diff options
Diffstat (limited to '41154-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 41154-8.txt | 11591 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 11591 deletions
diff --git a/41154-8.txt b/41154-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1d01e32..0000000 --- a/41154-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11591 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Walking Delegate, by Leroy Scott - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Walking Delegate - -Author: Leroy Scott - -Release Date: October 23, 2012 [EBook #41154] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WALKING DELEGATE *** - - - - -Produced by D Alexander, Cathy Maxam, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -THE WALKING DELEGATE - - - - -[Illustration: THE WALKING DELEGATE] - - - - - The - Walking Delegate - - - By - - Leroy Scott - - - _With Frontispiece_ - - - New York - Doubleday, Page & Company - 1905 - - - - - Copyright, 1905, by - Doubleday, Page & Company - Published May, 1905 - - -_All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign -languages, including the Scandinavian_ - - - - -To My Wife - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. ON THE ST. ETIENNE HOTEL 3 - - II. THE WALKING DELEGATE 14 - - III. THE RISE OF BUCK FOLEY 30 - - IV. A COUNCIL OF WAR 9 - - V. TOM SEEKS HELP FROM THE ENEMY 50 - - VI. IN WHICH FOLEY PLAYS WITH TWO MICE 59 - - VII. GETTING THE MEN IN LINE 72 - - VIII. THE COWARD 85 - - IX. RUTH ARNOLD 98 - - X. LAST DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN 111 - - XI. IN FOLEY'S "OFFICE" 120 - - XII. THE ELECTION 129 - - XIII. THE DAY AFTER 145 - - XIV. NEW COURAGE AND NEW PLANS 153 - - XV. MR. BAXTER HAS A FEW CONFERENCES 166 - - XVI. BLOWS 177 - - XVII. THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE 187 - - XVIII. THE STOLEN STRIKE 203 - - XIX. FOLEY TASTES REVENGE 210 - - XX. TOM HAS A CALLER 224 - - XXI. WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 236 - - XXII. THE PROGRESS OF THE STRIKE 250 - - XXIII. THE TRIUMPH OF BUSINESS SENSE 257 - - XXIV. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS 267 - - XXV. IN WHICH FOLEY BOWS TO DEFEAT 279 - - XXVI. PETERSEN'S SIN 290 - - XXVII. THE THOUSANDTH CHANCE 304 - -XXVIII. THE EXPOSURE 313 - - XXIX. IN WHICH MR. BAXTER SHOWS HIMSELF A MAN OF RESOURCES 331 - - XXX. THE LAST OF BUCK FOLEY 338 - - XXXI. TOM'S LEVEE 348 - - XXXII. THE THORN OF THE ROSE 364 - - - - -LIST OF CHARACTERS - - - BUCK FOLEY, a walking delegate. - TOM KEATING, a foreman. - MAGGIE KEATING, his wife. - MR. BAXTER, President of Iron Employers' Ass'n. - MRS. BAXTER. - MR. DRISCOLL, a contractor. - RUTH ARNOLD, his secretary. - MR. BERMAN, junior partner of Mr. Driscoll. - MR. MURPHY, a contractor. - MR. BOBBS, a contractor. - MR. ISAACS, a contractor. - CONNELLY, Secretary of Iron Workers' Union. - NELS PETERSEN, a "scab." - ANNA PETERSEN, his wife. - PIG IRON PETE, a workman - JOHNSON, a workman. - BARRY, a workman. - MRS. BARRY. - JAKE HENDERSON } - ARKANSAS NUMBER TWO } Members of - KAFFIR BILL } "The Entertainment - SMOKEY } Committee." - HICKEY } - - - - -THE WALKING DELEGATE - - - - -Chapter I - -ON THE ST. ETIENNE HOTEL - - -The St. Etienne Hotel would some day be as bulky and as garishly -magnificent as four million dollars could make it. Now it was only a -steel framework rearing itself into the center of the overhead -grayness--a black pier supporting the grimy arch of heaven. - -Up on its loosely-planked twenty-first story stood Mr. Driscoll, -watching his men at work. A raw February wind scraped slowly under the -dirty clouds, which soiled the whole sky, and with a leisurely content -thrust itself into his office-tendered flesh. He shivered, and at times, -to throw off the chill, he paced across the pine boards, carefully going -around the gaps his men were wont to leap. And now and then his eyes -wandered from his lofty platform. On his right, below, there were roofs; -beyond, a dull bar of water; beyond, more roofs: on his left there were -roofs; a dull bar of water; more roofs: and all around the jagged -wilderness of house-tops reached away and away till it faded into the -complete envelopment of a smudgy haze. Once Mr. Driscoll caught hold of -the head of a column and leaned out above the street; over its dizzy -bottom erratically shifted dark specks--hats. He drew back with a -shiver with which the February wind had nothing to do. - -It was a principle with Mr. Driscoll, of Driscoll & Co., contractors for -steel bridges and steel frames of buildings, that you should not show -approval of your workmen's work. "Give 'em a smile and they'll do ten -per cent. less and ask ten per cent. more." So as he now watched his -men, one hand in his overcoat pocket, one on his soft felt hat, he did -not smile. It was singularly easy for him not to smile. Balanced on his -short, round body he had a round head with a rim of reddish-gray hair, -and with a purplish face that had protruding lips which sagged at each -corner, and protruding eyes whose lids blinked so sharply you seemed to -hear their click. So much nature had done to help him adhere to his -principle. And he, in turn, had added to his natural endowment by -growing mutton-chops. Long ago someone had probably expressed to him a -detestation of side-whiskers, and he of course had begun forthwith to -shave only his chin. - -His men were setting twenty-five foot steel columns into place,--the -gang his eyes were now on, moving actively about a great crane, and the -gang about the great crane at the building's other end. Their coats were -buttoned to their chins to keep out the February wind; their hands were -in big, shiny gloves; their blue and brown overalls, from the handling -of painted iron, had the surface and polish of leather. They were all in -the freshness of their manhood--lean, and keen, and full of -spirit--vividly fit. Their work explained their fitness; it was a -natural civil service examination that barred all but the active and the -daring. - -And yet, though he did not smile, Mr. Driscoll was cuddled by -satisfaction as he stood on the great platform just under the sky and -watched the brown men at work. He had had a deal of trouble during the -past three years--accidents, poor workmen, delays due to strikes over -inconsequential matters--all of which had severely taxed his profits and -his profanity. So the smoothness with which this, his greatest job, -progressed was his especial joy. In his heart he credited this -smoothness to the brown young foreman who had just come back to his -side--but he didn't tell Keating so. - -"The riveters are keeping right on our heels," said Tom. "Would you like -to go down and have a look at 'em?" - -"No," said Mr. Driscoll shortly. - -The foreman shrugged his shoulders slightly, and joined the gang Mr. -Driscoll was watching. In the year he had worked for Mr. Driscoll he had -learned to be philosophic over that gentleman's gruffness: he didn't -like the man, so why should he mind his words? - -The men had fastened a sling about a twenty-five foot column and to this -had attached the hook of the pulley. The seventy-foot arm of the crane -now slowly rose and drew after it the column, dangling vertically. -Directed by the signals of Tom's right hand the column sank with -precision to its appointed place at one corner of the building. It was -quickly fastened to the head of the column beneath it with four bolts. -Later the riveters, whose hammers were now maintaining a terrific rattle -two floors below, would replace the four bolts by four rows of rivets. - -"Get the sling, Pete," ordered Tom. - -At this a loosely-jointed man threw off his slouch hat, encircled the -column with his arms, and mounted with little springs. Near its top he -locked his legs around the column, and, thus supported and working with -both hands, he unfastened the rope from the pulley hook and the column, -and threw it below. He then stepped into the hook of the pulley, swung -through the air to the flooring, picked up his hat and slapped it -against his leg. - -Sometimes Mr. Driscoll forgot his principle. While Pete was nonchalantly -loosening the sling, leaning out over the street, nothing between him -and the pavement but the grip of his legs, there was something very like -a look of admiration in Mr. Driscoll's aggravating eyes. He moved over -to Pete just as the latter was pulling on his slouch hat. - -"I get a shiver every time I see a man do that," he said. - -"That? That's nothin'," said Pete. "I'd a heap ruther do that than work -down in the street. Down in the street, why, who knows when a brick's -agoin' to fall on your head!" - -"Um!" Mr. Driscoll remembered himself and his eyes clicked. He turned -from Pete, and called to the young foreman: "I'll look at the riveters -now." - -"All right. Oh, Barry!" - -There came toward Tom a little, stocky man, commonly known as "Rivet -Head." Someone had noted the likeness of his cranium to a newly-hammered -rivet, and the nickname had stuck. - -"Get the other four columns up out of the street before setting any -more," Tom ordered, and then walked with Mr. Driscoll to where the head -of a ladder stuck up through the flooring. - -Pete, with a sour look, watched Mr. Driscoll's round body awkwardly -disappear down the ladder. - -"Boys, if I was a preacher, I know how I'd run my business," he -remarked. - -"How, Pete?" queried one of the gang. - -"I'd stand up Driscoll in the middle o' the road to hell, then knock off -workin' forever. When they seen him standin' there every blamed sinner'd -turn back with a yell an' stretch their legs for the other road." - -"I wonder if Tom'll speak to him about them scabs," said another man, -with a scowl at a couple of men working along the building's edge. - -"That ain't Tom's business, Bill," answered Pete. "It's Rivet Head's. -Tom don't like Driscoll any more'n the rest of us do, an' he ain't goin' -to say any more to him'n he has to." - -"Tom ought to call him down, anyhow," Bill declared. - -"You let Foley do that," put in Jake Henderson, a big fellow with a -stubbly face and a scar across his nose. - -"An' let him peel off a little graft!" sneered Bill. - -"Close yer face!" growled Jake. - -"Come on there, boys, an' get that crane around!" shouted Barry. - -Pete, Bill, and Jake sprang to the wooden lever that extended from the -base of the ninety-foot mast; and they threw their weight against the -bar, bending it as a bow. The crane slowly turned on its bearings to the -desired position. Barry, the "pusher" (under foreman), waved his -outstretched hand. The signalman, whose eyes had been alert for this -movement, pulled a rope; a bell rang in the ears of an engineer, -twenty-one floors below. The big boom slowly came down to a horizontal -position, its outer end twenty feet clear of the building's edge. -Another signal, and the heavy iron pulley began to descend to the -street. - -After the pulley had started to slide down its rope there was little for -the men to do till it had climbed back up the rope