The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-05-26
The WreCkerS
FRANCIS LYNDE
By Charles srnur. Sou.

a. hhAAtu III VIII ~ ttltEf uIl-
which might just as well have stood
over until the next morning. II you
want to know. After | had delivered
II, Mrs. Sheila gave me that funny
little laugh OF hers and told me to go
unit in the pantry and see II | could
find a piece Of pie, and the boss added
that If I'd wait, he'd go back to town
with me pretty soon
| found the pie, and ate 1t In the
d~ining-room, making noise enough
about II so that they could know |
was there IL they wanted to. But
they went right on talking. and paid
no attention TO me.
do you know. Sheila they had
long since got past the "Mr." and
"Mrs.'-"you've been the greatest pos
sible help to me in this rough-house,
all the way along" the boss was say
Ing. "You have held me up to the
rack, time and again, when l have
been ready TO throw 1t all up and let
go. Why have you done it,"
heard the little laugh again. and
she said: ut Is worth something to
have a friend. Odd as It may seem,
Graham, i have been singularly pow
erty-stricken In that respect. And |
have wanted TO see YOU succeed.
Though you are still calling Ii merely
a business deal 1t is really a mis-
sion, you know, crammed full of good
things to n struggling world. II 20,
do succeed-and ! 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. How do you get
IL? You are all woman, you know
and your mixing and mingling-at
least. since have known you-has all
been purely social. How do you get
the big overlook"
F.. II don't know. I was foolish and
frivolous once, like most young girls,
l suppose. But we all grow older;
and we ought to grow wiser. Besides,
the woman has the advantage of the
man In II 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
Il 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 e a mans point Of
view"
"Oh, no." size protested quickly.
There is no sex Ia ethics. Women are
the natural houso7cleaners, perhaps,
but that isn't saying that a man can't
be one, too. II he wants TO be-
AZ 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 q job to
keep him shut up in this sort of
abstract corral, when all the time he
was loving her fit 10 kill. but APP
parently she had been doing II, sue
cessfuliy. There wasn't the faintest
breath of sentiment in the air not
the slightest Whit. When she began
again, l could somehow feel that she
vas just in time TO prevent his break
ing out into all sorts of ~love-making.
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
tnu A,,r xt.nN u 20 thn nnl III. a,...-.
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 I heard
him says Il don't know what you
mean"
II mean that matters have come to
such Il pass now that you can't afford
TO tal'e any rlsks-personal risks. IL
the plan the enemy is trying doesn't
work, It will try another and a more
desperate one"
you've been talking to Ripley" he
laughed. Ripley wants me to become
a g%un-toter and provide myself with
a ~body-guard. I'd look well, wouldn't
I? But what do you mean by the plan
the enemy is now trying'?"
She hesitated n little, and then said
II shall make no chasges, because l
have no proof. But / read the news
papers, and Mr.. Van Britt tells LIE
something, now and then. You are
having a terrible lot of wrecks"
THAT is merely bad luck" he re-
Joined easily.
freshness Is no part OF true cour-
age" she interpolated. calmly. "As n
private individual you might say that
your life is your own, and that you
have n perfect right 10 risk 1t as you
please. But rs 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
now reform legislature that soma M