The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-04-12
IN
The Wind That Blew
Out the Taper


"WeIl. if you think that you know
Mg. Moss"
Mary Howe looked at the lips that
said the words-clean-shaven, we'll
formed lips that spoke carefully-and
it carne in upon her once more that
she did not like G. c. David. Then
she answered in the quiet, controlled
tone hat business women get in the
habit Of using:
eNir. Moss and T. she said, have
worked together for a good many
years /. We have stood shoulder to
shoulder"
eyes,. David told her, "and your
shoulder has held UP the load
when"
wait a moment, Mr.. David. You
want to remember that there is not
that man living who may criticise a
friend OF mine in my presence"
David looked past her out the car
window at the pine forest forever slid
ing by. He had wanted to warn her,
that was all. She and Moss had be-
tween them done an unlawful thing
and MOSS was getting ready to stand
from under.
CAS- you like, Miss Howe" he said,
and raised his hat. Il know Moss"
THANK you, / know Mr.. Moss my
self" Hiss Howe made answer in the
controlled way, and watched him
move across the aisle to the seat he
had left. She did know Moss or
thought that she did. For years they
had worked together as managers of
the Sixth District Home for Orphans.
She trusted him as she trusted her
own hand or heart. But-and Miss
Howe looked out at the feeting forest
but this was a little different. They
had worked together for years; they
had never before done wrong to-
gether. She went back e the de-
tail Of that doing, now nearly a week
old. The wretchedly wet afternoon,
the little orphans cold and hungry
neutrality-suspicious. from the Fifth Dis
tfiat. They had discussed il. Could
little things like that he sent to
the Police Court? There was no
home in the Fifth. There had
been a written order given to
aGIlit them to the Sixth District
Home. She had written the order and
signed it. Moss had signed it also.
She remembered how the library light
had alanted down and shot gold out
OF his brown hair as he bent his head
over the paper. She had left the
paper with him to be given to the
matron in the morning, because she
herself was leaving town that night
to be gone for several days. She had
gone, and in her absence the act of
admission had been called in question.
The directors, so David had told her.
would hold a meeting tonight to in
Yestigate-and Moss?
"Of course he will stand steady.
He couldn't get out of it if he wanted
to. Els signature is right under
mine. But l don't believe he would
want to get out of it."
Miss Howe had a business woman's
working knowledge of men. She did
not believe that there were many he
roes among them, and she did not
look for any great amount of gallan-
try, but she counted on a mans
generally doing the straight thing
and she liked Moss. She liked him
for his kindness of heart, liked him
for his neatness and for his niceness
OF speech.
Il suppose we. will both lose out.
1t was a fool thing to do. We should
have turned the tots yer to the po-
lice or left them to starve in the
street. Well, I can get a job at cook
ing if I can't do anything else, but I
am sorry for Mr.. Moss. He wanted
so to go the top. Wanted to get
on the management of the City
Home
Her face flushed hot and her fingers
got cold. Oh, it would not be nice to
face that board of directors tonight.
Face il with the admission that she
had deliberately violated n of the
fundamental rules of the endowment.
There was nothing else to do but to
face it. She would just have time to
write out her resignation and perhaps
have a word or two with Moss before
the board met. Dayid's warning a
through her like terror. If Moss
should not be there-if she should
have to face the board alone. Always
they had stoodstogether.
But Mr.. Moss will be there. ] am
sure of it. anyway. his signature is
right under mine"
"Mr. Moss is not in the home at
this moment" the matron said. She
spoke in a superior tone that held
her fringes of power carefully aloft
from Miss Howe's impeached authorl-
ty. She had acted according to the
fundamental rules Of the institution.
Miss Howe's face got hotter under the
first sting of the lash, and she wrote
out her resignation with fingers that
gripped the pen hard to keep them
from from trembling. If Moss would
only come in before the board met.
1t would feel so good to sake hands
with him-to know that she was not
alone. She had dreaded this business