with its burden of -steel. Pete--who was usually addressed as "Pig Iron," perhaps for the -reason that he claimed to be from Pittsburg--settled back at his ease -among the gang, his back against a pile of columns, his legs stretched -out. - -"I've just picked out the apartment where I'm goin' to keep my celluloid -collar when this here shanty's finished," he remarked. "Over in the -corner there, lookin' down in both streets. I ain't goin' to do nothin' -but wear kid gloves, an' lean out the windows an' spit on you roughnecks -as you go by. An' my boodwar is goin' to have about seventeen -push-buttons in it. Whenever I want anything I'll just push a button, -an' up'll hot-foot a nigger with it in a suit o' clothes that's nothin' -but shirt front. Then I'll kick the nigger, an' push another button. -That's life, boys. An' I'll have plush chairs, carpets a foot thick, an -iv'ry bath-tub----" - -Pete's wandering gaze caught one man watching him with serious eyes, and -he broke off. "Say, Johnson, wha' d'you suppose I want a bath-tub for?" - -Johnson was an anomaly among the iron-workers--a man without a sense of -humor. He never knew when his fellows were joking and when serious; he -usually took them literally. - -"To wash in," he answered. - -Pete whistled. "Wash in it! Ain't you got no respect for the traditions -o' the workin' class?" - -"Hey, Pig Iron; talk English!" Bill demanded. "What's traditions?" - -Pete looked puzzled, and a laugh passed about the men. Then his -sang-froid returned. "Your traditions, Bill, is the things you'd try to -forget about yourself if you had enough coin to move into a place like -this." - -He turned his lean face back on Johnson. "Don't you know what a -bath-tub's for, Johnson? Don't you never read the papers? Well, -here's how it is: The landlords come around wearin' about a -sixteen-candle-power incandescent smile. They puts in marble bath-tubs -all through all the houses. They're goin' to elevate us. The next day -they come around again to see how we've improved. They throw up their -hands, an' let out a few yells. There's them bath-tubs chuck full o' -coal. We didn't know what they was for,--an' they was very handy for -coal. That's us. It's down in the papers. An' here you, Johnson, you'd -ruin our repitations by usin' the bath-tubs to bathe in." - -The pulley toiled into view, dragging after it two columns. Johnson was -saved the necessity of response. The men hurried to their places. - -"O' course, Pig Iron, you'll be fixed all right when you've moved in -here," began Bill, after the boom had reached out and the pulley had -started spinning down for the other two columns. "But how about the rest -of us fixers? Three seventy-five a day, when we get in only six or seven -months a year, ain't makin' bankers out o' many of us." - -"Only a few," admitted Pete; "an' them few ain't the whole cheese yet. -Me, I can live on three seventy-five, but I don't see how you married -men do." - -"Especially with scabs stealin' your jobs," growled Bill, glancing again -at the two men working along the building's edge. - -"I told you Foley'd look after them," said Barry, who had joined the -group for a moment. "It hustles most of us to keep up with the game," he -went on, in answer to Pete's last remark. "Some of us don't. An' rents -an' everything else goin' up. I don't know what we're goin' to do." - -"That's easy," said Pete. "Get more money or live cheaper." - -"How're we goin' to live cheaper?" demanded Bill. - -"Yes, how?" seconded Barry. - -"I'm for more money," declared Bill. - -"Well, I reckon I wear the same size shoe," said Pete. "More -money--that's me." - -"And me," "and me," joined in the other men, except Johnson. - -"It's about time we were gettin' more," Pete advanced. "The last two -years the bosses have been doin' the genteel thing by their own pockets, -all right." - -"We've got to have more if our kids are goin' to know a couple o' facts -more'n we do." Barry went over to the edge of the building and watched -the tiny figures attaching the columns to the pulley hook. - -"That's right," said Pete. "You don't stand no chance these days to -climb up on top of a good job unless you ripped off a lot o' education -when you was young an' riveted it on to your mem'ry. I heard a preacher -once. He preached about education. He said if you wanted to get up -anywhere you had to be educated like hell. He was right, too. If you -left school when you was thirteen, why, by the time you're twenty-seven -an' had a few drinks you ain't very likely to be just what I'd call a -college on legs." - -"Keating, he thinks we ought to go after more this spring," said Bill. - -"I wonder what Foley thinks?" queried another of the men. - -"If Tom's for a strike, why, Foley'll be again' it," one of the gang -answered. "You can place your money on that color." - -"Tom certainly did pour the hot shot into Foley at the meetin' last -night," said Bill, grinning. "Grafter! He called Buck about thirteen -diff'rent kind." - -"If Keating's all right in his nut he'll not go round lookin' for a -head-on collision with Buck Foley," asserted Jake, with a wise leer at -Bill. - -Bill answered by giving Jake his back. "Foley don't want no strike," he -declared. "What's he want to strike for? He's gettin' his hand in the -dough bag enough the way things is now." - -"See here, the whole bunch o' you roughnecks give me a pain!" broke out -Pete. "You shoot off your faces a lot when Buck's not around, but the -imitation you give on meetin' nights of a collection o' mummies can't be -beat. I ain't in love with Buck--not on your life! You can tell him so, -Jake. But he certainly has done the union a lot o' good. Tom'd say that, -too. An' you know how much Tom likes Foley. You fixers forget when you -was workin' ten hours for two dollars, an' lickin' the boots o' the -bosses to hold your jobs." - -There was a short silence, then Johnson put forward cautiously: "I don't -see the good o' strikin'." - -Pete stared at him. "Why?" he demanded. - -"Well, I've been in the business longer'n most o' you boys, an' I ain't -found the bosses as bad as you make 'em out. When they're makin' more, -they'll pay us more." - -"Oh, you go tell that to a Sunday school!" snorted Pete. "D'you ever -hear of a boss payin' more wages'n he had to? Not much! Them kind 'o -bosses's all doin' business up in heaven. If we was actually earnin' -twenty a day, d'you suppose we'd get a cent more'n three seventy-five -till we'd licked the bosses. You do--hey? That shows the kind of a nut -you've got. The boss 'ud buy a tutti-frutti yacht, or a few more -automobiles, or mebbe a college or two, where they learn you how to wear -your pants turned up; but all the extra money you'd get wouldn't pay for -the soap used by a Dago. If ever a boss offers you an extra dollar -before you've licked him, yell for a cop. He's crazy." - -Pete's tirade completely flustered Johnson. "All the same, what I said's -so." - -Pete snorted again. "When d'you think you're livin'? You make me tired, -Johnson. Go push yourself off the roof!" - -The two last columns rose swinging above the chasm's brink, and there -was no more talk for that afternoon. For the next hour the men were busy -setting the last of the columns which were to support the twenty-second -and twenty-third stories. Then they began setting in the cross beams, -walking about on these five-inch beams (perhaps on one with the pavement -straight beneath it) with the matter-of-fact steps of a man on the -sidewalk--a circus act, lacking a safety net below, and lacking -flourishes and kisses blown to a thrilled audience. - - - - -Chapter II - -THE WALKING DELEGATE - - -It was toward the latter part of the afternoon that a tall, angular man, -in a black overcoat and a derby hat, stepped from the ladder on to the -loose planking, glanced about and walked over to the gang of men about -the south crane. - -"Hello, Buck," they called out on sight of him. - -"Hello, boys," he answered carelessly. - -He stood, with hands in the pockets of his overcoat, smoking his cigar, -watching the crane accurately swing a beam to its place, and a couple of -men run along it and bolt it at each end to the columns. He had a face -to hold one's look--lean and long: gray, quick eyes, set close together; -high cheek bones, with the dull polish of bronze; a thin nose, with a -vulturous droop; a wide tight mouth; a great bone of a chin;--a daring, -incisive, masterful face. - -When the beam had been bolted to its place, Barry, with a reluctance he -tried to conceal, walked over to Foley. - -"How's things?" asked the new-comer, rolling his cigar into the corner -of his mouth and slipping his words out between barely parted lips. - -Barry was the steward on the job,--the union's representative. "Two -snakes come on the job this mornin'," he reported. "Them two over -there,--that Squarehead an' that Guinea. I was goin' to write you a -postal card about 'em to-night." - -"Who put 'em to work?" - -"They said Duffy, Driscoll's superintendent." - -Foley grunted, and his eyes fastened thoughtfully on the two non-union -men. - -"When the boys seen they had no cards, o' course they said they wouldn't -work with the scabs. But I said we'd stand 'em to-day, an' let you -straighten it out to-morrow." - -"We'll fix it now." The walking delegate, with deliberate steps, moved -toward the two men, who were sitting astride an outside beam fitting in -bolts. - -He paused beside the Italian. "Clear out!" he ordered quietly. He did -not take his hands from his pockets. - -The Italian looked up, and without answer doggedly resumed twisting a -nut. - -Foley's eyes narrowed. His lips tightened upon his cigar. Suddenly his -left hand gripped the head of a column and his right seized the shirt -and coat collar of the Italian. He jerked the man outward, unseating -him, though his legs clung about the beam, and held him over the street. -The Italian let out a frightful yell, that the wind swept along under -the clouds; and his wrench went flying from his hand. It struck close -beside a mason on a scaffold seventeen stories below. The mason gave a -jump, looked up and shook his fist. - -"D'youse see the asphalt?" Foley demanded. - -The man, whose down-hanging face was forced to see the pavement far -below, with the little hats moving about over it, shrilled out his fear -again. - -"In about a minute youse'll be layin' there, as flat as a picture, if -youse don't clear out!" - -The man answered with a mixture of Italian, English, and yells; from -which Foley gathered that he was willing to go, but preferred to gain -the street by way of the ladders rather than by the direct route. - -Foley jerked him back to his seat, and a pair of frantic arms gripped -his legs. "Now chase yourself, youse scab! Or----" Foley knew how to -swear. - -The Italian rose tremblingly and stepped across to the flooring. He -dropped limply to a seat on a prostrate column, and moaned into his -hands. - -Without glancing at him or at the workmen who had eyed this measure -doubtfully, Foley moved over to the Swede