Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-10-21
The PECULIAR TEMPTATION
of PETER JACKSON, Cigar Merchant

come back to town, let his farm and his
ex-service men shift for themselves,
i've done enough for them, ne
thought. yet even so Knew decision oscll-
lating, the future still unclear. IT was a
big step. this coming back to London
He mustn't rush 1t. n besides, Pat
mightn't approve. mightn't wan to
leave 'Sunflowers."
But that'd be absurd" went on his
thoughts; and presently after he LETT
the Round pond. Maurice Bereslord's
words. 81 don't believe In sentiment; l
him.
Maurice is right" he argued with
himself, stopping for a moment to watch
a gardener forking leaves In the long
border that leads back into Hyde park.
This things got to be done"
And after that he walked on again
more quickly now, his "back-to-the-of-
fee" mood at zenith. he cigar merchant
dominant in him, the better Peter asleep.
All said and done, wouldn't he be hap
pier as q cigar merchant? Wasn't he
wasting his life, wasting his brains, vast
ing his energy, with this cooperative
farming Of his, with those few dozen ex-
artillerymen who weren't even grateful
for their maximum wage? Ana wasn't
Patricia, too, wasting her LIEF Must
that white neck which had once worn
his pearl necklace be forever bent over
knitting needles. and that graceful body
over the domestic duties which the serv-
ants had done for him in Lowndes
square?
And besides he told himself. "it
Isn't just the money. It's the success OF
the thing. Being asked to come back
into the old business" And after that
Pos 1rv1xy Atr I'D t1x.~ - ~&Akn n0oG
in the tobacco trade had ranked q lit
tle-the peculiar temptation OF Peter
Jackson, cigar merchant, blinded him
with q maze Of dreams. The past, the
present vanished, and only the future
showed. very radiant. to his dreaming
mind.
Lost in that future, he turned out OF
the park. Still lost in It,, he made his
way behind the barracks, n SO came
not knowing In the least how he had got
there-across Sloane street and into
sight OF his old home.
His old home in Lowndes square had
changed hands several times since he
sold 1t to that Belgian embusQue, M
Won Woumen. 1t had been newly paint
ed, too, n draped with modern cur
tains. looked somewhat cheerter than Of
yore. He stopped a while to gaze at 1t
and as he did so a big car drove w anc
out Of the car. latchkey and parcels ir
hand. stepped a little woman in ex-
pensive furs. That's what Pat'n be do.
ing again." said his dreams. Shopping
at Harrod's. Coming home in her OWL
| car"
And false dreams were still strong or
him when he turned from that pleasant
home and began to find his way, through
the old B~elgravian side streets, TOWARD
Grosvenor gardens and Birdcake walk
Twice, before he reached Grosvenor gar
dens, he stopped to consider how h,
should word his acceptance to Beresford
n once just as he reached the ladies
entrance OF the wellington club-tha
tiny particle OF doubt, of uncertainty
again edged itself into his mind.
But there was no real doubt, and n,
real uncertainty in his mind, until tina
moment when. the Wellington behint
him, he caught sight of The Gun.
The Gun. Our Gun, wal new to him
had been unveiled since his last visit Il
town, n for a second or so, looking OF
it where Its stone muzzle lifted abov
the sapful tree branches, our Mr.. jackson
experienced the %strangest, most petulan
resentment. For it spoke to him o
war, did Our Gun; dumbly, yet frettin
his dreams. And eve as he looked on II
it halted him, stood him to attention IL
his tracks.
"Howitzer," he thought. "Nine-point
two How. Plenty of 'em on the Somme.
Then dreams had him again, and h
walked on, subconsciously trying to avoi,
the tremendous symbolism, the tremen
dous majesty OF that memorial which
gunner made for all gunners, lest the
forget. But the memorial, u memorial
would not let him by, and after a pace o
SO. still muzzy with his own prospects
he crossed the roadway to look upon tn
Subaltern who fronts The Gun.
The Subaltern-green bronze against
gray as OF pill-box concrete-might hav
been Peters better self. But Peter di
not see that massive figure for himself
He saw 1t for his friend Bromley-fo
Bromley who had died in Trones wooc
And the sight fretted him., even as tn
first sight Of The Gun had fretted hin
Because he did not wish to remembe
Bromley or Trones wood-today.
Harold used to carry his cloak lk
that" thought continued, land wear hi
helmet like that. and those field servic
boots"
Peter jackson tried to put though
away. Yet thought grew on him, an
with those dreams he had just bee
dreaming? Did Bromley know? Blu
Bromley's face spoke no word with him
and even while he stared at 1t, 1t SCENE
to change, to become not one face, bu
many-the faces of many such as hi
better self had known. And now no NOR
thought came to Peter Jackson-only
strange tingling that ran from spine t
feet.
Others were examining the memoria
But he was not aware Of those other
nor Of the peace-time omnibuses tha
went rumbling by. He was aware on
Of that tingling, and Of his feet movin
him, almost as a mans feet move hii
through thick mud, round the base
this gigantic pedestal, and OF shrivele
wreaths.
For now the years rolled away ono
more, and false dreams shriveled as tn
wreaths had shriveled, and when h
looked up again 1t was to see That Driv,
who Is all the drivers who ever serve
q gun team in the Flanders muck.
That Driver had draped himself in h
ground sheet. His right hand grasped h
} whip, his left a bridoon bit. His be
melted head had been bowed, against tt
driving Of the rain. And at his VIII
!, hand. craven as on concrete, Peter So
the figures OF his horses, the figures
his mates.
They labored, did That Drivers mate
m~an-handling the eighteen-pounder 70
ward-forwerd through the muck. Al
the wheel horses Of the team were rea
tng-rearing to a shell-burst as ii
driver fell backward against the tautent
: reina. And noU IN petnr'a mind tQ