Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1920-04-07
CHAPTER II.

- /
vet. but a furious June night, with
Styglan blackness looping. overhead,
and Stygian water batterlng and boil
Ing against the hull plates. The ship
was dark as the night itself; blind
dark, without a single ray to play the
traitor. On deck q solitary venturer
Rugged the rail, and alphabetically
watched the waves tear past.
|. Out of the warmth and cheer and
the vitiated atmosphere of the smoK-
Ing room came Martin Harmon, big,
ford, eXuberant. A heaying lift of
the deck sent him lurchlng sidewise;
he saved his balance by struggling
toward the rail, when suddenly the
slope was reversed, and he slipped
and slid to the barrier of safety,
clutched it, and found himself at arms
length from the lonely watcher, who
hadn't stirred, or even turned his
head.
Hello" said Harmon, his surprise
tinctured with easy familiarity, Some
night"
"Yes, it Is" The tone of the re-
Spouse was curt, so curt that Harmon
instinctively leaned forward to dis
cover what expression of countenance
went with it. The night was so black
that nc might rs well have tried to
penetrate a curtain Of solid fabric.
"Seen any U-boats YETI" he asked
humOrously.
"Not YETI The taciturn one moved
n trile away; a man less thin.skinned
and less dined and wined than Har-
mon would probably have taken the
hint ana removed himself, but Iiar-
mons was an inquisitive disposition,
and he never attempted to curb it
he was the sort of travelling compan-
ion who makes Christians reflect up
on the definition of justilable homi-
eide.
"What Is your line?" he inquired
after a pause.
The other man laughed queeriy.
"The first . If it makes so
much difference to you"
"Beg pardon? don't quite get you.
You said . :"
81 said the first line. I meant the
irst-line trenches. I've been in It,"
Harmon ierked his head upward In
comprehension.
ooh, I see! You mean the war!
And you've been right on the SPOT
where the fighting is? Pretty lively
up there, isn't it? Something stirring
most all the timcY"
II imagine So The other mans
accent was amazingly difident, and
Harmon peered at him, incredulous.
"Good Lord, don't you know
"NQt n great deal. ] happened 70
get hit the first day I was in the
trenches" .
"But you got in it again afterward,
I suppose? I'll bet you di::"
mo"
"What! You never got back at all?
Just one day, and you're %thrOugh?"
"Ycs. After I was discharged from
hospital | was discharged from the
army too. Permanently unfit"
"English armyy"
"N0--FrenCl."
Ntll, lIt,lS SOIlIc iC'bIh! Sr'o
Harmon approximately. That GER
tainly Is some record! Not to say
tough luck-thc toughest kind. Going
back home, I take itT
looks that way, doesn't IT."
Harmon ignored the sarcasm.
"Eack to work. CHI? What dc you
say your line Isl?
-" didn't say. 7 haven't any Just
now"
Harmon pondered a second.
ooh! Gentleman of leisure? Sol
der of fortune, eh? Well, | wouldn't
worry il I were YOU. You're disap-
nointed: that's natural . but the
world hasn't come to an end yet. ot
course It IS something of Il c0mc-doWh
to leave the army and get into harness
again, but after all there's plenty Of
excitement right in the United states
Hig work to be done. son. Zig money
TO make. And it helps The war along
roo. tell YOU there never was a big
ger opportunity to make mon"E thar
there is right this minute, The hare
lob isn't to find the S~rl,"n3": it's 20 fine
the men to run it. n"n't YOU worry
you'll land sWHcll!ng right OF
the rot"
"rhqnks for the compliment"
"Oh, it's ne compT'ncnt! Anyhod!
can make money th.so days. It's {
plain statement Of fact Say
LET'S 20 in anl have Something. Con
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