and gripped him as he had the -Italian. "Now youse, youse sneakin' Squarehead! Get out o' here, too!" - -The Swede's right hand came up and laid hold of Foley's wrist with a -grip that made the walking delegate start. The scab rose to his feet and -stepped across to the planking. Foley was tall, but the Swede out-topped -him by an inch. - -"I hold ma yob, yes," growled the Swede, a sudden flame coming into his -heavy eyes. - -Foley had seen that look in a thousand scabs' eyes before. He knew its -meaning. He drew back a pace, pulled his derby hat tightly down on his -head and bit into his cigar, every lean muscle alert. - -"Get off the job! Or I'll kick youse off!" - -The Swede stepped forward, his shoulders hunched up. Foley crouched -back; his narrowed gray eyes gleamed. The men in both gangs looked on -from their places about the cranes and up on the beams in statued -expectation. Barry and Pig Iron hurried up to Foley's support. - -"Keep back!" he ordered sharply. They fell away from him. - -A minute passed--the two men standing on the loosely-planked edge of a -sheer precipice, watching each other with tense eyes. Suddenly a change -began in the Swede; the spirit went out of him as the glow from a -cooling rivet. His arms sank to his side, and he turned and fairly slunk -over to where lay an old brown overcoat. - -The men started with relief, then burst into a jeering laugh. Foley -moved toward Barry, then paused and, with hands back in his pockets, -watched the two scabs make their preparation to leave, trundling his -cigar about with his thin prehensile lips. As they started down the -ladder, the Swede sullen, the Italian still trembling, he walked over to -them with sudden decision. - -"Go on back to work," he ordered. - -The two looked at him in surprised doubt. - -"Go on!" He jerked his head toward the places they had left. - -They hesitated; then the Swede lay off his old coat and started back to -his place, and the Italian followed, his fearful eyes on the walking -delegate. - -Foley rejoined Barry. "I'm goin' to settle this thing with Driscoll," he -said to the pusher, loudly, answering the amazed questioning he saw in -the eyes of all the men. "I'm goin' to settle the scab question for good -with him. Let them two snakes work till youse hear from me." - -He paused, then asked abruptly: "Where's Keating?" - -"Down with the riveters." - -"So-long, boys," he called to Barry's gang; and at the head of the -ladder he gestured a farewell to the gang about the other crane. Then -his long body sank through the flooring. - -At the bottom of the thirty-foot ladder he paused and looked around -through the maze of beams and columns. This floor was not boarded, as -was the one he had just left. Here and there were little platforms on -which stood small portable forges, a man at each turning the fan and -stirring the rivets among the red coals; and here and there were groups -of three men, driving home the rivets. At regular intervals each heater -would take a white rivet from his forge, toss it from his tongs sizzling -through the air to a man twenty feet away, who would deftly catch it in -a tin can. This man would seize the glowing bit of steel with a pair of -pincers, strike it smartly against a beam, at which off would go a spray -of sparks like an exploding rocket, and then thrust it through its hole. -Immediately the terrific throbbing of a pneumatic hammer, held hard -against the rivet by another man, would clinch it to its destiny of -clinging with all its might. And then, flashing through the gray air -like a meteor at twilight, would come another sparkling rivet. - -And on all sides, beyond the workmen calmly playing at catch with -white-hot steel, and beyond the black crosswork of beams and columns, -Foley could see great stretches of housetops that in sullen rivalry -strove to overmatch the dinginess of the sky. - -Foley caught sight of Tom with a riveting gang at the southeast corner -of the building, and he started toward him, walking over the five-inch -beams with a practiced step, and now and then throwing a word at some of -the men he passed, and glancing casually down at the workmen putting in -the concrete flooring three stories below. Tom had seen him coming, and -had turned his back upon his approach. - -"H'are you, Buck!" shouted one of the gang. - -Though Foley was but ten feet away, it was the man's lips alone that -gave greeting to him; the ravenous din of the pneumatic hammer devoured -every other sound. He shouted a reply; his lip movements signaled to the -man: "Hello, fellows." - -Tom still kept his ignoring back upon Foley. The walking delegate -touched him on the shoulder. "I'd like to trade some words with youse," -he remarked. - -Tom's set face regarded him steadily an instant; then he said: "All -right." - -"Come on." Foley led the way across beams to the opposite corner of the -building where there was a platform now deserted by its forge, and where -the noise was slightly less dense. For a space the two men looked -squarely into each other's face--Tom's set, Foley's expressionless--as -if taking the measure of the other;--and meanwhile the great framework -shivered, and the air rattled, under the impact of the throbbing -hammers. They were strikingly similar, and strikingly dissimilar. -Aggressiveness, fearlessness, self-confidence, a sense of leadership, -showed themselves in the faces and bearing of the two, though all three -qualities were more pronounced in the older man. Their dissimilarity was -summed up in their eyes: there was something to take and hold your -confidence in Tom's; Foley's were full of deep, resourceful cunning. - -"Well?" said Tom, at length. - -"What's your game?" asked Foley in a tone that was neither friendly nor -unfriendly. "Wha' d'youse want?" - -"Nothing,--from you." - -Foley went on in the same colorless tone. "I don't know. Youse've been -doin' a lot o' growlin' lately. I've had a lot o' men fightin' me. Most -of 'em wanted to be bought off." - -Tom recognized in these words a distant overture of peace,--a peace that -if accepted would be profitable to him. He went straight to Foley's -insinuated meaning. - -"You ought to know that's not my size," he returned quietly. "You've -tried to buy me off more than once." - -The mask went from Foley's face and his mouth and forehead creased into -harsh lines. His words came out like whetted steel. "See here. I would -pass over the kind o' talkin' youse've been doin'. Somebody's always -growlin'. Somebody's got to growl. But what youse said at the meetin' -last night, I ain't goin' to stand for that kind o' talk. Youse -understand?" - -Tom's legs had spread themselves apart, his black-gloved hands had -placed themselves upon his hips, and his brown eyes were looking hard -defiance from beneath his cap's peak. "I don't suppose you did like it," -he said calmly. "If I remember rightly I didn't say it for the purpose -of pleasing you." - -"Youse're goin' to keep your mouth goin' then?" - -"My mouth's my own." - -"Mebbe youse knows what happened to a few other gents that started on -the road youse're travelin'?" the steely voice went on insinuatingly. -"Duncan--Smith--O'Malley?" - -"Threats, huh?" Tom's anger began to pass his control. He sneered. "Save -'em for somebody that's afraid of you!" - -The cigar that had so far kept its place in Foley's mouth now fell out, -and a few lurid words followed it. "D'youse know I can drive youse clean -out o' New York? Yes, an' fix youse so youse can't get a job in the iron -trade in the country? Except as a scab. Which's just about what you -are!" - -The defiant glow in Tom's eyes flared into a blaze of anger. He stepped -up to Foley, his fists still on his hips, and fairly thrust his square -face into the lean one of the walking delegate. - -"If you think I'm afraid of you, Buck Foley, or your bunch of toughs, -you're almighty mistaken! I'm going to say what I think about you, and -say it whenever and wherever I please!" - -Foley's face tightened. His hands clenched in his pockets. But he -controlled himself. He had the wisdom of a thousand fights,--which is, -never to fight unless you have to, or unless there is something to gain. -"I've got just one thing to say to youse, an' that's all," he said, and -his low, steely voice cut distinctly through the hammer's uproar. "If I -hear any more about your talk,--well, Duncan an' O'Malley'll have some -new company." - -He turned about shortly, and stepped along beams to a ladder, and down -that; leaving Tom struggling with a furious desire to follow and close -with him. Out of the building, he made for the office of Mr. Driscoll as -rapidly as street car could take him. On leaving the elevator in the -Broadway building he strode to a door marked "Driscoll & -Co.--Private--Enter Next Door," and without hesitation turned the knob. -He found himself in a small room, very neat, whose principal furniture -was a letter file and a desk bearing a typewriter. Over the desk was a -brown print of William Morris. The room had two inner doors, one, as -Foley knew, opening into the general offices, and the other into Mr. -Driscoll's private room. - -A young woman rose from the desk. "What is it?" she asked, with a -coldness drawn forth by his disregard of the sign on the door. - -"I want to see Mr. Driscoll. Tell him Foley wants to speak to him." - -She went through Mr. Driscoll's door, and Foley heard his name -announced. There was a hesitant silence, then he heard the words, "Well, -let him come in, Miss Arnold." - -Miss Arnold immediately reappeared. "Will you step in, please." - -As he entered the door Foley put on his hat, which he had removed in the -presence of the secretary, pulling it aggressively down over one eye. - -"Hello, Driscoll," he greeted the contractor, who had swung about from a -belittered desk; and he closed the door behind him. - -Mr. Driscoll pointed to a chair, but his face deepened a shade. Foley -seated himself, and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his -bony hands clasped. - -"Well, what can I do for you?" queried Mr. Driscoll shortly. - -Foley knew his man. He had met Mr. Driscoll many times at conferences -with the Executive Committee of the Iron Employers' Association, and had -read him as though he were large print. He noted with satisfaction the -color in the contractor's face. - -The walking delegate spoke with extreme deliberation. "I come around, -_Mister_ Driscoll, to find out what the hell youse mean by workin' scabs -on that St. Etienne job. Youse signed an agreement to work only union -men, but if I didn't watch youse, youse'd have your work alive with -scabs. Now, damn youse, unless youse get them scabs off that job an' do -it quicker'n youse ever done anything before, youse'll wish youse had!" - -Foley made no mistake in his pre-calculation of the effect of this -speech. Mr. Driscoll sprang to his feet, with a trembling that his -reddish-gray whiskers exaggerated. His glasses tumbled from his nose, -and his feet scrunched them unnoted into the rug. "If there's a scab on -the job, I