University of South Carolina Libraries
I 1 *TV::':ttay, Octoler 20, 1032 McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA fAGE NUMBER tMeU m !imi: v£> FELIX RIESENBERG V V V V V FIFTEENTH INSTALMENT "'P'" some day, perhaps.” “Then you won’t do anything?” “What can I do?” Marry Josephine, John, and SYNOPSIS: Johnny Breen, 16 years old, who had "spent all of his 1 life aboard a Hudson river tugboat 1 ww ^*'****~' plying near New York, is tossed in-, we 11 tell her afterward, to the river in a terrific collision As Judge Marvin Kelly rode down which sinks the tug, drowns his town he shook his head, his head sweep. “I mean the thing that has Jher l^oraJ?', “unschoo'led and frosted with wisdom and filled with us all-this lighting of a brand?” fear driven, he dra^s himself ash- doubt. What a mixture life is! John hesitated in his reply. Colfax ere, hides in the friendly darkness j 0 hn slept fitfully that night. 1 seemed unnerved, the night was in- kLk^ U f5t“t dawi-Md H> S.to*°thl The next day he would inslst ° n sufferably hot, and he, too, came to xWidst of a tough gang of boys who seeing Josephine, he was eager for the office with the din of war add- beat and chase him. He escapes her. Three days had passed since e d to another clamor coming to a “idra? b ThT 1 ne n x t t d’aTh'e iTrescued her return - The pape ” T™ st ‘ U surge within him. Colfax, thin but and taken into the home of a Jew- full of the disaster. Perhaps she 0 f fiery energy, seemed to radiate ish family living in the rear of their was foolish enough to want to look a restless, gnawing sorrow. SSE’tatt.e sweltahSp ftore-and' her best when J m °‘ ' What 1 haVe Said aboUt the city Is openly courted by Becka—the men are queer. He slept dream- young daughter ... The scene shifts ing of his father, a poignant clutching at his heart. He dream- U s back in the wash of war. The the bachelor—Gilbert Van Horn—,ed of the sinking ship, of Van reformers will fail, the people will in whose life there is a hidden j Horn, a hero, a hero, and of Jose- fail, ' and the grab and gouge chapter . That chapter was an af-, They would often talk 0 f blood and hate will swing about his dad in after years. i around the world, killing every- John stepped out of his shower.! thing we do. This stuff,” and Col- Breakfast had been sent up. Then fax brought his fist down with a the mail came. He would be at the bang on bundles of reports, “this shaft at nine, the privilege of easier might as well be burned, for the times and of his step ably, cigar after cigar, his teeth champing at the rolls of weed, toss ing the butts when burned to the middle. “Do you sense this thing?” he 1 asked, waving his hand in a general bears out the rottenness -»abroad. Everything is wrong. It will drag vii'aptrr . mat uiiapier was an ui- , : np fair with his mother’s maid, who ^ left the house when he was accusei. The lives of Johnny Breen and Gil bert Van Horn first cross when Van Horn sees Breen win his first im portant ring battle. Pug Malone, right trainer, rescues young Breen from a crooked manager, takes him in hand, finds Breen cannot read and starts him to night school, and the world commences to open for Johnny Breen . . . Malone, an old- timer, is backed in a health-farm venture—taking Breen with him. good it will do while I am here, or A letter, Mr. Breen. Special, reg- y° u t0 °- istered.” He signed the receipt. It was a heavy envelope. John laughed, he was feeling better, 2' here „ ^ ey . and something from Josephine. He was know Gilbert Van Horn. John at- , , , , .. .u,. „ „_ or . _ tracts Van Horn, who learns of j awkward, he tor§ the thing open, a Breen’s mother, named Harriet, heavy nub fell out, wrapped in tis sue paper. He opened the little packet—it was the engagement f- ■•earning John's desire for an en gineering course at Columbia Uni- • verslty—he advances the money.) , , . . , . . T . John comes to know Josephine, ring—Josephines ring. John gasp- Van Horn's ward and during his ed. In his hand was a sheet of , school years falls in love with her. her blue no t e paper. Graduating as a Civil Engineer he gets a job with a great construc tion company, working in New York. Breen has arrival for the love of Josephine, a rich man of the , world by the name of Rantoul. But John wins out. He proposes and ^ goes to Paris for her trousseau. And at the last moment Rantoul, sdils on .the same boat. ; At sea the great ocean liner crashes into an iceberg and sinks—all passengers taking to the lifeboats. Van Horn perishes but Rantoul saves him self—with Josephine. Breen learns that Gilbert Van Horn was his fa- - tber. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY < “I kept after .