New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-08
The WreCkerS
FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright by e sntnTs Sons

a business deal it is really a mis-
sion, you know, crammed full of good
things to a struggling world. If you
do succeed-and l. am sure you are
going to-yOu will leave this commu-
nifty, and hundreds of others, vastly
the better for what you are doing and
demonstrating"
but that is a mans point of view.
the boss persisted. "IIow do you get
it? You are all woman, you know ;
and your mixing and mingling-at
least. since l have known you-has all
been purely social. How do you get
the big overlook"
Il don't know. l was foolish and
frivolous once, like most young girls,
| suppose. But we all grow older;
II We ought to grow wiser. Besides,
the woman has the advantage of the
man in n respect she has time to
think and plan and reason things out
as a busy man can't have. Your prob
lem has seemed very simple to me,
from the very beginning. 1t asked for
a strong man and an honest one. You
were TO take charge of a piece of
property that had been abused and
knocked about and used as a means
Of eXtortion and oppression, and you
were to make 1t good
Again, that is a mans point of
view"
"Oh, no" she protested quickly.
There is no sex in ethics. Women are
the natural house-cleaners, perhaps,
but that isn't saying that Il man can't
be one, too, if he wants to be-
At this, the boss got up and began
to tramp up and down the room; |
could hear him. l knew she'd been
having the biggest kind of "A job to
keep him shut up In this sort of
abstract corral, when all the time he
was loving her fit to kill, but APP
parently She had been doing it, sue
cesSfuliy. There wasn't the funniest
breath of sentiment in the air; not
the slightest Whit. When she began
again, | could somehow feel that She
was just in time TO prevent his break
lllS bllA lilAb an SUI - VI bN~t-lllbhliIS -
The time has come, now, when you
must take another leaf out of my
book" she said, with just the proper
little cooling tang in her voice. UP
to the present you have been hammer
Ing your way to the end like n strong
man, and that was right. But you
have been more or less reckless-and
that isn't right or fair or just to a lot
Of other people"
The tramping stopped and l heard
him say: Il don't know what you
mean"
Il mean that matters have come to
such a pass now that you can't afford
10 tal'e any risks-personal risks. If
the plan the enemy is trying doesn't
work, it will try another and u more
desperate one"
you've been talking to Ripley" he
laughed, Ripley wants me to become
Il gun-toter and provide myself with
"A body-guard. I'd look well, wouldn't
/? But what do you mean by the plan
the enemy is now t%rying'f"
She hesitated a little. and then said
II shall make no charges, because l
have 40 proof. But l read the ews
papers, and Mr.. Van Britt tells me
something, now and then. You are
having a terrible lot of wrecks"
"That is merely bad luck" he re-
joined easily.
"Iiashness is no part of true our
age" she interpolated, calmly. "As a
private individual you might say that
your life is your own, and that you
have n perfect right 10 risk it as you
please. But as the general manager
OF the railroad, with a lot of your
friends holding Office under you, you
can't say that. Besides, you are fight
ing for a cause, and that cause will
stand or fall with you"
"You ought to be a member of this
reform legislature that some of
our good friends think is coming up
the pike" he chuckled but she ignored
the good-natured gibe and made him
listen.
II was visiting a day or two at the
capital last week, and there are in
fluences at work that you don't know
about. If the opposition can't make
your administration a failure, 1t won't
hesitate to get rid of you in the easiest
way that offers"
There was silence in the majors
den for a minute or so, and then the
boss said:
AS usual, you know more than you
are willing TO tell me-"
perhaps not" was the prompt an
swer. Perhaps / am only the on
oOker-who ~ usually see things
better than the persons actual
involved. Hitherto I have urged
you to be bold, and then again to be
bold. Now I am begging you to be
prudent"
an what way1"
Careful for yourself. For example:
you walked out here this evening;
lon't do that any more. Come In a
taxi-and don't come alone"
l could see his frown of disagree
nent, but / knew well enough 1t was
here.
There spoke the woman in you"
he said. "If l should show the white
that way, they'd have some ex-
use for potting me-"
There was a silence again. and l.
,ot up quietly and crossed the dining
Dom to the big recessed window where
stood looking u into the darkness
# the tree-shaded lawn. 1t was pretty
.vident that Mrs. Sheila knew q heap