didn't know it. If those men're scabs Duffy must have made a -mistake. If----" - -"If one o' youse bosses ever breaks a contract, oh, it's always a -mistake!" - -"If you'd come around here and talked like a gentleman, I'd had 'em off -inside of an hour," Mr. Driscoll roared. "But, by thunder, I don't let -any walking delegate insult me and tell me what I've _got_ to do!" - -"Then youse ain't goin' to fire the scabs?" - -"Not till hell freezes over!" - -Mr. Driscoll's eyes clicked, and he banged his pudgy fist upon his desk. - -"Then the men'll go back to work on the day hell freezes over," returned -Foley, rising to go. "But I have an idea youse'll want to see me a day -or two before then. I've come to youse this time. The next time we talk, -youse'll come to me. There's my card." And he went out with the -triumphant feeling of the man who can guide events. - -At ten o'clock the next morning he clambered again to the top of the St. -Etienne Hotel. The Italian and Swede were still at work. - -"Lay down your tools, boys!" he called out to the two gangs. "The job's -struck!" - -The men crowded around him, demanding information. - -"Driscoll won't fire the scabs," he explained. - -"Kick 'em off,--settle it that-a-way!" growled one of the men. "We -can't afford to lose wages on account o' two scabs." - -"That'd only settle this one case. We've got to settle the scab question -with Driscoll for good an' all. It's hard luck, boys, I know," he said -sympathetically, "but we can't do nothin' but strike. We've got to lick -Driscoll into shape." - -Leaving the men talking hotly as they changed their clothes for the -street, Foley went down the ladder to bear the same message and the same -comfort to the riveters. - -The next morning the general contractor for the building got Mr. -Driscoll on the telephone. "Why aren't you getting that ironwork up?" he -demanded. - -Mr. Driscoll started into an explanation of his trouble with Foley, but -the general contractor cut him short. "I don't care what the trouble is. -What I care about is that you're not getting that ironwork up. Get your -men right back to work." - -"How?" queried Mr. Driscoll sarcastically. - -"That's your business!" answered the general contractor, and rang off. - -Mr. Driscoll talked it over with the "Co.," a young fellow of thirty or -thereabouts, of polished manner and irreproachable tailoring. "See -Foley," Mr. Berman advised. - -"It's simply a game for graft!" - -"That may be," said the junior partner. "But what can you do?" - -"I won't pay graft!" - -Mr. Berman shrugged his shapely shoulders and withdrew. Mr. Driscoll -paced his office floor, tugged at his whiskers, and used some language -that at least had the virtue of being terse. With the consequence, that -he saw there was nothing for him but to settle as best as he could. In -furious mortification he wrote to Foley asking him to call. The answer -was a single scrawled sentence: "If you want to see me, I live at--West -One Hundred and Fifteenth Street." - -The instant after this note was read its fragments were in Mr. -Driscoll's waste basket. He'd suffer a sulphurous fate before he'd do -it! But the general contractor descended upon him in person, and there -was a bitter half hour. The result was that late Saturday afternoon Mr. -Driscoll locked his pride in his desk, put his checkbook in his pocket, -and set forth for the number on West One Hundred and Fifteenth Street. - -A large woman, of dark voluptuous beauty, with a left hand like a -jeweller's tray, answered his knock and led him into the parlor, on -whose furnishings more money than taste had been spent. The room was a -war of colors, in which the gilt of the picture frames, enclosing -oblongs of high-hued sentiment, had the best of the conflict, and in -which baby blue, showing in pictures, upholstery and a fancy lamp shade, -was an easy second, despite its infantility. - -Foley sat in a swinging rocker, reading an evening paper, his coat off, -his feet in slippers. He did not rise. "Hello! Are they havin' zero -weather in hell?" - -Mr. Driscoll passed the remark. "I guess you know what I'm here for." - -"If youse give me three guesses, I might be able to hit it. But chair -bottom's as cheap as carpet. Set down." - -Mr. Driscoll sank into an upholstered chair, and a skirmish began -between his purple face and the baby blue of the chair's back. "Let's -get to business," he said. - -"Won't youse have a drink first?" queried Foley, with baiting -hospitality. - -Mr. Driscoll's hands clenched the arms of the chair. "Let's get to -business." - -"Well,--fire away." - -"You know what it is." - -"I can't say's I do," Foley returned urbanely. - -The contractor's hands dug again into the upholstery. "About the strike -you called on the St. Etienne." - -"Oh, that!--Well?" - -Mr. Driscoll gulped down pride and anger and went desperately to the -point. "What'll I have to do to settle it?" - -"Um! Le's see. First of all, youse'll fire the scabs?" - -"Yes." - -"Seems to me I give youse the chance to do that before, an' end it right -there. But it can't end there now. There's the wages the men's lost. -Youse'll have to pay waitin' time." - -"Extortion, you mean," Mr. Driscoll could not refrain from saying. - -"Waitin' time," Foley corrected blandly. - -"Well,--how much?" Mr. Driscoll remarked to himself that he knew what -part of the "waiting time" the men would get. - -Foley looked at the ceiling and appeared to calculate. "The waitin' -time'll cost youse an even thousand." - -"What!" - -"If youse ain't learnt your lesson yet, youse might as well go back." He -made as if to resume his paper. - -Mr. Driscoll swallowed hard. "Oh, I'll pay. What else can I do? You've -got me in a corner with a gun to my head." - -Foley did not deny the similitude. "youse're gettin' off dirt cheap." - -"When'll the men go back to work?" - -"The minute youse pay, the strike's off." - -Mr. Driscoll drew out his check-book, and started to fill in a check -with a fountain pen. - -"Hold on there!" Foley cried. "No checks for me." - -"What's the matter with a check?" - -"Youse don't catch me scatterin' my name round on the back o' checks. -D'youse think I was born yesterday?" - -"Where's the danger, since the money's to go to the men for waiting -time?" Mr. Driscoll asked sarcastically. - -"It's cash or nothin'," Foley said shortly. - -"I've no money with me. I'll bring it some time next week." - -"Just as youse like. Only every day raises the price." - -Mr. Driscoll made haste to promise to deliver the money Monday morning -as soon as he could get it from his bank. And Foley thereupon promised -to have the men ready to go back to work Monday afternoon. So much -settled, Mr. Driscoll started to leave. He was suffocating. - -"Won't youse have a drink?" Foley asked again, at the door. - -Mr. Driscoll wanted only to get out of Foley's company, where he could -explode without having it put in the bill. "No," he said curtly. - -"Well!--now me, when I got to swallow a pill I like somethin' to wash it -down." - -The door slammed, and Mr. Driscoll puffed down the stairs leaving behind -him a trail of language like a locomotive's plume. - - - - -Chapter III - -THE RISE OF BUCK FOLEY - - -Tom glared at Foley till the walking delegate had covered half the -distance to the ladder, then he turned back to his supervision, trying -to hide the fires of his wrath. But his soul flamed within him. All that -Foley had just threatened, openly and by insinuation, was within his -power of accomplishment. Tom knew that. And every other man in the union -was as much at his mercy,--and every man's family. And many had suffered -greatly, and all, except Foley's friends, had suffered some. Tom's mind -ran over the injustice Foley had wrought, and over Foley's history and -the union's history during the last few years ... and there was no -sinking of the inward fire. - -And yet there was a long period in the walking delegate's history on -which Tom would not have passed harsh judgment. Very early in his -career, in conformity with prevailing custom, Buck Foley had had a -father and a mother. His mother he did not remember at all. After she -had intimated a preference for another man by eloping with him, Buck's -father had become afflicted with almost constant unsteadiness in his -legs, an affliction that had before victimized him only at intervals. -His father he remembered chiefly from having carried a tin pail to a -store around the corner where a red-faced man filled it and handed it -back to him over a high counter; and also from a white scar which even -now his hair did not altogether conceal. One day his father disappeared. -Not long after that Buck went to live in a big house with a great lot of -boys, the little ones in checked pinafores, the big ones in gray suits. -After six years of life here, at the age of twelve, he considered that -he was fit for graduation, and so he went out into the world,--this on a -very dark night when all in the big house were fast asleep. - -For three years Buck was a newsboy; sleeping in a bed when he could -afford one, sleeping in hallways, over warm gratings, along the docks, -when he could not; winning all the newsboy's keen knowledge of human -nature. At fifteen the sea fascinated him, and he lived in ships till he -was twenty. Then a sailor's duties began to irk him. He came back to New -York, took the first job that offered, driving a truck, and joined a -political club of young men in a west side ward. Here he found himself. -He rose rapidly to power in the club. Dan McGuire, the boss of the ward, -had to take notice of him. He left his truck for a city job with a -comfortable salary and nothing to do. At twenty-five he was one of -McGuire's closest aids. Then his impatient ambition escaped his control. -He plotted a revolution, which should overthrow McGuire and enthrone -himself. But the Boss had thirty years of political cunning, and behind -him a strong machine. For these Buck was no match. He took again to the -sea. - -Buck shipped as second mate on a steamer carrying steel for a great -bridge in South Africa. Five years of authority had unfitted him for the -subordinate position of second mate, and there were many tilts with the -thick-headed captain. The result was that after the steamer had -discharged her cargo Foley quitted his berth and followed the steel into -the interior. The contractors were in sore need of men, and, even though -Foley was not a bridgeman, they gladly gave him a job. His service as a -sailor had fitted him to follow, without a twinge of fear, the most -expert of the bridgemen in their daring clambering about cables and over -narrow steel beams; and being naturally skillful he rapidly became an -efficient workman. - -Of the men sent out to this distant job perhaps one-half were union -members. These formed a local branch of their society, and this Foley -was induced to join. He rapidly won to influence and power in the -affairs of the union, finding here the same keen enjoyment in managing -men that he had first tasted in Dan McGuire's