Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1919-04-11
scopyrIaht 1919, by Charles Alden Settler.
All Rights Reserved.l
CHAPTER I

Il
GARTER CoRwIN had lunched
- alone at an exclusive little res
taurant on a side street. A certain
front-page article in the Observer
Falltown's only daily newspaper-had
taken the edge off 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 a distinct shock despite
the expectancy which had preceded
ft-and Corwin got up from the table
with a 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 lie walked down Main street,
there were persons in America who
would never comprehend II.
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 &c 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 adjust
ments; and in some cases a complete
rebuilding of many industries. The
whole country would have to work
and save as 1t never worked and saved
beforehand 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 office 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.
Main and Meridian formed the bust
ness center of Falltown. II was short
ly after noon when Corwin reached
the corner, and the hum of traffic had
somewhat subsidized.
Corwin had All appointment with
Gary Miller. president of the Mer.
minutes to spare when he arrived at
the corner. So he halted and leaned
against one of the massive marble col.
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 Falltown, and the |
quiet residence sections surrounding 4,
exerted a subduing influence, impart- !
ing an atmosphere Of peace and quiet. |
The peace-atmosphere seemed to be !
powerful today-at least to Corwin. |
For Corwin's reflections we're 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 I
viting, with the sunlight streaming
upon II, until il merged with the gravel
road that dipped gently into a valley
beyond the edge Of town. There 1t
was lost. But it reappeared farther
on, browning long slope and stretch
ing on and on-a sinuous white rib
bon in the glazing MONDAY sun-an
artery that connected Falltown with
the pulsing. throbbing world
However. Corwin's thoughts did not
stop with the end of the road-they
went right on to the Atlantic coast,
leaped the mysterious waters. and
took him to the shores of France.
And for a while. sunleashing his Inn
agination. and feeding it with the
graphic accounts he had read in the
aAwsnaners- he looked upon the bat