The Ordway new era., 1920-01-09
Copyright by Doubleday. Page & compan,
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

-16-
At this he laughed, but not very
heartily. and walked slowly to the
house. leaving her bending over rose
,ush, and a shade more pensive than
he most pensive garden lady in any
Victorian engraving. Next day,
{ happened that this same "VendO-
inh" or "Rides- s-Down-Everythlng" be-
.ame the subject of chance conver-
sation between Eugene and his old
'riend Kinney. father of the fire-topped
Fred. The two gentlemen found them
ielves smoking In neighboring leather
hairs beside broad window at the
hub, after lunch.
Mr.. Kinney had remarked that he
expected to get his family established
1t the seashore by the Fourth of July,
md, following train of thought, he
aused and chuckled. Fourth of July
reminds me-" he said. "Have you heard
what that George Minafer is doing?"
mo, / haven't" said Eugene, and his
riend failed to notice the crispness OF
he utterance.
swell, SIR" Kinney chuckled again.
1T beats the DEVIL My boy Fred told
ne about 1t yesterday. He's friend
II this young Henry Akers. son Of F.
?. Akers of the Akers Chemical COM
,any. 1t seems this young Akers asked
Fred If he knew fellow named Nina
'er, because he knew Fred had always
ived here, and young Akers had heard
lome way that Allnafer used to be an
lid 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
ieath, and nobody seemed to know
much what had become of him
.hough l did hear, once or twice, that
lie was still around somewhere. Well,
Ir, he's working for the Akers Chem
cal company, out at their plant on the
Townsville road"
He paused, seeming TO reserve some
hing to be delivered only upon inquiry.
Ind Eugene offered him tine expected
question. but only after cold glance
through the noseglasses he had lately
found 1t necessary to adopt. "What
ioes he do?"
Kinn.S laughed and slapped the arm
II his chair. "He's nitro-glycerin ex-
pert !"
He was gratifed to see that Eugene
was surprised. If not, indeed, a little
startled.
Hes what?"
He's an expert on nitro-glycerin.
Doesn't that beat the devil! Yes, sir |!
Young Akers told Fred that this
George Minafer had worked like a
cir hn vtu fad
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
EN- 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 ronds, sitting on as much as
three hundred quarts of nitro-glycerin !
My Lord! Talk about romantic tum-
bles If 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-
oerts. Hardly"
"No," said Eugene. 81 suppose not"
Kinney rose to go. swell, it's a
pretty funny thing-pretty odd, mean
and l suppose 1t would be pass
around-tte-hat Tor old Fanny Minafer
II 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 II up. Fred's wife
told him all this. Says Fanny doesn't
do anything but play bridge these
days. Got to playing too. high fol
awhile and lost more than she wanted
10 tell George about, and borrowed
little from old Frank Bronson. Pait
him back, though. Don't know how
Fred's wife heard 1t. Women do heal
the darndest thlngsi"
They do" Eugene agreed.
"Well. I'm of to the store" said Mr.
Kinney brlskly; yet he fingered. !"
suppose we'll all have to club In ant
keep old Fanny out of the poorhous,
IL he does blow up. From all hea
it's usually only a question of time
They say she hasn't got anything els'
to depend on"
81 suppose not"
"well-I wondered" Kinney hesi