Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/73

 the only period of a man's life when he is supremely happy. It is therefore the most complete moment of his existence.

Mary Graham never tired of talking about Rad nor did Scobee. It was a bond between them. But Mary Graham was not morbid. Hers was a sunny nature. She kept smiling in spite of all. There was sorrow enough in the world, she reasoned, without her adding to it. Rad had been a gay fellow who had taken life lightly. Undoubtedly at the last moment he met death in the same manner. Often he used to say, "To whine does not make life any easier and besides it may bring on a sore throat or at least hoarseness."

Frequently Mary brought over a few of Rad's letters. She read snatches of them over and over again. There was nothing extraordinary about them but in her eyes they were masterpieces of courage. Scobee liked her to read bits of them aloud to him.

"Corporal Pry gave me a call-down today for not being in his immediate vicinity. He had a couple of tickets to attend a concert at