ward. After the completion -of this job he worked in Scotland and Brazil, always active in the -affairs of his union. At thirty-two he found himself back in New -York,--a forceful leader ripe for an opportunity. - -He had not been in New York a week when he discovered his chance. The -union there was wofully weak--an organization only in name. The -employers hardly gave it a consideration; the members themselves hardly -held it in higher esteem. The men were working ten hours a day for two -dollars; lacking the support of a strong union they were afraid to seek -better terms. As Foley grimly expressed it, "The bosses have got youse -down an' are settin' on your heads." Here in this utter disorganization -Foley perceived his opportunity. He foresaw the extent to which the -erection of steel-frame buildings, then in its beginning, was certain to -develop. His trade was bound to become the "fundamental trade"; until -his union had put up the steel frames the contractors could do -nothing--the other workmen could do nothing. A strongly organized union -holding this power--there was no limit to the concessions it might -demand and secure. - -It was a great opportunity. Foley went quietly to work on a job at -twelve dollars a week, and bided his time. At the end of six months he -was elected president and walking delegate of the union. He had no -trouble in securing the offices. No one else wanted them. This was early -in the spring. The first labor he set himself was the thorough -organization of the union and the taking into its ranks of every -ironworker in the city. - -The following spring there was a strike. Foley now came for the first -time before the contractors' attention. They regarded him lightly, -having remembrance of his predecessors. But they soon found they were -facing a man who, though uneducated and of ungrammatical speech, was as -keen and powerful as the best of them. The strike was won, and great was -the name of Foley. In the next three years there were two more strikes -for increases in wages, which were won. And the name of Foley waxed -greater. - -During these first four years no man could have served the union -better. But here ended the stretch of Foley's history on which Tom would -not have passed harsh judgment; and here began the period whose acts of -corruption and oppression were now moving in burning procession through -Tom's mind. It is a matter of no moment whether Foley or the employers -took the initiative in starting him on the new phase of his career as a -labor leader. It is axiomatic that money is the ammunition of war; among -the employers there were many who were indifferent whether this -ammunition was spent in fighting or in buying. On the other hand, -Foley's training on the street and in Dan McGuire's ward was not such as -to produce an incorruptible integrity. It is only fair to Foley to say -that the first sums he received were in return for services which did -not work any injury or loss to the union. It was easy to excuse to -himself these first lapses. He knew his own worth; he saw that men of -much less capacity in the employ of the bosses were paid big salaries. -The union paid him thirty dollars a week. "Who's hurt if I increase my -salary to something like it ought to be at the expense of the bosses?" -he reasoned; and took the money with an easy conscience. - -This first "easy money" made Foley hungry for more. He saw the many -opportunities that existed for acquiring it; he saw where he could -readily create other opportunities. In earlier days he had envied -McGuire the chances that were his. He had no reason to envy McGuire now. - -During the first three or four years of his administration there was no -opposition to him within the union. His work was too strenuous to be -envied him by any man. But after the union had become an established -power, and the position of walking delegate one of prominence, a few -ambitious spirits began to aspire to his job. Also there began to be -mutterings about his grafting. A party was formed which secretly busied -itself with a plan to do to him what he had tried to do to Dan McGuire. -He triumphed, as McGuire had triumphed. But the revolution, though -unsuccessful, had a deep lesson for him. It taught him that, unless he -fortified it, his position was insecure. At present he was dependent for -its retention upon the favor of the members; and favor, as he knew, was -not a dependable quantity. - -He was determined to remain the walking delegate of the union. He had -made the union, and the position. They were both his by right. He -rapidly took measures to insure himself against the possibility of -overthrow. He became relentless to all opposition. Those who dared talk -were quick to hear from him. Some fared easily--the clever ones who were -not bribe-proof. After being given jobs as foremen, and presented with -neat little sums, they readily saw the justice of Foley's cause. Some, -who were not worth bribing, he intimidated into silence. Those whom he -had threatened and who still talked found themselves out of work and -unable to get new jobs; they were forced into other trades or out of the -city. A few such examples lessened the necessity for such severe action. -Men with families to support perceived the value of a discreet tongue. - -These methods were successful in quelling open opposition; but they, -together with the knowledge that Foley was taking money wherever it was -offered, had the effect of rapidly alienating the better element in the -union. This forced him into a close alliance with the rougher members, -who were greatly in the minority. But this minority, never more than -five hundred out of three thousand men, Foley made immensely effective. -He instructed them to make the meetings as disorderly as possible. His -scheme worked to perfection. The better members came less and less -frequently, and soon the meetings were entirely in the hands of the -roughs. As time passed Foley grew more and more jealous of his power, -and more and more harsh in the methods used to guard it. He attached to -himself intimately several of the worst of his followers whom grim -facetiousness soon nominated "The Entertainment Committee." If any one -attacked him now, the bold one did so knowing that he would probably -experience the hospitality of these gentlemen the first dark night he -ventured forth alone. - -Such were the conditions behind the acts of tyranny that Tom furiously -overhauled, as he mechanically directed the work. He had considered -these conditions and acts before, but never with such fierceness as now. -Hitherto he had been, as it were, merely one citizen, though a more or -less prominent one, of an oppressed nation; now he, as an individual, -had felt the tyrant's malevolence. He had before talked of the union's -getting rid of Foley as a necessary action, and only the previous night -he had gone to the length of denouncing Foley in open meeting, an -adventurous act that had not been matched in the union for two years. -Perhaps, in the course of time, his patriotism alone would have pushed -him to take up arms against Foley. But now to his patriotic indignation -there was added the selfish wrath of the outraged individual,--and the -sum was an impulse there was no restraining. - -Tom was not one who, in a hot moment, for the assuagement of his wrath, -would bang down his fist and consign himself to a purpose. Here, -however, was a case where wrath made the same demand that already had -been made by cool, moral judgment--the dethronement of Foley. And Tom -felt in himself the power for its accomplishment. He was well furnished -with self-confidence,--lacking which any man is an engine without fire. -During the last five years--that is, since he was twenty-five, when he -began to look upon life seriously--the knowledge had grown upon him that -he was abler, and of stronger purpose, than his fellows. He had accepted -this knowledge quietly, as a fact. It had not made him presumptuous; -rather it had imposed upon him a serious sense of duty. - -He considered the risks of a fight against Foley. Personal -danger,--plenty of that, yes,--but his hot mind did not care for that. -Financial loss,--he drew back from thinking what his wife would say; -anyhow, there were his savings, which would keep them for awhile, if -worst came to worst. - -As the men were leaving the building at the end of the day's work, Tom -drew Barry and Pete to one side. "I know you fellows don't like Foley a -lot," he began abruptly, "but I don't know how far you're willing to -go. For my part, I can't stand for him any longer. Can't we get together -to-night and have a talk?" - -To this Barry and Pete agreed. - -"Where'bouts?" asked Barry. - -Tom hesitated; and he was thinking of his wife when he said, "How about -your house?" - -"Glad to have you," was Barry's answer. - - - - -Chapter IV - -A COUNCIL OF WAR - - -Tom lived in the district below West Fourteenth Street, where, to the -bewildered explorer venturing for the first time into that region, the -jumbled streets seem to have been laid out by an egg-beater. - -It was almost six o'clock when, hungry and wrathful, he thrust his -latch-key into the door of his four-room flat. The door opened into -blackness. He gave an irritated groan and groped about for matches, in -the search striking his hip sharply against the corner of the dining -table. A match found and the gas lit, he sat down in the sitting-room to -await his wife's coming. From the mantel a square, gilded clock, on -which stood a knight in full armor, counted off the minutes with -irritating deliberation. It struck six; no Maggie. Tom's impatience -rapidly mounted, for he had promised to be at Barry's at quarter to -eight. He was on the point of going to a restaurant for his dinner, -when, at half-past six, he heard the fumble of a latch-key in the lock, -and in came his wife, followed by their son, a boy of four, crying from -weariness. - -She was a rather large, well-formed, and well-featured young woman, and -was showily dressed in the extreme styles of the cheap department -stores. She was pretty, with the prettiness of cheap jewelry. - -Tom rose as she carefully placed her packages on the table. "You really -decided to come home, did you?" - -"Oh, I know I'm late," she said crossly, breathing heavily. "But it -wasn't my fault. I started early enough. But there was such a mob in the -store you couldn't get anywhere. If you'd been squeezed and pushed and -punched like I was in the stores and in the street cars, well, you -wouldn't say a word." - -"Of course you had to go!" - -"I wasn't going to miss a bargain of that kind. You don't get 'em -often." - -Tom gazed darkly at the two bulky packages, the cause of his delayed -dinner. "Can I have something to eat,--and quick?" - -By this time her hat and jacket were off. "Just as soon as I get back my -breath," she said, and began to undo the packages. - -The little boy came to her side. - -"I'm so hungry, ma," he whined. "Gimme a piece." - -"Dinner'll be ready in a little while," she answered carelessly. - -"But I can't wait!"