White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-04-07
CHAPTER III-Continued

SftAF Elk lil-OOntlnueQ
Edward wasn't so very late getting
home that night. Even Edith hadn't
yet gone to bed, though Julia had been
trying, apparently, to send her. He
said hello to both of them and real
lied after he'd spoken that they found
something novel in his greeting. In
deed, to his own ear his voice had
sounded little different AS matter
Of fact he'd come walking in without
having stopped to brace himself for
the ordeal, to prepare an attitude.
He was pleasurably aware that Julia
was wondering about him even after
she'd pretended to 60 back to her
book. 1t would be queer turn Of
events If, after all, Julia should find
herself the wife of a rich man. She
might be willing to forget her griev-
ance on those terms.
If Mariner proved to be right in his
conservative calculations, success was
sober probability. But suppose the
other thing? What if, after Edward
had put in his six thousand dollars,
wrong? What if the device didn't
work? That six thousand was the
fruit of uncounted small sacrifices,
legitimate pleasures foregone. I'm
agine it swept away for nothing but
an idiotlc gamble on the word of
fanatic. Well there was a certain
angry satisfaction in that, too. 1t
would serve Julia right. She'd driven
him to it. Anyhow, he slept soundly
that night, untroubled by dreams.
He walked into the office the next
morning with an agreeable sense Of
detachment which took the sting from
the thought of their nickname for him.
At eleven o'clock he told Miss Whit
Ing at the counter that he was going
out. He wouldn't be back, he thought,
till after lunch. 1t pleased him to note
that he puzzled her just as last night
he had puzzled Julia. 1t had been
his meek habit to explain his goings
out. This time he Offered no explana-
ton whatever.
A sense of adventure went with him.
He felt like pioneer. The address
Mariner had given had been meaning
less to him. He had had no idea in
what part of town the streets were on
whose corner the little factory stood.
1t was a strange city he found him
self riding through. What deeply
rutted life he'd lived, to be sure But
he was out of the ruts now, beating a
new path. His fellow-passengers in
the street car seemed different to him
from the sort Of people he'd moved
among; more interesting, more hui
man. somehow. He wondered where
they were going, what sort of errands
they were bound upon.
The street where Mariner had told
him to get off was one predominantly
Of little houses, rather dingy, most Of
them fallen somewhat even from their
former modest estate. The factory
was at the west end of the street
where it was cut off by railroad en-
bankment. 1t was modest little two
story, red brick building; old, and If
he remembered lightly, hest of the
time vacant. Evidently 1t had been
built out here ahead Of it's time. He
found himself seeing it as 1t would
look when it should be freshly paint
ed the windows washed; new lights
Of glass in the occasional broken
panes. Down at the side there was
a loading platform, wagon high, and
through the big door that gave upon
1t, he could see the well Of the freight
elevator. Raw material went in that
door, and finished product came
out. The whole process Of the mate
REALIZATION of Mariners dream took
place within those four walls. 1t was
tangible and personal, self-contained
right here.
lie didn't wonder that Mariner
loved it, He was falling in love with
II himself. 1t was a new idea to him.
almost new emotion. He wondered
II Bert Willard felt that way about
his plant. Probably not; it was too
big. He would probably scott at this
place. Edward was sorry he'd thought
of Bert.
He reused himself. crossed the
street again and went in through the
door that had "0fflce" painted on it,
telling himself as he did so, that he
was dismissing romance and coming
down into the world of cold facts and
figures.
Mariner was in high spirits IF
I'd got this letter yesterday morning.
he said, handing it over for Edward
10 read, instead Of today, I'd prob
ably have been fool enough to go on