human
Oh Katie, Wayne suddenly roused himself to say,
gpt
Well--really! Messages! Why this haughty aloofness? Doesn't he mean to come over?
human
Oh yes, of course; to-morrow--perhaps to-night. He's fearfully busy--stopped off on his way East. There's a row on in the forest service about some of Osborne's timber claims--mining claims, too, I believe--in Colorado. Those years in the West have developed Fred splendidly. He's gone from boy to man, and a fine specimen of man, at that.
gpt
He likes his work?
human
Full of it. Wayne was silent for a moment, then added:
gpt
I envied him.
human
Envied him? Why--why, Wayne? Surely you're lucky.
gpt
Oh, am I? Perhaps I am, but just the same I envy a fellow who can look that way when talking about his work.
human
But you have a work, Wayne.
gpt
No, I have a place.
human
Why, Wayne, you've been all wrapped up in this thing you were doing.
gpt
Oh yes, just for the sake of doing it. I get a certain satisfaction in scheming things out. I must say, however, I'd like to scheme out something I'd get some satisfaction in having schemed out. A morsel of truth dropped from the mouth of a babe a minute ago. You may have observed, Katie, that his inquiry was more direct and reasonable than your reply. An improvement on a rifle. Not such a satisfying thing to leave to a rifle eliminating future.
human
But I didn't know the army admitted it was to be a rifle eliminating future.
gpt
I'm not saying that the army does,
human
Oh I get so sick of the spirit of the army!
gpt
There you go! We've made a perfect fetich of loyalty. It's a different sort of loyalty those forestry fellows have--a more live, more constructive loyalty. The loyalty that comes, not through form, but through devotion to the work--a common interest in a common cause. Ours is built on dead things. Custom, and the caste--I know no other word--just the bull-headed, asinine, undemocratic caste that custom has built up.
human
And yet--there must be discipline,