--and he began to cry. - -Maggie turned upon him sharply. "If you don't stop that bawling, Ferdie, -you shan't have a bite of dinner." - -The boy cried all the louder. - -"Oh, you!" she ejaculated; and took a piece of coarse cake from the -cupboard and handed it to him. "Now do be still!" - -Ferdinand filled his mouth with the cake, and she returned to the -packages. "I been wanting something to fill them empty places at the -ends of the mantel this long time, and when I saw the advertisement in -the papers this morning, I said it was just the thing.... Now there!" - -Out of one pasteboard box she had taken a dancing Swiss shepherdess, of -plaster, pink and green and blue, and out of the other box a dancing -Swiss shepherd. One of these peasants she had put on either side of the -knight, at the ends of the mantel. - -"Now, don't you like that?" - -Tom looked doubtfully at the latest adornment of his home. Somehow, he -didn't just like it, though he didn't know why. "I guess it'll do," he -said at length. - -"And they were only thirty-nine cents apiece! Now when I get a new tidy -for the mantel,--a nice pink one with flowers. Just you wait!" - -"Well,--but let's have dinner first." - -"In just a minute." With temper restored by sight of her art treasures, -Maggie went into the bedroom and quickly returned in an old dress. The -dinner of round steak, fried potatoes and coffee was ready in a very -short time. The steak avenged its hasty preparation by presenting one -badly burnt side. But Tom ate the poor dinner without complaint. He was -used to poor dinners; and his only desire was to get away and to -Barry's. - -Once during the meal he looked at his wife, a question in his mind. -Should he tell her? But his eyes fell back to his plate and he said -nothing. She must know some time, of course--but he didn't want the -scene now. - -But she herself approached uncomfortably near the subject. She had -glanced at him hesitatingly several times while they were eating; as he -was rising from the table she began resolutely: "I met Mrs. Jones this -afternoon. She told me what you said about Foley last night at the -meeting. Her husband told her." - -Tom paused. - -"There's no sense doing a thing of that kind," she went on. "Here we are -just beginning to have things a little comfortable. You know well enough -what Foley can do to you if you get him down on you." - -"Well?" Tom said guardedly. - -"Well, don't you be that foolish again. We can't afford it." - -"I'll see about it." He went into the sitting-room and returned with hat -and overcoat on. "I'm going over to Barry's for awhile--on some -business," he said, and went out. - -Barry and Pete, who boarded with the Barrys, were waiting in the -sitting-room when Tom arrived,--and with them sat Mrs. Barry and a boy -of about thirteen and a girl apparently a couple of years younger, the -two children with idle school books in their laps. Mrs. Barry's -sitting-room, also her parlor, would not have satisfied that amiable -lady, the president of the Society for Instructing Wage-Earners in House -Furnishing. There was a coarse red Smyrna rug in the middle of the -floor; a dingy, blue-flowered sofa, with three chairs to match (the -sort seen in the windows of cheap furniture stores on bargain days, -marked "Nineteen dollars for Set"); a table in one corner, bearing a -stack of photographs and a glass vase holding up a bunch of pink paper -roses; a half dozen colored prints in gilt-and-white plaster frames. The -room, however, quite satisfied Mrs. Barry, and the amiable president of -the S. I. W. E. H. F. would needs have given benign approval to the -room's utter cleanliness. - -Mrs. Barry, a big, red-faced woman, greeted Tom heartily. Then she -turned to the boy and girl. "Come on, children. We've got to chase -ourselves. The men folks want to talk." She drove the two before her -wide body into the kitchen. - -Tom plunged into the middle of what he had to say. "We've talked about -Foley a lot--all of us. We've said other unions are managed decently, -honestly--why shouldn't ours be? We've said we didn't like Foley's -bulldozing ways. We didn't like the tough gang he's got into the union. -We didn't like the rough-house meetings. We didn't like his grafting. -We've said we ought to raise up and kick him out. And then, having said -that much, we've gone back to work--me, you and all the rest of us--and -he's kept on bullying us, and using the union as a lever to pry off -graft. I'm dead sick of this sort of business. For one, I'm tired -talking. I'm ready for doing." - -"Sure, we're all sick o' Foley. But what d'you think we ought to do?" -queried Barry. - -"Fire him out," Tom answered shortly. - -"It only takes three words to say that," said Pig Iron. "But how?" - -"Fire him out!" Tom was leaning forward in his chair, his elbows on his -knees, his big, red hands interlocked. There was determination in his -square face, in the set of his powerful red neck, in the hunch of his -big shoulders. He gazed steadily at the two men for a brief space. -"Boys, my mind's made up. I'm going to fight him." - -Pete and Barry looked at him in amazement. - -"You're goin' to fight Buck Foley!" cried Barry. - -"You're jokin'!" said Pig Iron. - -"I'm in dead earnest." - -"You know what'll happen to you if you lose?" queried Barry. - -"Yes. And I know Foley may not even give me a chance to lose," Tom added -grimly. - -"You've got nerve to burn, Tom," said Pig Iron. "It's not an easy -proposition. Myself, I'd as soon put on the gloves an' mix it up with -the devil. An' to spit it right out on the carpet, Tom, I think Buck's -done the union a lot o' good." - -"You're right there, Pete. No one knows that better than I do. As you -fellows know, I left town eight years ago and was bridging in the West -four years. I was pretty much of a kid when I went away, but I was old -enough to see the union didn't have enough energy left to die. When I -came back and saw what Foley'd done, I thought he was the greatest thing -that ever happened. If he'd quit right then the union'd 'a' papered the -hall with his pictures. But you know how he's changed since then. The -public knows it, too. Look how the newspapers have been shooting it into -him. I'm not fighting Foley as he was four or five years ago, Pete, but -Foley as he is now." - -"There's no denyin' he's so crooked now he can't lay straight in bed," -Pete admitted. - -"We've got to get rid of him some time, haven't we?" Tom went on. - -"Yes," the two men conceded. - -"Or sooner or later he'll smash the union. That's certain. Now there's -only one way to get rid of him. That's to go out after him, and go after -him hard." - -"But it's an awful risk for you, Tom," said Barry. - -"Someone's got to take it if we ever get rid of Foley." - -"One thing's straight, anyhow," declared Pete. "You're the best man in -the union to go against Foley." - -"Of course," said Barry. - -Tom did not deny it. - -There was a moment's silence. Then Pete asked: "What's your plan?" - -"Election comes the first meeting in March. I'm going to run against him -for walking delegate." - -"If you care anything for my opinion," said Pete, "here it is: You've -got about as much chance as a snowball in hell." - -"You're away off, Pig Iron. You know as well as I do that five-sixths of -the men in the union are against Foley. Why do they stand for him? -Because they're unorganized, and he's got them bluffed out. If those -men got together, Foley'd be the snowball. That's what I'm going to try -to do,--get those men in line." - -A door opened, and Mrs. Barry looked in. "I left my glasses somewhere in -there. Will I bother you men much if I look for 'em?" - -"Not me," said Tom. "You can stay and listen if you want to." - -Mrs. Barry sat down. "I suppose you don't mind tellin' us how you're -goin' to get the men in line," said Pete. - -"My platform's going to be an honest administration of the affairs of -the union, and every man to be treated like a man. That's simple enough, -ain't it?--and strong enough? And a demand for more wages. I'm going to -talk these things to every man I meet. If they can kick Foley out, and -get honest management and decent treatment, just by all coming out and -voting, don't you think they're going to do it? They'll all fall in -line." - -"That demand for more wages is a good card. Our wage contract with the -bosses expires May first, you know. The men all want more money; they -need it; they deserve it. If I talk for it Foley'll be certain to oppose -it, and that'll weaken him. - -"I wanted to talk this over with you fellows to get your opinion. I -thought you might suggest something. But even if you don't like the -scheme, and even if you don't want to join in the fight, I'm going to -stick it out. My mind's made up." - -Tom sank back into his chair and waited for the two men to speak. - -"Well, your scheme don't sound just like an insane asylum," Pete -admitted. "Count me in." - -Tom looked across at Barry. Barry's face was turned down and his hands -were inter-gripped. Tom understood. Barry had been out of work much -during the last three years, and recent illness in the family had -endowed him with debts. If he actively engaged in Tom's movement, and -Foley triumphed, Foley's vengeance would see to it that Barry worked no -more in New York. It was too great a risk to ask of a man situated as -Barry was. - -"I understand, Barry," said Tom. "That's all right. Don't you do it." - -Barry made no answer. - -Mrs. Barry put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Jim, ain't we goin' -to be in on this fight against Foley?" - -"You know why, Mary." There was a catch in his voice. - -"Yes. Because of me an' the kids. You, I know you've got as much nerve -as anybody. We're goin' in, Jim. An' if we lose"--she tried to -smile--"why, I ain't much of a consumptive, am I? I'll take in washin' -to help out." - -Tom turned his face about. Pete did the same, and their eyes met. Pete's -face was set hard. He growled out something that sounded very much like -an oath. - -It was midnight when Tom left. The strike which Foley called on the St. -Etienne Hotel the next day gave him time for much thinking about his -campaign. He acquainted several of the more influential members of the -union with his purpose, asking them to keep secret what he said till he -was ready to begin an open fight. All gave him sympathy, but most of -them hesitated when it came to promising active assistance. "Now if -Foley only couldn't do us out of our jobs, in case you lose, we'd be -right with you. But----" Fear inclined them to let bad enough alone. - -This set Tom to thinking again. On Monday evening--that afternoon Foley -had ordered the men back to work on the St. Etienne Hotel--Tom announced -a new plan to Barry and Pete. "We want to get every argument we can to -use on the boys. It struck me we might make some use of the bosses. It's -to their interest, as well as to ours, for us to have the right sort of -delegate. If we could say that the bosses are