Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-12-26
cOpyright by Doubleday. Page & Company
CHAPTER xxlI-continued.

ID
AT this he laughed, but not very
heartily, and walked slowly to the
house. leaving her bending over a rose
bush. and a shade more pensive than
the most pensive garden lady in any
victorian engraving. Next day,
# happened that this same "yendo.
NAH or '.Rides-D Down Everything be-
came the subject Of chance CONVEX
sation between Eugene and his old
friend Kinney. father of the fza topped
Fred. The two gentlemen found them
selves smoking in neighboring leather
chairs beside broad window at the
club, after lunch.
MIR. Kinney had remarked that he
expected to get his family established
at the seashore by the Fourth Of July,
and. following a train of thought, he
paused and chuckled. Fourth of July
reminds me-" he said. "Have you heard
what that George Minafer is loing?"
@No, 1 haven't" said Eugene, and his
friend failed to notice the crispness of
the utterance.
"Weli, sir" Kinney chuckled again,
1T beats the devill My boy Fred told
me about it yesterday. He's friend
OF this young Henry Akers, son of F.
P. Akers Of the Akers Chemical CON-
psny. 1t seems this young Akers asked
Fred If he knew fellow named Nina
fer, because ne knew Fred had always
lived here, and young Akers had heard
some way that Minafer used to be an
old family name here, and was sort of
curious about 1t. 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 AkeTs Chem
ical company, out at their plant on the
Townsville road"
He paused, seeming to reserve some
thing to be delivered only upon inquiry.
ana 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. He's a nitro-glycerin ex-
perth
He was gratifed to see that Eugene
was surprised. If not, indeed, a little
startled.
Hes what?"
Hes an expert On njtTc-giycerin.
Doesn't that beat the dewitt Yes. sir!
Young Akers told Fred that this
George Minafer had worked like
aOun-dog ever since he got started
out at the works. They have special
plant for nitro-glycerin, way off from
the main plant, o. course-in the
woods somewhere-and George Nina
fer's been working there, and lately
they put him in charge of it. He over
sees shooting oil wells, too. and shoots
'em himself, sometimes. They aren't
allowed to carry 1t on the railroads,
you know-have to team it. Young
Akers says George rides around over
the bumpy roads, sitting on as much as
0fee hundred quarts of nitro-glycerin
My Lord Talk about romantic tums
hest If he gets blown sky-high some
day ne won't have bigger drop, when
he comes down, than he's already had!
Don't it beat the devil Young Akers
ssid he's got all the nerve there is In
the world. Says he gets a fair salary,
and should think he ought toi Seems
&c me I've heard the average life In
that sort of work is somewhere around
Tour years. and agents don't write any
Insurance at all for nitro-glycerin ex-
perts. Hardlyl"
mo" said Eugene. 'T suppose not"
Kinney rose to 90. "Well, it's a
pretty funny thing pretty odd, mean
land suppose It would be pass
eround-the-hat for old Fanny Minafer
he blew up. Fred told me that
ihey're living Ia some apartment house,
and said George supports her. He was
goiEg to study law. but couldn't earn
enough that way to take care Of
Fanny, SO he. gave it up. Fred's wife
told him all this. Says Fanny doesn't
40 anything but play bridge these
nays. Got to playing too high for
s~hile and lost more than she wanted
70 tell George about. and borrowed
little from old Frank Bronson. Paid
MN back, though. Don't know how
sred's wife heard 1t. Women do hear
She darndest thingsi"
They do" Eugene agreed.
Wen, I'm Off to the store" said Mr..
Alnney briskly; yet he fingered. Il
suppose wen all have to club In an
Keep old Fanny ont of the poorhouse
Z ne does blow up. From all hear
sIs usually only a question of time.
Ihey say she hasn't got anything else
70 depend on"
7 suppose not.s
Welt vvondarad-.r Kinney hesf-