Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-08-27
The Tinkerer
BY KARL GRAYSON
g Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.
DoRINDA had loved Barry from

DORINDA had loved Barry from
the first because he was I'M
like the island men with whom she
was raised. They lived by the
strength Of their muscles; Barry
was gentle of spirit and gracious
OF manner and cared not at all be-
cause people didn't understand
him. cts the men who work with
their heads who really get Places"
he had told her once. And she had
believed him.
That was Is months ago. Barry
had come to the island with sew
eral trunk loads of gadgets.
Hes tinkerer," Dan lesson
had laughed, and you could tell by
the tone of his laugh and the look
in his eye that calling a man a
tinkerer was classifying him about
as low and useless as possible.
Dorinda's eyes flashed angrily.
Dan lesson had loved her for
years. He was jealous. SIS that
sol" she said. well, you listen
to me, Dan lesson! It's the men
who work with their heads who
really get places in this world.
And that's what Barry's doing.
He's experimenting"
Dan jeered at her. He wasn't
worrying much. No island bred
girl could ever marry a man who
didn't have the strength in his
arms to row a boat across the bay
without pausing to rest. Time
would prove to her.
Now it looked as though Dan
were right. For nine days Tenn
piers island had been ice-locked.
At first no one had worried. It
was indeed rather thrilling, rath-
er adventurous to be thus cut off
from the mainland.
But on the fifth day the epidemic
had set in. Old Doc Firbush an
nounced the gravity of the situa-
ton without mincing words. Some
how word would have to be con
veyed to the mainland and serum
transported by plane Immediately
or it was likely that the whole
island would be cleaned out.
How? How could word be sent
to the mainland?
The men folks held a meeting.
Somehow the task would have to
be accomplished. Dan lesson vol
unteered to try. With six others he
would carry small boat over the
ice to the open water-water that
was filled with dangerous ice foes.
Somehow he would get through.
Dorinda, hearing about it, felt her
blood grow warm, her breast swell
with pride. She thought of poor.
weak Barry. A man who worked
with his head wasn't much good
here. 1t took courage and strength
and endurance.
With the others she watched the
disastrous attempt. Four of the
men were lost. Dan carried the
remaining two back to safety. That
night, revived, he told them there
wasn't chance of making it.
The situation became desperate.
Five more victims had succumbed
to the plague. Disaster looked GER
tain. Some one suggested a sig
nal fire. But it was a forlorn hope.
They kept blaze going all night,
and the next night, too, but no well
coming plane appeared above the
cold grey horizon in the west.
A breeding hopelessness pervad-
ed the atmosphere, a desperate
fear. Stark tragedy stared the is
landers in the face. They sought
each others company for comfort,
but found that this commiseration
offered little cheer from the horri-
BILE dread that each felt.
On the morning of the ninth day
Barry Lincoln came into the store
where a dozen men and women
were grouped about the stove. His
eyes were shining.
"Dorinda!" he cried, seeming
TO forget that the others were pres
,ent. I've done it! My expert
ment was a success. It works."
The men stirred and muttered.
They looked at him darby.
Resentment awoke in Dorinda's
breast. Resentment toward these
men who had abused Barry since
the day of his arrival, but whose
abuse he had been above. He
was as smart as they. Even Big
Dan lesson, with all his strength
and bravado and loud talk hadn't
been able to help them in their
present plight. She came to Bar
ry and stood by his side, defantly.
And Barry went on eagerly:
"They picked up my first mes
sage over on the mainland and an
severed it. It's a new kind of send
ing set, something I've been work
ing on for years. The government
will buy it. It's thousand times
more practical than the present
devices!"
The men around the stove looked
I'D, Dorinda stared at him blank
". But Barry kept talking, ex-
planning about his set, 1t was old
man Esselin who interrupted him.
"You sent a message to the
mainland? Then, in Gods name
-" He broke off. Above the MUIR
nuring of voices a new sound
reached the ears of those in the
store. The humming roar of mo-
tor.
cts the planet" Barry said. Il