Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-04-24
HIS MANHOOD
BY OLIVE GROVES.
I|Ti- " ITI' ~ UT ~
per Syndicate

she boarded the car.
Ii WAS a crisp morning ana the sun
WAS just peeping over the HORIZON like
. ball OF FURNISHED steel. The street
car was already packed. and the motor
man was standing with his hand on
the crank TO let The vehicle go.
II have picked her up nj all hours
OF the night he remarked TO pas
senger beside him on the platform. He
WAS Paul LacroiI, the motorman
young. handsome.
The electric ear was on a trip TO
ward The business center OF large
city, and was intentionally filled, ss
usual at that hour with stenogra piers
clerks and a few miscellaneous pas
sengers
Going down an avenue that paral-
leled che street upon which the car
was running was another young man,
handsome aud f-Opin,onated. He
spent certain hours In the office Of his
father. who was rich business man.
He had been looking "over The top aud
facing high balls the night before,
and being late Ia work. was racing his
little submarine-in common parlance
called nm automobile 10 reach his Of
fice on time
ON went the electric car. held in
leash by the motorman. who remem-
bered the presence Of his lovely pas
senger. There was no more room for
passengers and none disembarked. 80
the car moved on without further in
terruption.
The manipulation Of the mundane
submarine" turned on more Juice"
and speeded up Ia make up for the
time he had wasted the night before.
His mind was partially upon the high
balls that had sparkled In the electric
lights. and his nerves were somewhat
unsteady.
The street down which the car hur-
ried and the avenue down which The
automobile was racing were rapidly
converging Down some distance was
circle upon which stood an eques-
TRAN statue. and there the street and
avenue became one.
When within n block OF this circle
the car. In answer 10 a ring. came 20 n
stop. Pushing her way through The
crowded aisle. Miss Blanche Carter.
the passenger who had merited the
consideration Of The motorman dlsem-
harked. Holding tightly 20 her hand
satchel she made her way toward
massive brick structure block away.
Lacroix did not see who had irft
the car. for the crowd was too dense.
When the signal 10 20 was given ne
put ON full power Now obvious to an
else than reaching his destination on
schedule time, he was soon going fun
speed.
In this age. when all realize that the
building I'm which they work may be-
blown up boy dynamite. the house in
which they sleep rnzed by bomb from
Il flying machine. the vessel In which
they ride destroyed by submarine.
and that they may be- riddled as they
walk along the street by trench
gun masked ten miles away. or ridden
down and crushed 10 pieces by 10y
riders and halr-brained chaufeurs I'm
automobiles now ones nerves
are not equal 10 looking ON unmoved
M an electric car. controlled by love
mad motorman and an automobile
banded by Wildcats ynungSfer
iashing wildly and rapidly toward
zach other And II is not to be won.
Tered at that a the street and avenue
anne together. and car and auto. IN.
lwnres. were making for the same
point at the same Identical moment
he occupants Of the car penned aS
hey were. should be- excited
Seeing no chance Of avoiding the
collision, the young man jumped from I
his auto. Occupants of the car rushed I
nadly toward the rear. Lacroix turned /
m the current and put on the brake. /
ie might have let 40 and run back
ward 10 safety. but the manhood i'm /
Inn asserted itself He might have
'een selfish In that he thought OF the
irl who impressed him so much. But
IL remained steadfastIy az his post.
Reaching the large brick structure
which was an lnfirmary. Miss Carter
ntered. She had scarcely finished
onning her professional suit when she
vas called upon 10 assist I'm dressing
badly wounded young man. II was
'aul Lacroix. He had been the only
ne who had been injured by the col.
sion. and his injuries were serious.
Paul's life hung on n thread for some
me. and then slow recovery fol
WED. But as time sped onward ne
armed to be dependent upon his nurse
nd to regard her I'm another light than
nat In which he thought ~ her the
ny he was injured. Az length he be
an 10 regret the coming OF that day
pom which he must leave the hospital
One day The nurse brought 10 his
ad "a bit Of roast turkey and n pot Of
owers-her gift He looked M m her
ith tears in his eyes. and said:
~ indeed have much 10 be- thankful
", hut want one more gift. Can I
I'VE it," And he reached ont HIS
md and drew her INCREASINGLY 70
ard him.
BACKING Tn General eher,..