Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-07-09

The other man laughed queerly.
'sThe first II 1t makes so
much difference to you"
BEG pardon7 I don't quite get you.
You said
II said the first line. I meant the
first-line trenches. I've been in It."
Harmon jerked his head upward in
/ comprehension.
"Oh, / seel You mean the war
And you've been right on the spot
where the fighting is7 Pretty lively
up there, isn't it2 Something stirring
most all the timer"
81 imagine So" The other mans
accent was amazingly diffident. and
Harmon peered at him. incredulous.
"Good Lord. don't you know?"
mot a great deal. I happened to
get hit the first day I was In the
trenches"
But you got In 1t again afterward,
/ suppose7 I'll bet you did !"
mo"
What You never got back at all?
Just one day, and you're through"
"Yes. After I was discharged from
hospital I was discharged from the
army too. Permanently unfit"
English army7"
"No-French."
well that's some record" said
Harmon appreciatively. "That GER
tainly is some record Not to say
tough luck-the toughest kind. Going
back home. take lt?"
Looks that way, doesn't it7'
Harmon ignored the sarcasm.
"Back to work. chr What did you
say your line is7"
81 didn't say. I haven't any just
now"
Harmon pondered a second.
"Oh. Gentleman of leisure1 Sol
dier of fortune, eh7 Well. wouldn't
worry II I were you. You're disap-
pointed; that's natural but the
world hasn't come to an end yet. OF
course II is something of come-down
to leave the army and get into harness
again. but after all there's plenty Of
excitement right in the United States.
Big work to be done. sonl Big money
to make. And 1t helps the war along,
too. I tell you there never was big
ger opportunity to make money than
there Is right this minute. The hard
job isn't to find the scheme it's to find
the men to run It. Don't you worry
you'll land something right off
the batI''
"Thanks for the compliment"
"Oh, it's no compliment Anybody
can make money these days. It's
plain statement Of fact Say,
let's go in and have something. Come
In and be sociable. What you wants
a drink Am right or am I wrong?"
"Well-"
"And that's what the doctor or
dered Come on It's on me-"
The other man hesitated. and Mt
last succumbed. out of sheer uncon-
cern. to a companionship he realized
In advance would be distasteful.
"All right" he consented briefly;
and together. arm in arm. they STUN
bled and tackled across the treacnerous
deck, and presently crossed the thresh-
old into the hazy light of the smoking
room. Harmon, smiling broadly. wiped
the brine from his smarting eyes
"Now. then" he said, what particu-
lar brand of poison do you" And
broke Off short and stared. fascinated,
at the extraordinary young man In
front of him.
He was anywhere from twenty-five
to forty, this American from the dis
tant trenches, and his age was as hard
to guess as a clever woman's; there
was something about him peculiar to
youth, and yet when his face was in
repose, he might easily have claimed
two score of years and gone undis-
puted. 1t was face which suggested
both the fre Of immaturity and the
drain Of experience; there was breath
taking gravity about it, hint of the
dignity of marble, Of ageless perma-
nence. 1t was a slightly thin face.
SCARED by a heavy line or two, and
indelibly stamped with the evidence
Of intense thought and inward suffer
ing; but 1t lacked the hollows which,
at the first glance, should have sup
ported the evidence. 1t was a thin and
oval face, with a mouth of large and
sympathetic sweetness. a forehead
white and high. a prominent, delicate
nose. and irises Of clear, luminous
gray. 1t wasn't altogether an Anglo
Saxon type Of countenance, nor was
1t definitely European; 1t seemed
rather to have taken all the better
qualities from several races. 1t was
a face to inspire Immediate trust and
confidence and respect. and Harmon.
despite his lack Of practice in all three
of these reactions, was evidently at
tracted by 1t.
"vichy Celestins for me-" said the
old-young man indifferently.
"Tll / guess I'll have vichy
too," said Harmon, relaxing. "If 1t
wasn't for something I can't just de-
scribe I'd say well, never
mind. Err what business have