-Gilbert for years to . tell you he was your father. He kept putting it off, kept stalling, torturing himself. At heart, John, he was sound, but impractical. I don’t seem to startle you with this I have worked years, given all that is in me, to set a standard. I seek a city to set up as an ideal habitation of men. You know my theories about the heating and feeding and sanitation of groups, yoti know the Colfax formula for the regeneration of waste materials and the return of nitrogen to the soil in an endless cycle. We must strive, Mr. Breen, to the time when am rJE worthless, impossible. Then he was only half asleep. A deep rumble tumble and heavy crash of sound roared up the riv er. What had happened? After a while it was silent. Apparently some colossal explosion. He waited and went to sleep. Black Tom, frighted with T.N.T., had gone off and the lower sections of the city were in disorder, glass littering che streets. The crimson aurora oi the fiery detonation had, for a few minutes, lit up the quaking town. Blackness decended on Wall Street and Broadway. Offices were de serted. Only on Park Row was there action; men scurrying for news and the clang of patrol wag ons and ambulances rushing spec ial officers and doctors to the streets. But the larger part of the prostrate city was asleep. A smaller detonation took place north of Fourteenth Street. Still trembling with the shock of the ex plosion, a beaten man placed a pistol at his temple and pulled the trigger. Colfax, Director of the Bureau of City Plan, crashed over on the crest of noise. He thought the city had been blown up by the Huns. The morning papers quite forgot the suicide. “Colfax is dead.” John Breen phoned Judge Kelly. “Too bad, John. Too bad. Bet ter go up and look over his papers. He has no relative.*!.” That day John gathered the few belongings of the strange man. Ho lived alone. His name had been changed, by due process of law. Thumbing his nose at faert, he, who was Vladimir Kahlfuss, became Victor Colfax. It explained much to John. The man had been swamped by his own sincerity, a victim of the times; of all time. As John rode home in the sub way that night, in the crush, he saw everything on end. Car after car, crowded to suffocation, slip ped by him, the uplifted hands of passengers seemed a symbol of the complete surrender of the masses, white impotent hands held up, thousands of hands, white hands. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) XJI * •as? I) NEW “He opened the little packet—it was ,the engagement ring— Josephine's ring.” news. ’ "Judge, I’ve been aware of it for : some time.” John turned. He was crying. He dashed away the tears. “I enjoyed going around with my dad. Butr—well. I said something Dear John, the terrible waste will be over- once I would have given my right I am marrying Gerrit Rantoul. I come and men may live for some- hand to recall. I knew the thing owe my life to him. Don’t blame thing other than their appetites was working out. Now it’s too me, John. It is best for us both and greed. When plenty will be late.” that poor dear, brave Gilbert is common and the poor will only be “Of course you have rights, in the gone. Forgive me. Josephine, the poor in spirit, or in mind. You estate.” I Years of slavish toil followed for know this, you have seen the plans I have not thought of rights, John. He sunk himself in his work, and the fitting of them to meet the Judge.” Occasionally he heard of Josephine transition from industrial truce to “But you haven’t a leg to stand and Rantoul, married and in the industrial peace and freedom, on, John. Gilbert never changed vortex of young and gay America Colfax suddenly stood upright his will. I’m one of the trustees, just before the war. and walked to the window looking There’s not a scrap, not an atom of , Finally the acqueduct was fin- out over dark roof tops. • A strange legal evidence, to support you. The ished. Talking it over with Har- feeling of prediction filled the best evidence you have, John, is board and Pug Malone one night small, white painted office. John- your appearance. My good boy, Judge Kelly went to a littered desk, had stepped to the window beside you are the image of Gilbert Van He searched for a moment, then his chief and also looked out, as if Horn as a young man. The por- found a card. “My friend, Almon seeking an answer, trait in the library, the one on the Strauss, has started something in- “I have become convinced that •east wall, is you. But you have teresting. The Bureau ; of City my work is done,” Colfax continued nothing tangible to support your plan. An engineer named Colfax without looking at John. “It is no claim.” is in charge. I think there’s * a use continuing, at least for me. I “Claim?” John considered a place for John if I say the word. A have written Almon Strauss, a great while. “That’s a new one on me. place for an enthusiast endowed man, Mr. Breen, not afraid to re- I’m not claiming anything. Great w ith a modicum of brains. My sad main in Paris. For the next God, sir, I’m down far enough as it past,, gentlemen, leads me to the month I will set things to rights, is The fact that he will never be belief that the wiser a man is the turn over the records, and