The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-10
(copyrlght 1919, by Charles Alden Seltzer.
All Rights Reserved.)
NvJA
CHAPTER l

Al bt0fts NOocFNcu'j
4 CHAPTER
GARTER CORWIN had lunched
". alone at an exclusive little res
ltaurant on a side street. A certain
front-page article in the Observer
Falltown's only daily newspaper-had
taken the edge of Corwin's appetite.
To be sure. the event had been inn
pending-the somber shadow of war
had long been stretching westward
over the mighty expanse Of water that
certain credulous and trusting Ameri.
cans had glibly and unthinkingly re-
ferred to as providing immunity
from invasion.
But the Presidents war message
had come as distinct shock despite
the expectancy which had preceded
it-and Corwin got up from the table
with conviction that the country
faced task the enormity Of which
could not be comprehended on the in
slant And, he grimly assured him.
self as he walked down Main street,
there were persons in America who
would never comprehend 1t.
Nor could Corwin entirely grasp
the mighty significance of the thing.
He was convinced that the volume of
production, hitherto fixed at certain
limits, would have to be vastly in
creased; there would have to be ex'
tensions, engagements, and intensive
schemes tc speed up the manufacture
of munitions and the thousand and
one implements Of destruction which
are the essentials Of war; there would
have to be rapid and hazardous adju t
ments; and in some cases complete
rebuilding Of many industries. The
whole country would have to work
and save as 1t never worked and saved
before-and the country would have
to work and save under the handicap
Of a startling labor loss. For the
khaki-clad stream that must be poured
into devastated Europe would have to
be recruited from field and ONCE and
factory. There was no magic by
which an army could be raised through
merely expressing the wish
Filled with vague disquiet, Corwin
made his way down Main street until
he reached Meridian avenue.
Nam and Meridian formed the bust
ness center Of Falltown. It was short
ly after noon when Corwin reached
the corner, and the hum Of traffic bad
somewhat subsidized.
Corwin had an appointment with
Gary Miller. president Of the Mer-
chants Bank; and he still had fifteen
minutes to spare when he arrived at
the corner. So he halted and leaned
against one Of the massive marble COZ
umns that supported the ornamented
facade Of the building.
The two streets formed a gigantic
Cross around which clustered many
business blocks. They were the only
business streets In FaTltovn, and the
Quiet residence sections surrounding
exerted subduing influence. impart'
ing an atmosphere Of peace and quiet
The peace-atmosphere seemed to be
powerful today-at least to Corvin
For Corwin's reflections were running
TO contrasts Just at this instant-the
contrasts Of the pursuits Of peace and
the appalling devastation of war.
One section Of Main street ran east
ward. Corwin could see the street
paved for some distance. broad and In
vfting, with the sunlight streaming
upon It, until 1t merged with the grave
road that dipped gently into a valleJ
beyond the edge Of town. There II
was lost But it reappeared farthe1
on. crowning long slope and stretch
ing on and on-a sinuous white nib
bon in the CARING MONDAY sun-aI
artery that connected FaIltovn witt
the pulsing. throbbing world
However, Corvin's thoughts did no
stop with the end of the road-the!
went right on to the Atlantic coast
= ieaped the mysterious watenA AM
took him to the shores Of France
And for q while. unleashins his I'm
agiuation, and feeding 1t with tn
graphic accounts he had read In tn
newspspers, he looked upon the bal
fiefeIdr; saw the Hun hordes ravag
the land; saw them sweep On IN SCI
ned waves-a succession Of fnefJ
trained armies hurled at the world