Philip Dru: Administrator; A Story of Tomorrow, 1920-1935

n the

nd then with the blossoms of

tward indication of the deep emotion which stirred within him. At last the train came and from one of the long string of Pullmans, Gloria alighted. She kissed her brother and greeted Philip cordially, and asked him in a tone of banter how he enjoyed army life. Dru smiled and said, "Much better, Gloria, than yo

e valley below. It looked as if some translucent lake had mirrored the sky. It was the countless blosso

and his magic looms could never have woven a fabric such as this. A heavy, delicious perfume pe

r stream, climbed out of the canyon and found

red, "and he knows more about engineering and tactics than the Colonel and all the rest of us put together." Hard student though he was, Gloria found him ever ready to devote himself to her, and their rides together over the boundless, flower studded prairies, were a never ending jo

ng found Gloria and Philip far in the hills on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. They had started at da

hacienda, so they rode to the end of the valley, tied their horses and climbed to the crest of the ridge. She was e

no plainsman, and in retracing t

continuing as they were. The grass and the shrubs gradually disappeared as they walked, and soon he realized that they were on the edge of an alkali desert.

Philip?" asked Glo

only have to f

far down over their eyes to shield them from the glare of the fierce rays of the sun, and did wha

vice, stood the heat well, except that his eye

tired?"

a moment." Her voice was weak and uncertain and indicated approaching collapse.

, we will soon be out of this

gered and would have fal

r condition was not serious, but he knew he must carry

d bloodshot. Sharp pains shot through his head. To stop he feared wo

ed him. He began to see less clearly, and visions of things he knew to be unreal came to him. With Spartan courage and indomitable will, he never faltered, but went on. Mirages came and went, and he could not know whether he saw t

nife and clumsily scraped the needles from a leaf of the cactus and sliced it in two. The heavy sticky liquid ran over his hand as he placed the cut side of the leaf to Glori

now I remember. I am sorry I gave out, Phili

s watch. "I--I can't just make it out, Gloria," he said. "My eyes seem blurred. Thi

They had been lost for six hours, but after their experiences, it seemed m

ng the heat get the best of me. You shouldn't have carried me, Phili

en he took his hand from them to look at her, and

after five that they should move on. They arose, and the young officer started to lead the way, peeping from beneath his hand. Fi

said at last. "I can't s

lip, I will do

Over the trackless waste of alkali and sagebrush they trudged. They spoke but little bu

ed her steps westward, and entered a draw. She rounded one of the hills, and just as t

elivery from the desert, and callings on God to witness that the girl had performed a miracle, the haciendado gave them food and cooling drinks, and with gentle insistence, had his servan

s possible they started for Fort Magruder. His eyes were bandaged, and Gloria held the bridle of h

ouble ahead for Philip. He would make no definite statement, but admi

d his mind. The betterment of man was an ever-present theme with them. It pleased him to trace for her the world's history from

f transmission. Mediocrity, he felt sure, had oftentimes been exalted into genius, and brilliant and patriotic exclamations attributed to great men, were never uttered by them, neither was it easy he thought, to get

ancement of the human race. Some leaders were honest, some were wise and some were sel

d, "and it is easily done because wisdom means moderation and honesty means truth. To be mo

imself did not realize it, Gloria saw that Philip was ever at his best when viewing the lar

ummer afternoons under the heavily leafed fig trees in the little garden of the Strawn bungalow, he would become impatient at his enforced idleness. Finally one d

is mind off the situation this time, but suggested ask

fruit, for in a short time Philip was told that he should apply for an indefinite leave of absen

talk of it even with Gloria. After a long silence one aft

going to do. Once an Army man always an Army man. He's going to live on the best the U.S.A. pro

ary point of view, and asked another questi

if he had no

t having to obey orders or do anything but draw his checks, he can

said Philip. "No work,

y," sai

if it was something to be deplored. I call it

me up about. The question is simply this: Can I stand a peri

if all goes well, you return to this." "What do you m

ut for a bigger sphere than--that." She pointed out across the parade ground where a dril

ith an exclamation of impatience, he ab

cant upon the bounty of the country. If I had been injured in the performance of duty, I would have no scruples in accepting support during an enfor

se," sai

men with self-respect could accept undeserving pensions from the Nation. To do so is not alone dishonest, but is unfair to those who need hel

particularly to make him see a military career as she did,

in the larger world of affairs, and you will some day be glad that this misfor

that awful desert over there, but yet perhaps there was a destiny in that. When I was leading you out of the desert, a blind

, Philip Dru arose a

You have already reco