sick of Foley and want us -to get a decent man, and will guarantee to keep us at work no matter what -Foley says,--that might have influence on some of the weak-kneed -brothers." - -"The boys'd say the bosses ain't runnin' the union," said Pete. "If you -get the bosses on your side, the boys'll all stand by Foley." - -"I thought of that. That's what'd happen if we got mixed up with anybody -on the Executive Committee of the bosses except Baxter. The boys think -Murphy, Bobbs, and Isaacs are pretty small potatoes, and they think -Driscoll's not on the square. I guess it's a case of the pot calling the -kettle black, but you know what Foley says about Driscoll. But with -Baxter it's different. He's friendly to the union, and the boys know it. -A word from him might help a lot. And he hates Foley, and Foley has no -use for him. I've heard Buck say as much." - -"It's worth tryin', anyhow," Pete and Barry agreed. - -"Well, I'm going to brace him to-morrow after work," said Tom. - - - - -Chapter V - -TOM SEEKS HELP FROM THE ENEMY - - -At the end of work the next day Tom joined the rush of men down the -ladders and the narrow servants' stairways, the only ones in as yet, and -on gaining the street made for the nearest saloon. Five cents invested -in beer secured for him the liberty of the house. He washed himself, -brushed his hair and clothing, and set forth for the office of Baxter & -Co. - -Baxter & Co. occupied one side of the tenth floor of a big downtown -office building. Tom found himself in a large waiting-room, divided by a -wooden railing, beyond which at a desk sat an imperious youth in a blue -uniform. - -"Is Mr. Baxter in?" Tom inquired. - -The uniform noted that Tom's clothes were worn and wrinkled. "He's -busy," it said stiffly. - -"Is he in?" - -"I s'pose he is." - -"Well, you tell him I want to see him. Keating's my name. I'll wait if -he's busy." - -The uniform carelessly handed him a slip of paper. "Write down yer name -an' business, an' I'll see if he'll see youse." - -With a gleam in his eyes Tom took the printed form, wrote his name and -"on business of the Iron Workers' Union." - -The boy accepted the slip and calmly read it. Tom gave him a push that -sent him spinning. "Get a move on you, there! I'm in a hurry." - -The boy gave a startled look back, and walked quickly down an alley that -ran between two rows of offices. Tom sat down in one of the -leather-bottomed chairs and with a show of coolness, but with inward -excitement, waited his interview with Mr. Baxter. He had never met an -employer in his life, save regarding his own work or as a member of a -strike committee. And now the first he was to meet in a private -interview was the most prominent employer in his trade--head of the big -firm of Baxter & Co., and president of the Iron Employers' Association. - -Several minutes passed before the uniform reappeared and led Tom into -Mr. Baxter's office, a large, airy room with red burlap walls, cherry -woodwork, cherry chairs, a long cherry table, a flat-top cherry desk. -The room was absolutely without attempt at decoration, and was as clean -as though it had been swept and dusted the minute before. The only piece -of paper in the room was an architect's drawing of a façade, which Mr. -Baxter was examining. - -Mr. Baxter did not look up immediately. Tom, standing with hat in hand, -was impressed with his busyness. He was not yet acquainted with the -devices by which men of affairs fortify their importance. - -Suddenly Mr. Baxter wheeled about in his chair. "I beg your pardon. Be -seated. What can I do for you?" - -He was perhaps forty-five or fifty--slender, of high, narrow brow, -steely eyes, and Vandyke beard. His neatness was equal to that of his -office; he looked as though he were fresh from barber, haberdasher and -tailor. Tom understood the success of the man in the first glance at his -face: he was as quick to act upon the opportunity as a steel trap. - -Tom sat down in one of the polished chairs, and affected composure by -throwing his left arm across the cherry table. "I belong to the Iron -Workers' Union. To come right to the point----" - -"I shall be obliged if you will. I'm really very busy." - -Mr. Baxter's tone was a model of courtesy. A more analytical man than -Tom might have felt the distinction that it was the courtesy a gentlemen -owes himself, not the courtesy one man owes another. Tom merely felt a -vague antagonism, and that put him at his ease. - -"I'm busy, too," he returned quietly. "What I've come to see you about -is a matter which I consider of great importance to the bosses and the -union. And I've come to see you because I know you are friendly to the -union." - -"I believe that in most cases the interests of the employers and the -interests of the union are practically the same." - -"And also because you don't like Foley." - -Mr. Baxter fingered his narrow watch chain a moment. "So you've come to -see me about Mr. Foley?" - -"Yes. There's no use going into details with you, Mr. Baxter. You know -the sort Foley is as well as I do. He bullies the union. That's nothing -to you. But he's not on the square with the bosses. That is. As you said -awhile ago, the interests of the bosses and the union are the same. It's -to the interest of both to get rid of Foley. That's so, ain't it?" - -Mr. Baxter's face was inscrutable. "You're going to turn him out then?" - -"We're going to try to." - -"And what will be your policy then?--if you don't mind my asking it." - -"To run things on the square." - -"A praiseworthy purpose. Of course you'll put in a square man as -delegate then." - -"I'm going to run myself." - -Tom thought he saw a significant look pass across Mr. Baxter's face. -"Not because I'm anxious for his job," he hastened to explain. "But -somebody's got to run against him." - -Mr. Baxter nodded slightly. "I see. Not a very popular risk." His keen -eyes never wavered from Tom's face. "How do you propose to defeat Foley? But -don't tell me anything you don't want to." - -Tom outlined his plans for organizing the better element against Foley. - -"That sounds feasible," was Mr. Baxter's comment when Tom had concluded. -His eyes were still fastened on Tom's face. "And after you win, there'll -be a strike?" - -This question, asked quietly but with electrical quickness, caught Tom -unprepared. He floundered an instant. "We've got to bridge two or three -rivers before we come to that one," he answered. - -Mr. Baxter hardly moved an eyelash. "That's obvious. And now, aside from -the benefit which we are to secure by the change, how does your plan -concern me?" - -"Since you are going to profit by the fight, if we win, I thought you -might help us. And you can do it easy enough. One thing that'll keep a -lot of the members from joining in the fight is that they're afraid, if -Foley wins out, he'll get 'em all fired. Now if you'll simply guarantee -that you'll stand by the men, why, they'll all come out against Foley -and we'll beat him five to one. There'll be no chance for us to lose." - -Mr. Baxter's white brow wrinkled in thought. Tom waited his words in -suspense. At length he spoke. - -"You will readily realize, Mr. Keating, that it is an almost -unprecedented step for us to take such a part in the affairs of a union. -Your suggestion is something I must think about." - -Tom had been certain Mr. Baxter would fall in with his scheme -enthusiastically. It required so little, merely his word, and assured so -much. Mr. Baxter's judicial reception of his plan shot him through with -disappointment. - -"What, don't it appeal to you?" he cried. - -"It certainly seems full of promise." - -"It will clear us of Foley--certain! And it is to the interest of both -of us that the union be run on the square." - -"That's true,--very true. But the most I can say to you now, Mr. -Keating, is that I'll take the matter under advisement. Come to see me -again in a few days." - -Mr. Baxter began to finger the drawing on his desk, whereby Tom knew the -interview was at an end. Greatly dashed, but somewhat reassured by the -contractor's last words, he said good-afternoon and withdrew. The -uniform respectfully opened the gate in the railing. In the uniform's -book of wisdom it was writ down that anyone who could be closeted with -your boss was deserving of courtesy. - -The instant the office door closed on Tom's back Mr. Baxter quickly rose -and paced the floor for several minutes. Then he sat down at his desk, -took a sheet of paper from a drawer, and dashed off a note to Foley. - -Mr. Baxter did not rise to greet Foley when the walking delegate entered -his office the next afternoon. "Mr. Foley," he said, with a short nod of -his head. - -"Youse guessed my name," said Foley, cooly helping himself to a chair. -"What's doin'?" - -The two men watched each other narrowly, as might two enemies who have -established a truce, yet who suspect treachery on the part of the other. -There was a distant superiority in the manner of Mr. Baxter,--and also -the hardly concealed strain of the man who, from policy or breeding, -would be polite where he loathes. Foley, tilted back in his chair, -matched this manner with an air of defiant self-assertion. - -Mr. Baxter rapidly sketched the outline of what Tom had said to him. - -"And so Keating come to youse for help," grinned Foley. "That ain't -bad!" - -Mr. Baxter did not recognize Foley's equality by smiling. "I thought it -to your interest to let you know this at once, for----" - -"And to your interest, too." - -"I knew you were not particularly desirous of having Mr. Keating -elected," he continued. - -"I'm just about as anxious as youse are," said Foley promptly. "Anyhow," -he added carelessly, "I already knew what youse told me." Which he did -not. - -"Then my sending for you and telling you has served no purpose." The -coldness of his voice placed a wide distance between himself and the -walking delegate. - -Foley perceived the distance, and took a vindictive pleasure in bridging -it with easy familiarity. "Not at all, Baxter. It gives youse a chance -to show how much youse like me, an' how much youse've got the interest -o' the union at heart." - -The lean, sarcastic face nettled Mr. Baxter. "I think my reputation -speaks for my interest in the union," he said stiffly. - -"Your interest in the union!" Foley laughed. - -No man had ever seen Mr. Baxter lose his self-control; but he was as -near losing it now as he had ever been, else he would not have made so -weak a rejoinder. - -"My reputation speaks for my interest," he repeated. "You won't find a -man in your union but that'll say I'm the union's friend." - -Foley laughed again--a harsh, biting laugh. "An' why do they say it, eh? -Because I told 'em so. An' youse've got the nerve, Baxter, to sit there -an' talk that rot to me!