The Tomahawk., 1919-12-25
opyriSht by Doubleday: Page & cornDa
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

Copyright by Doubleday. Page & Company.
49, CHAPTER xxII-continued
IT. -,
-, At this he laughed, but not very
heartily, and walked slowly to the
house, leaving her bending over a rose
bush, and shade more pensive than
the most pensive garden lady In any
Victorian engraving. Next day.
1t happened that this same "Vendo"
nah" or "Rides-Down-Everything" be-
came the subject of chance conVer'
sation between Eugene and his old
friend Kinney, father Of the fire-topped
Fred. The two gentlemen found them
selves smoking in neighboring leather
chairs beside broad window at the
club, after lunch.
Mr.. Kinney had remarked that he
expected to get his family established
at the seashore by the Fourth of July,
and, following train Of thought, ne
paused and chuckled. ''Fourth of July
reminds me-" he said. "Have you heard
what that George Minafer is doing?"
"No, haven't" said Eugene, and his
friend failed to notice the crispness Of
the utterance.
"Well, SIR" Kinney chuckled again,
"it beats the devil! My boy Fred told
me about it yesterday. He's friend
of this young Henry Akers, son of +.
r. Akers of the Akers Chemical COM
pany. 1t seems this young Akers asked
Fred if he knew fellow named Nina.
fer, because he knew Fred had always
dlved here, and young Akers had heard
some way that Minafer used to be an
old family name here, and was sort of
curious about it. Well, sir, you re-
member this young George sort Of dis
appeared, after his grandfather's
death, and nobody seemed to, know
much what had become of him
though I did hear, once or twice, that
he was still around somewhere. Well,
sir, he's working for the Akers Chem
zeal company, out at their plant on the
Thomasville road"
He pauseds seeming to reserve some
thing to be delivered only upon inquiry,
and Eugene offered him the expected
question, but only after cold glance
through the nose-glasses he had lately
found it necessary to adopt. "What
does he do?" ~
kinney laughed and slapped the arm
Of his chair. Hes nitro-glycerin ex-
peril"
He was gratifed to see that Eugene
was surprised, If not, indeed, little
startled.
1He's what?"
sHe's an expert on nitro.glycerin:
Doesn't that beat the devil! Yes, sir1
Young Akers told Fred that this
George Minafer had worked like
houn'-do ever since he got started
out at the works. They have a special
plant for nitro-glycerin, way on from
the main plant, o course-in the
woodap somewhere-and George Nina
fer's been working there, and lately
they put him In charge of 1t. he oyer
sees shooting oil wells, too, and shoots
'em himself, sometimes. They aren't
allowed to carry It on the railroads,
YOU know-have to team 1t. Young
Akers says George rides around over
the bumpy roads. sitting on as much as
three hundred quarts Of nitro-glycerin
NV Lordl- Talk about romantic tum-
bles! II he gets blown sky-high some
day he won't have bigger drop. when
he comes down, than he's already had
Don't 1t beat the devil Young Akers
said he's got all the nerve there Is In
the world. Says he gets fair salary,
and should think he ought to Seems
to me I've heard the average life in
that sort of work is somewhere around
-four years, and agents don't write any
Insurance at all for nitro-glycerin ex-
perts. Hardly"
mo-" said Eugene. II suppose not"
Kinney rose to 60. "Well, it's a
pretty funny thing-pretty odd. mean
and suppose it would be pass
around-the-hat for old Fanny Minafer
if he blew up. Fred told me that
they're living in some apartment house,
and said George supports her. He was
going to study law, but couldn't earn
enough that way to- take care OF
Fanny, so he gave 1t up. Fred's wife
told him all this. Says Fanny doesn't
do anything but play bridge these
days. Got to playing too high for
awhile and lost more than she wanted
to tell George about, and borrowed
4 l.ttle from old Frank Bronson. Paid
him back, though. Don't know how
Ered's wife heard It. Women do hear
the darndest things !"
.sThey do" Eugene agreed.
aWell, I'm of to the store" said Mr
Kinney briskly; yet he fingered. y
suppose wen all have to club In and
keep old Fanny out OF the poorhouse
re he does blow up. From all hear
It's usually only question of time
They say she hasn't got anything else
to depend on"
81 suppose nots
~Well-I wondered" Kinney hest
tsted. 81 was wondering why yot
as-a-,k. xb~v,Svy,% ~ 6nf7tn0 something