Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1919-04-18

plauding the sentiments expressed by
the agitators.
Was Ben, the magnificent fighting
animal, better American than he,
who would have tried to bring reason
TO bear in the international quarrel
who advocated peace--a peace that
would save millions of lives and bill
lions Of dollars7 What was American
ism? Was II blind devotion? Or was
IL consideration of the good and safely
Of the countryi
Corwin did not answer these q,..s.
tions-then. He went to the police
station, interceded for Ben and OBJ
tanned his release. But he found that
he could not meet Ben's eyes when
the latter thanked him; and when he
returned to the Office and told Molly
that her brother was free-and she
came over to him and took his hands
and told him how thankful she was
he did not look at her-he sat silent
in his chair, his face crimson, a queer
sensation of guilt depressing him.
CHAPTER w
~ORwIN, however, had the courage
- Of his convictions. And before the
Liberty Loan campaign was ended he
had many occasions to put his cour-
| age TO the test For the campaign had
not been fairly started when he re-
ceived an offlcial-looking letter from
Dillon. the chairman Of the commit
tee, requesting him to subscribe ten
thousand dollars. Falltown's quota,
Dillon pointed out, was one million,
and no doubt Corwin wanted to help
the town go "over the top"
Corwin did not answer the letter;
nor did he send in a subscription. He
grinned sardonically rs he threw the
letter into a waste basket, muttering
as he did so: IF they want to carry
on their fool war they'll do 1t without
my help"
Aware that he had spoken aloud.
he wheeled in his chair, to see Molly
King watching him curSously.
Corwin flushed with embarrassment.
Molly opened his mail, as usual, and
so of course she knew what Dillon
had written. Corwin saw her eyes
quicken as she looked from him to the
waste basket
There seemed to be bit Of malice
In Molly's eyes as her gaze Travelled
from the waste basket to Corwin,
some speculation, and a CLINT Of
amazement
But she smiled, oddly. Corwin
would have felt more comfortable had
she glared at him-for the smile was
expressive of many things that dis
turbed him. He knew she had heard
his vindictively muttered words, and
that she wanted to say some very
frank things. OF course it was only
because she was an employee that she
didn't.
What she did say seemed to have
no bearing upon Corwin's action. Yet
Corwin knew it was subtle reproof.
Ben has joined the Army, Mr.. Cor.
win," she said. HE was determined
not to wait for the draft-he is so
eager" And she folded her hands in
her lap and looked steadily at Corwin.
Corwin's face went crimson. He
turned his back to Molly and pre-
tended to busy himself with his CORE
spondence Later, still uncomfortable,
he got his hat and left the Office.
Looking back as he went out the door,
he saw Molly grimly smiling over her
work.
That was only one of the many incl
dents that tortured Corwin in the
cola on,
accosted him on the streets; they in
vaded his home; they found their
way to his office. Boy Scouts trailed
him here and there; friends inquired
about the absence of the bond button
that should have graced the lapel of
his coat.
Patriotic advertisements glared at
him from the pages of the Observer
seeming to have been written directly
at him. 1t was as though he were the
only man in town who had not sub
scribed for the Loan, that the adver-
Using writer's knew 1t. There were
truths in the advertisements, too-the
writers seemed to have an uncanny
understanding of the influences that
kept MIN from subscribing. 1t was as
though the writers were inside his
brain. anticipating its thoughts, or
transcribing them az they appeared.
And that his thoughts were visible
things Corwin was becoming con-
WINGED. For he began to note that
men looked at him curiously, inquir-
ingly, their eyes seeming to say: Did
you buy bond? No? Why?"
1t seemed to Corwin that everybody
he met knew he hadn't subscribed.
And he began to glare defiantly at his
friends, resenting their interest in
him, the mute charge of disloyalty in
their eyes
Corwin began to evade crowds:
whenever he saw people grouped to-
gether he slipped around the nearest
corner. One day, about to enter the
street door TO go to his office. a smil. !
ing young woman showed a pad of sub !
scription blanks before his eyes.
Buy a Bond, Mr.. Corwin?" she
asked.
He glared at her. Il have one" he |
lied.