The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-02-19

most all the timer"
81 imagine So" The other mans
accent was amazingly diffident, and
Harmon peered OF him, incredulous.
Good Lord, don't you known
"Not great deal. I happened to
get hit the first day i was in the
trenches"
"But you got In 1t again afterward,
l suppose? I'll bet you did"
"No."
"What! You never got back at all?
Just one day. and you're through?'
Eyes. After l was discharged from
hospital l was discharged from the
army too. Permanently unfit"
English army?"
"No-French."
"Well, that's some recordr' said
Harmon approximately. THAT GER
tainly is some record! Not TO say
tough luck-the toughest kind. Going
back home, take it?"
''Looks that way, doesn't it?'
Harmon ignored the sarcasm.
Back to work, Ell? What did you
say your line is?"
81 didn't say. l haven't any just
now"
Harmon pondered a second.
"Ohl Gentleman of leisure? Sol
der OF fortune, Ell? Well, l wouldn't
worry II I were you. You're disap-
pointed; that's natural but the
world hasn't come 10 an end yet. OF
course 1t 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, son! Big money
to make. And II 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 bat"
"Thanks for the compliment
ooh, it's no compliment! Anybody
can make money these days. It's a
plain statement Of fact Say,
let's go in and have something. Come
In and be sociable. What you wants
a drink. Am 1 right or am I wrong"
"Well-"
"And that's what the doctor or
deredl Come oni It's on me-"
The other man hesitated. and at
last succumbed. out Of sheer uncon-
Germ, 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. -
Snow. 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 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 It was face which suggested
both the fire of immaturity and the
drain Of experience; there was breath
taking gravity about 1t, hint of the
dignity of marble, Of ageless perma-
nence. II was slightly thin face,
SCARED by q heavy line or two, and
indellbly stamped with the evidence
of intense thought and inward suffer
ing; but II lacked the hollows which,
at the first glance, should have sup
ported the evidence. 1t was thin and
oval face, with mouth of large and
sympathetic sweetness, forehead
white and high. prominent, delicate
nose, and irises of clear, luminous
gray 1t wasn't altogether an Anglo
Saxon type of countenance, nor was
1t definitely European; II seemed
rather to have taken all the better
qualities from several races. 1t was
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 IL.
"vichy-Celestins for me-" said the
old-young man indlfferently.
"I'll I guess I'll have vichy
too" said Harmon. relaxing. "If II
wasn't for something can't just de.
| scribe I'd say well, never
mind. Err what business have
you been In, by the wayT"
The younger mans reply was tardy
and not particularly gracious.
"Why, the longest time ever put
In at any one business was selling In
surance. The last thing 1 did was to
| sell bonds. Why7"