The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-18

are one hundred million people. That
means that II each and every one of
the hundred million advances the Gov.
eminent ten dollars the Government
has one billion. Ten dollars! Multi
ply that-by twenty. That would
mean that II each Of the hundred mil
lion gave the Government two humid
bred dollars, the total amount would
be twenty billion. II you could buy
liberty for two hundred dollars - II
You could buy immunity from attack
for that amount, would you hesitate!
Many men pay that amount to their
lawyers-and much more-to defend
them in a lawsuit!
$50 you see, Mr.. Corwin, though the
amount Of money expended seems to
be enormous, it really isn't SO much
for each Of US to bear. Why" she
added, her eyes cleaning with lu.
minous moisture; II would give .
thousand times that sum. II I had It.
to be sure that Ben would come back
to me. would give everything I
possess to bring any girls brother
back!"
A thrill of sympathy ran over Cor
whit was perhaps the first unselfsh
emotion he had experienced since the
day when Gary Miller. in his private
Office at the Merchants Bank, had
filed his mind with the poison Of
potential disloyaty.
But the emotion did not last; 1t was
transient, surface-it went no deeper
than his thoughts, after the first stir
ring surge. It did not reach the
heart; 1t did not strike the solemn
note of patriotism. Watching him
closely. Molly saw his eyes grow Gym
ical again; and she drew deep. slow
breath-for she had been hoping he
would surrender. that he would come
to realize that the Nations trouble
meant something more to him than
the consideration Of self; that he
would be able to see with broader
vision, and that the real Corwin, hid
den beneath the cynical mask he af.
fected, would be revealed. For she
could have loved the Corwin Of her
ideals.
1T all comes to question Of indi.
vidualism," he said. I'VE are all will
ing to sacrifice, providing we gain
something by doing so. The motive
underlying all this fuss is the desire
Of every man engaged in 1t to express
his personality in one way or another.
The soldier, I believe, has less chance
to be an individual than any other
class concerned in the war. For he is
a slave to discipline. He has to obey
orders. He is drafted, or he volun-
teers. But once he enters the army
he loses his individuality and becomes
a part of the machinery Of war. He
is a pawn-a human sacrifice to the
greed Of other individuals. It Is my
opinion that, left to decide for them
selves, very few men who are now in
the army would have Joined It They
would have preferred to stay out and
let the other fellow do the fighting.
Molly's face had grown very white.
"Mr. Corwin." she said slowly;
"either you do not understand, or you
are deliberately denying your Ameri'
canism. You ought to know better
than to talk like that"
She sat very straight and rigid,
breathing fast.
There is such thing as q man
fighting for his country unselfishly-
because he loves It! OF course every
one of those boys who went over there
was reluctant to fight-with the excep'
ton of some who are so constituted
that they fight for the love Of fighting
but believe that none OF them has
personal interest in mind. They are
fighting for their country-for my
country, and for yours, Mr.. Corwin.
And Molly, her lips quivering.' her
eyes flaming with passion. turned from
Corwin and began to pound the keys
Of her typewriter.
CHAPTER VIII
DY the time the campaign for the
- Victory Loan began, Corwin had
become moody and taciturn. He was
still the cynic, scoffing at generous
impulses; outwardly he professed to
feel antagonistic toward the loan; and
he continued to find fault and to seeh
the society Of men who expressed the
views he expressed.
But in his heart had begun to grow
a great doubt. Struggling within hin
for expression, for encouragement
were emotions that sometimes actu
ually hurt him. He wanted to ex
press them; he felt they were the sin
cere impulses of his nature. But hi
had gone too far. now, to confess t.
his friends that he entertained {
doubt~that he had been wrong. HI
had the courage to oppose the wal
and the Governments policy, but b,
lacked the moral courage to admit tha
he had entertained opinions-or hat
expressed opinions-that an American
should not have entertained.
He attributed-at frst-the chang,
that was coming over him to Molly
treatment OF him.
For Molly. while she was coldly 20
lite and dignifed in his presence, dit
MT enoak ona word IN him that VA
ITO be continued)