you can here again is all the trouble I can less enthusiastic he gets. Solomon go on, or not, as you see fit.” stand. What a hero—” John wa s an utter pessimist. x | “But—” John stammered. It stood and looked through the “Enthusiasm starts wars, and seemed so unnatural, window; the park was blurred be- wisdom ends them.” Harboard had “It is better so—” fore his eyes. > m lit his pipe. Malone, als9 smoking, ! it wa s dark when the two men “The estate’s left to Josephine, thought deeply. “John Breen was i e ft the Bureau. Colfax, who room- “Well, I’h marry it then. John thrown into this city with nothing ed alone, north of Fourteenth looked at Judge Kelly, a smi e bu ^. enthusiasm; he may find wis- street, in shabby fashion, turned flickering on his face. dom, and perhaps some happiness, on his heel at the corner. “Good- "She’s difficult, John, I’d have within its walls.” > night, Breen—John.” He half been better pleased if the thing had p or a y ear be bad b een at work hesitated and then did an unusual been divided.” with Colfax, as assistant engineer thing. “Here, shake.” He wrung “Forget that, Judge. I appreciate Q f the Bureau of City Plan. The the hand of the young man with a your feeling. Who else knows about cit y enfolded him, enthralled him. strong cold grip—“Good-nights” ^13 this—relationship?” He seemed to be playing with a set | j 0 hn Breen got home late that •'Not a soul, so far as I know. Ma- of magic blocks, scheming, plan- night. The ride uptown in the lone has a theory—only Harboard ning, and soon they would build, subway had been sticky, tiresome, might know. Gilbert confided in; one day, John had checked over Bits of paper and dust and dirt me as his father did. God, what reports of a field survey account- cluttered the trains. He felt tired, city! The old name, the old i n g for many acres of land safely discouraged. The business of the tradition, gone.” j under water and purchased by a Bureau, being financed by the Judge, you take things commission spending other people’s mysterious Almon Strauss, a man too seriously. I’ll change my name, \ money. Colfax smoked intermin- he had never seen, appeared futile, STARTS HEALTH CAMPAIGN Health projects carried on by 4-H club members have aroused an in terest in child welfare in rural sec tions which has long been sought by leaders in thought on human improvement. It has been a trite saying that while* farm people did everything to improve their live stock they gave little or no thought to the improvement ( of their own bodies and health. Now there are many signs that rural communities are awakening to the opportunities for making life better through the practice of prop er habits of health and nutrition. Rural women’s clubs have of late been giving this subject attention. The greatest opportunity for get ting results in this line is in the children during their growing years. Organized programs are now under consideration in many communities to carry on child improvement. Harrison county, Iowa, is about to undertake such a program, and it is the first one of its kind on a county scale in the state, although the 4-H health programs and dem onstrations, also the state aid for mothers, has done a great work to show Iowa people the way to bet ter living. The Harrison county campaign was launched recently at a meeting in which details of the plan were explained. Mrs. Arlene Van Cleve, county superintendent of schools, is in charge, since the work will be carried on in connection with rural schools. 1 Studies of health and growth of rural children in the state by coun ty doctors, nurses and other spec ialists, show that for a small effort on the part of the individual, and little expense, marked improve ments can be effected in the hu man machine. Proper attention to teeth may save the loss of the use of natural teeth early in life, and actually ward off diseases which are believed to originate in unsound teeth. Defects in hearing, sight, and other functioning are usually subject to correction in children. X A brilliant red arc light that makes use of the rare atmospheric gas neon, and that can shine through thick fog, has been invent ed. O- -o o LEI THE We are prepared to do various kinds of job printing neatly and promptly and solicit your orders for —Ruled Letterheads —Typewriter Letterheads r —Noteheads # —Billheads —Statements —Envelopes —Posters —Circular Letters • V‘ —Folders —Business Cards rjf- !-}»; • ' ' ' ' r < J- ■' • •" • ^ ' 1-? r • *r***:vi • * ■ -5. •*. -.x 1 •* • ‘if -• • l " ft j ’ i • » •» «-• 9 • ! • i t i;i : -4 € • >. •.&•.-* mil vt * ’ i I * I • 3 v. 11-■ —Visiting Cards —Special Invoices —Day Books —Receipt Books - ■ t —Tally Sheets \ —Lumber Tallies —Notes \ —Chattel Mortgages —Crop Mortgages I i ^ —Trespass Notices r * —Salesbooks \ * / And many other special forms of printing or rule work. Our prices are reasonable, and we guarantee satisfaction on every piece of work we do McCORMICK, S. C. -o • /