Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-20


ment at the ripping words. AliX was
certainly we'll. Then suddenly she col
Iapsed III chair. Three years. she
gasped Her hands went up to hold
her head and she began to cry in a
way Alan had never heard a woman
cry before. The gasping sobs racked
his nerves. He felt as though the sObs
were tearing their way up from his
own breast He gripped the arms Of
the chair in which he sat. His body
teleDhoned to his brain that he was
going to faint and at such astounding
news Ten Percent Wayne woke up and
took charge. ''Alixr' the word snapped
out like the crack Of q whip. You
stop crying or I'll slap you, and when
I slap l slap hard"
AIiX ch0ked. swallowed and looked
ut hin. outraged and unbelieving.
AIan's eyes We're blazing. You listen
to me" he commanded. listen to every
word I say. You've gone through a lot
IN three years. but just fasten your
mind on to this. so has Gerry. That
note is cCL9rIess because Gerry made
it coI0rlcss. 1t doesn't tell anything
because Gerry isn't 8 coward and be
cause there are things he must tell
YOU face to face to get your answer
clear in his own mind. Pm making
you curious with every word. All right
be curious. But you can be sure of
one thing; if Gerry had wanted me
to tell you his story he'd have asked
me to. but he didn't. He didn't even
ask me not to- He was standing in
deep waters, but he had his head and
shoulders out. He wasn't asking for
my or anybody else's hand to help
him up the bank. He didn't ask me
not to NEEDLE because he knew [ was
man enough to see where he stood
without words. He trusted me-" Al
ans voice tratled off weakly. He
closed his eyes.
"But, Alan. said Alix, 81 must know
something. Is he well? Is he"
Alan held up his hand. Just one
thing and then Pm going to sleep. I
never thought the old Rock would ever
loom SO big
AIix watched him doze off. She felt
strangely comforted by the crumb he
had tossed her. She went back in her
mt0d to a dinner Of long ago, when
she had defended Gerry's placid
weight against Alan. She sat On for
half an hour busy with varying
thoughts, She looked curiously around
Alan's sitting room. How strange
that she should be here and yet how
natural How safe she felt. She Won
dered if it was all because of the de
lenses she had raised UP in herself or
whether any woman would feel safe
with the new and weakened Alan. She
slipped out without waking him and
sent a cable to Pernambuco. By night
she had an answer Gerry had not yet
sailed!
Days passed. She went out only for
exercise. Her mind was busy with
wondering The judge called regu-
larjy He had put off going to Red
Hill. He wanted Alix to feel that a
friend was at hand and besides, he
had Alan on his hands. Alan was
worrying him in a new way. Some
thing had gone out of him. Sometimes
he seemed to the judge a mere shell
q blown egg, robbed of the seed of life.
The judge talked of him often to AIix
but she could not fasten her mind on
Alan. Take him to the HILL" was
her Istless advice.
give tried" said the judge, "and he
says he's not ready-nOt strong enough.
| told him that's what he ought to go
fOr-tO get strOng-and he said fun
ny thing. There's a kind Of strength
we must generate or borrow I didn't
borrow, so now I'm generating. 1t
takes time And then he dropped off
to sleep. Before, he used to run you
through with his tongue when he
wanted to stop conversation. Now he
just goes to sleep. It's just as effec-
tive and almost as original"
One afternoon the judge came in
with a smile on his face ALAN is bet
ter, he announced.
isn't he better every day?" asked
AIix.
"Not like this" said the Judge. ''You
know Fleureur? Of course you don't
You wouldn't. Can't imagine how he
ever got into the club but he did Well,
it's a long time since Mr.. FIeureur has
been asked to cut in at bridge at the
club or anywhere else. Yesterday he
came in and saw Alan for the first
time since his return. Halo, Wayne
he said, back again and doing the
heavy swell as ever only not quite so
heavy inside the clothes now, eh?' Alan
is getting touchy over being weak
ling. That's a good sign, too, by the
way. He looked sideways out of his
sleepy eyes at FIeureur and you bet
everybody listened" The judge paused
at thus forgetting himself; then he
went on: Alan said, DO clothes matter
such a lot? Somehow it seems to me
it doesn't make any difference how
much 4 man wakes his mustache as
long as he doesn't wax his finger
nails"
AIix' face lit up. "Oh, that is Alan"
The judges eyes twinkled. Eyes" he
said~"and then Alan went off to sleep
like a shot and FIeureur remembered
an engagement. The whole clubs
cheered up. The club didn't know
what was the matter with itself, but it
knows now. 1t was missing Alan after
he ha0 come back"