asked the stew.
ard to hand them to him, looked
through them, picked out one and laid
the rest aside. The one he picked out
was Clem's.
With her own peculiar wisdom Glen
had written not about him or herself,
but about Red Hill. Alan read and
then dropped the letter to bis lap. His
I hands fell clenched at his sides. Hi
eyes, grown large, stared out down th'
long vista of the mind. Walls faded
away and the sounds Of a great ship
at sea were suddenly dumb. To his
ears came instead the caroling of bird'
in evening song after rain, to his eyer
a vision of Red Hill dripping ligh'
from its myriad leaves and to his
heart the protecting, brooding shelter
of Maple House-of home.
1t cleanses mans soul to have been
at deaths door. Sickness. more thar
love, leads man up. Alan was feel
ing cleansed-llke little child-so II
seemed a quite natural thing that the
girl who had taken charge Of him on
his arrival on board should knock al
his door and then walk in. She drew
out a camp-stool and sat down beside
him.
She was very small and very young
not in years but with what Alan
termed to himself acquired youth. Hei
nearsighted eyes peered out through
big glasses. They seemed to see only
when they made special effort, and
yet they seemed to give out light.
"You are better?' she asked. and
smiled.
Alan caught his breath at that smile
"Yes," he said, 81 am much better to
day. have had letter from home. :
You must get up now and come
up on deck" said the girl. "I'll wal
! for you outside" Her voice had pc
culiar modulation. 1t attracted ant
soothed the ear.
Alan frowned and then smiled. "Al
right" he said, "wait for me-" H.
1 dressed laboriously. His hands seemed
weighted.
/ On deck she had his chair ready 70
him beside her own. She tucked hi
rug about him and then sat down
"Don't talk ever, unless you want to,
she said. "silent people are best"
"Why?" asked Alan.
"They are springs. Their soul
bubble"
"And the people that chatter?" aske'
Alan.
"They are geysers," said the glrl
and smiled.
Alan was entertained - almos
amused "What do you do when
geyser spouts?" he asked.
"What do you do?" replied the CIR
~ rum"
I'm afraid haven't run-always,
said Alan. 81 generally try to clap
tin hat on them"
"You must be strong to do that. I'r
not very strong"
Alan glanced over her frail body
"What are you?" he asked.
"I'm missionary. AT least, l wa
missionary. I've had to give it VI
One needs so much to be n mission
ary."
!, 81 never thought of 1t that way,
. said Alan. 81 always thought that
was the people that were unfit for a
, most anything else that turned to mil
, sionarying as last resort"
"Oh, nor said the girl, sitting d
very straight In her chair and fixin
her eyes on his face. "How wron
you are! Missionarying, as you call |
is just another name for giving, an
how can one rive great deal unles
one has great deal to give-strengt
and youth and vitalityW
"And you have given all7" aske