Middletown transcript., 1916-04-01

| from the South. Must have brought
theuu with him. Then It was: lie
knows something about the sun. He
keeps his head in the shHde-spOt frOu
that lonely palm And tinally: Col
lingefOrd. never deSpiSed your intel
lect before. What are you sulking
fOr2 Can't you see what's up? Cant
you understand that II a man viii
stand for two hours shifting an inCt
ut time with the shade rather than
disturb half a dozen niggerS at work
to 20 and get helmet he isn't going
to call those nlggers Off to let Il couple
OF lOafers like us crawl across hIs
glrdersT What you and are staring
ut is just plain common garden work
with a capital W. stark naked aud
ugly, but it's great
'And right there saw the light. To
us two the mystery Of Ten Percent
Wayne was. revealed. He could drive
men. He could mike bricks without
straw. While work was Oh. nothing
else mattered. Right and wrong were
measured by the needs of that bridge
and death WAS too good for the shirk-
er. And with the light I forgot the
brute In the man tearing along the
dizzy height Of the girder to lash u
ioafer and only remembered that he
had risked his life to uvenge just one
moment stolen from the days work"
The stem Of CoIIingeford's wine
glass snapped between his ingPrs.
I'm sorry" he said. laying the pieces
aside. He SMILED little nervOuSly
on the three tense faces before him.
Il 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
d. 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 COIIingefOrd's presence CALLED
him. What were you doing. Clem?"
he asked.
Clematis was in that degree Of en-
barrassment and disarray which
makes lovely youth 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. ~ was eavesdrOpping. she said
in a voice that was very low but
clear.
why, ClemT' said j. Y. gravely.
Glenn looked around on the four men.
She did not seem afraid UNCONSCIOUS
ly they waited for Der to 20 on. and
she did. "Mr. Collingeford was telling
about Alan. heard Charley say he
was going to. shall always caves
drop when anyone tells about Alan"
For a second her auditors were
stunned by the audacity CoIIinge-
ford's face was the first to light up and
his hand came down on the table with |
a bang. bully for you. young 'un!"
he cried and his clear laugh could he
over. the judge Joined In. the captain |
grunted his merriest grunt and J. Y.
Datted 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
md then becomes a thousand times
more dear In her weakness. Her big
Eyes had been weIling with tears aud
now they jumped the barrier Just uS
Nance rushed in and cried. What are
7ou all laughing at?" Then she caught
sight of Glen. From her she looked
lround on the men. You four big
lulking brutes." she said. Come to
ne. Clem. you darling What have
hey been doing to you? There, there.
lon't cry. Men are silly things. What
+ they did laugh at your
Clem was sobbing on Nance's shouI-
Ter. 1T isn't that" she gasped. ~
But Mr.. Colinge-
ord ca-called me a young one"
The three gray-heads kept their
aces with difficulty. CoIIingefor1
capped to his feet. My dear young
Clematis-" he stammered.
my word. now! didn't mean It,
'wear | didn't. I'll do anything II
'ou'Il only stop crying. DO stop and
isten to me. I'll grOvel"
1t took him an hour to make his
eace.