Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-24

the thick trunk of n wlstaria a slow
smile drew the corners of his mouth
: Worth money" he echoed My boy. not
every man kills the thing that he loves
best This Is my home. You read those
dates written in dust and still you thought
my home was dead But It isn't dead,
haven't killed the thing that I love best
You can get cash, comfort and cool drinks
almost anywhere. but / have remembered
that memories travel only beaten paths"
Even as Gerry picked his way back to
the waiting cab he felt Red Hill reaching
out for him, drawing MIN And during
the long, slow drive to the quay he
learned that he had passed the cross
roads that had given so long II pause to
his troubled soul The Barbadian had
opened his eyes, DOUBT left him There
was but one road--the road baclS-and II
was open lie wrote his cable to Alix
with firm hand
The freighter reached quarantine after
quiet voyage IL hours ahead of time
and just at sundown. tug hurried down
the bay to tell them their berth was not
ready, The freighter was forced to
anchor at the mouth of the Narrows
Gerry watched the lights spring out from
the shadowy shores. They beckoned him
to familiar scenes Staten Island had
been to his boyhood an undiscovered land
and the scene of his first wanderings
Bayshore he knew through constant pass.
glow Of the summer city, here and there
pierced with the brighter flame Of some
grotesque montrosity.
Up the bay the dark waters forted into
two bands that lost themselves in sea
and sky of twinkling lights. He could just
determine the sweeping arch of Brooklyn
Bridge and the presence of more than one
new Tower OF Babel that broke the ever
changing skyline of his native city and
made him feel. by that much, forgotten
and an alien. But from all the myriad
lesser lights his eyes turned gratefully to
the high.held torch Of Liberty.
Beneath It, the familiar, tilted diadem,
the shadowy folds draping the up-stand-
ing pose, the strength and steadfastness
and the titanic grandeur of the statue,
carried their message to him as never
before. 1t became to him what its Gre
ator had conceived, an emblem, and the
myriad little waves of the bay, rushing
to fling themselves at the feet of the God
dess, became multitude. eager for at
tainment' ready for sacrifice.
CHAPTER XIII.
TT WAS 10 o'clock on a morning in
L early autumn wheh Gerry finally got
free of the freighter and took the ferry
for the other side of the river. He had
left all his baggage to be delivered at
the house later, The morning was clear
but sultry. In the city the apathy of
summer days had settled down. People
glanced at Gerry's heavy tweels and an
tiquated hat, but they did not smile, for
Gerry himself was such a sight as makes
men forget clothes. The tan of his lean
face. the swing of his big, unpadded
shoulders, his clear eyes. carried the
thoughts OF passers-.. away from clothes
and city things. They seemed to catch
"A breath of spicy winds from the worn
garments that clung to the strangers
virile body and in his eyes they saw
mirage of far-away places.
AS Gerry reached his own house, he
was outwardly calm, .evel deliberate, but
inwardly he was lighting down a turmoil
of emotions. What was he to find In
AliX? Had he anything to give in eX-
change? Had ne too much? He climbed
the steps slowly. His hand trembled as
he reached out to raise the heavy bronze
knocker Before his fingers could seize
it, the door swung softly inward Old
John bowed before him. For moment
Gerry stood dazed.
The naturalness of that open door, OF
the old butler of the cool shadows in
the old familiar hall. struck straight at
his heart with the shrewd poignancy of
simple things. Old John raised a smiling
lace to greet him but down one wrnltled
cheek crawled a surprised tear
Gerry held out his hand. How do
you do John?"
II am very we'll today SIR" said John,
Mrs. Gerry is in the library. She told
me to telephone to the club and II you
were there TO say she wished to see
YOU"
CONTINUED TOMORROW,