--me, the man that made youse!" - -"Made me!" - -Foley's heart leaped to see the wrathful color flame in the white cheek -of the suave and collected Mr. Baxter--to see the white shapely hands -twitch. - -"Yes, made youse!" And he went on with his grim pleasure. "Youse're -doin' twice the business youse were three years ago. Why did youse get -the contracts for the Atwell building and the Sewanee Hotel--the two -jobs that put youse at the head o' things in New York? Because Driscoll, -Bobbs, an' some o' the others had failed to get the jobs they were -workin' on done in contract time. An' why didn't they get done on time? -Because youse didn't want 'em to get through on time. I saw that they -got bum men, who made mistakes,--an' I give 'em their bellyful o' -strikes." - -"You didn't do these things out of love for me," Mr. Baxter put in -meaningly. He was getting himself in hand again. - -"Sure, I didn't,--not any more'n youse told me about Keating for love o' -me." - -Foley went on. "The men who want buildings put up have found youse get -through on time, an' the others don't--so youse get the business. Why do -youse get through on time? Because I see youse get the fastest men in -the union. An' because I see youse don't have any labor trouble." - -"Neither of which you do solely for love." - -"Sure not. Now don't youse say again I haven't made youse. An' don't -give me that hot air about bein' friendly to the union. Three years ago -youse seen clearer than the others that youse bosses was bound to lose -the strike. Youse'd been fightin' the union till then, an' not makin' -any more'n the rest o' the bosses. So youse tried a new game. Youse led -the other bosses round to give in, an' got the credit o' bein' a friend -o' the union. I know how much youse like the union!" - -"Pardon me if I fail to see the purpose of all this retrospection," said -Mr. Baxter sarcastically. - -"I just wanted to remind youse that I'm on to youse from hair to -toenails--that's all," Foley answered calmly. - -"I think it would be wiser to confine our conversation to the matter in -hand," said Mr. Baxter coldly. "Mr. Keating said he was certain to beat -you. What chance does he have of being elected?" - -"The same as youse." - -"And a strike,--how about that?" - -"It follows if I'm elected, don't it, there'll not be any strike." - -"That's according to our agreement," said Mr. Baxter. - -"No," said Foley, as he rose, "Keating ain't goin' to trouble youse -much." A hard look came over his face. "Nor me." - - - - -Chapter VI - -IN WHICH FOLEY PLAYS WITH TWO MICE - - -Foley left Mr. Baxter's office with the purpose of making straight for -the office of Mr. Driscoll; but his inborn desire to play with the mouse -caused him to change the direct road to an acute angle having at its -apex the St. Etienne Hotel. He paused a moment to look up at the great -black skeleton,--a lofty scaffolding that might have been erected for -some mural painter ambitious to fresco his fame upon the sky. He saw the -crane swing a beam to its place between two of the outside columns, and -saw a man step upon its either end to bolt it to its place. Suddenly the -crane jerked up the beam, and the men frantically threw their arms -around it. As suddenly the crane lowered it. It struck upon the head of -a column. Foley saw one man fly from the beam, catch hold of the end of -a board that extended over the edge of the building, hang there; saw the -beam, freed in some manner from the pulley hook, start down, ridden by -one man; and then saw it come whirling downward alone. - -"Look out!" he shouted with all his lungs. - -Pedestrians rushed wildly from beneath the shed which extended, as a -protection to them, over the sidewalk. Horses were jerked rearing -backwards. The black beam crashed through the shed and through the pine -sidewalk. Foley dashed inside and for the ladder. - -Up on the great scaffolding hands had seized the wrists of the pendant -man and lifted him to safety. All were now leaning over the platform's -edge, gazing far down at the ragged hole in the shed. - -"D'you see Pete?" Tom asked at large, in a strained voice. - -There were several noes. - -"That was certainly the last o' Pig Iron," muttered one of the gang. - -He was not disputed. - -"It wasn't my fault," said the signalman, as pale as paper. "I didn't -give any wrong signals. Someone below must 'a' got caught in the rope." - -"I'm going down," said Tom; and started rapidly for the ladder's -head--to be met with an ascending current of the sort of English story -books ascribe to pirates. Pete's body followed the words so closely as -to suggest a possible relation between the two. Tom worked Pete's hand. -The men crowded up. - -"Now who the"--some pirate words--"done that?" Pete demanded. - -"It was all an accident," Tom explained. - -"But I might 'a' been kilt!" - -"Sure you might," agreed Johnson sympathetically. - -"How is it you weren't?" Tom asked. - -"The beam, in whirlin' over, swung the end I was on into the floor -below. I grabbed a beam an' let it travel alone. That's all." - -Foley, breathing deeply from his rapid climb, emerged this instant from -the flooring, and walked quickly to the group. "Anybody kilt?" he asked. - -The particulars of the accident were given him. "Well, boys, youse see -what happens when youse got a foreman that ain't onto his job." - -Tom contemptuously turned his back and walked away. - -"I don't see why Driscoll don't fire him," growled Jake. - -"Who knows what'll happen!" Foley turned a twisted, knowing look about -the group. "He's been talkin' a lot!" - -He walked over to where Tom stood watching the gang about the north -crane. "I'm dead onto your game," he said, in a hard, quiet voice, his -eyes glittering. - -Tom was startled. He had expected Foley to learn of his plan, but -thought he had guarded against such an early discovery. "Well?" he said -defiantly. - -Foley began to play with his mouse. "I guess youse know things'll begin -to happen." He greedily watched Tom's face for signs of inward -squirming. "Remember the little promise I made youse t'other day? Buck -Foley usually keeps his promises, don't he--hey?" - -But the mouse refused to be played with. "The other beam, boys," it -called out to three men, and strode away toward them. - -Foley watched Tom darkly an instant, and then turned sharply about. At -the ladder's head Jake stopped him. - -"Get him fired, Buck. Here's your chance to get me that foreman's job -you promised me." - -"We'll see," Foley returned shortly, and passed down the ladder and -along the other leg of the angle to the office of Driscoll & Co. He gave -his name to Miss Arnold. She brought back the message that he should -call again, as Mr. Driscoll was too busy to see him. - -"Sorry, miss, but I guess I'm as busy as he is. I can't come again." And -Foley brushed coolly past her and entered Mr. Driscoll's office. - -"Good-afternoon, Mr. Driscoll," he said, showing his yellow teeth in a -smile, and helping himself to a chair. "Nice afternoon, ain't it?" - -Mr. Driscoll wheeled angrily about in his chair. "I thought I sent word -to you I was too busy to see you?" - -"So youse did, Mr. Driscoll. So youse did." - -"Well, I meant it!" He turned back to his desk. - -"I s'pose so," Foley said cheerfully. He tilted back easily in his -chair, and crossed his legs. "But, youse see, I could hardly come again, -an' I wanted very much to see youse." - -Mr. Driscoll looked as though he were going to explode. But fits of -temper at a thousand dollars a fit were a relief that he could afford -only now and then. He kept himself in hand, though the effort it cost -him was plain to Foley. - -"What d'you want to see me about? Be in a hurry. I'm busy." - -The point of Foley's tongue ran gratified between his thin lips, as his -eyes took in every squirm of this cornered mouse. "In the first place, I -come just in a social way. I wanted to return the calls youse made on me -last week. Youse see, I been studyin' up etiquette. Gettin' ready to -break into the Four Hundred." - -"And in the second place?" snapped Mr. Driscoll. - -Foley stepped to the office door, closed it, and resumed his back-tilted -seat. "In the second place, I thought I'd like to talk over one little -point about the St. Etienne job." - -Mr. Driscoll drew a check-book out of a pigeon-hole and dipped his pen. -"How much this time?" - -The sarcasm did not touch Foley. He made a wide negative sweep with his -right arm. "What I'm goin' to tell youse won't cost youse a cent. It's -as free as religion." The point of red again slipped between his lips. - -"Well?--I said I was busy." - -"Well, here it is: Don't youse think youse got a pretty bum foreman on -the St. Etienne job?" - -"What business is that of yours?" - -"Won't youse talk in a little more of a Christian spirit, Mr. Driscoll?" - -It was half a minute before Mr. Driscoll could speak in any kind of a -spirit. "Will you please come to the point!" - -"Why, I'm there already," the walking delegate returned sweetly. "As I -was sayin', don't youse think your foreman on the St. Etienne job is a -pretty bum outfit?" - -"Keating?--I never had a better." - -"D'youse think so? Now I was goin' to suggest, in a friendly way, that -youse get another man in his place." - -"Are you running my business, or am I?" - -"If youse'd only talk with a little more Christian----" - -The eyes clicked. The members of the church to which Mr. Driscoll -belonged would have stuffed fingers into their horrified ears at the -language in which Foley was asked to go to a place that was being -prepared for him. - -Foley was very apologetic. "I'm too busy now, an' I don't get my -vacation till August. Then youse ain't goin' to take my advice?" - -"No! I'm not!" - -The walking delegate stopped purring. He leaned forward, and the claws -pushed themselves from out their flesh-pads. "Let's me and youse make a -little bet on that, Mr. Driscoll. Shall we say a thousand a side?" - -Driscoll's eyes and Foley's battled for a moment. "And if I don't do -it?" queried Mr. Driscoll, abruptly. - -"I don't like to disturb youse by talkin' about unpleasant things. It -would be too bad if you didn't do it. Youse really couldn't afford any -more delays on the job, could youse?" - -Mr. Driscoll made no reply. - -Foley stood up, again purring. "It's really good advice, ain't it? I'll -send youse round a good man in the mornin' to take his place. Good-by." - -As Foley passed out Mr. Driscoll savagely brushed the papers before him -to one side of his desk, crushing them into a crumpled heap, and sat -staring into the pigeon-holes. He sent for Mr. Berman, who after -delivering an opinion in favor of Foley's proposition, departed for his -own office, pausing for a moment to lean over the desk of the fair -secretary. Presently, with a great gulp, Mr. Driscoll touched a button -on his desk and Miss Arnold appeared within the doorway. She was -slender, but not too slender. Her heavy brown hair was parted in the -middle and fell over either end of her low, broad forehead. The face was -sensitive, sensible, intellectual. Persons chancing into Mr. Driscoll's -office for the first time wondered how he had come by such a secretary. - -"Miss Arnold, did you ever see a jelly fish?" he demanded. - -"Yes." - -"Well, here's another." - -"I can't say I see much family resemblance," smiled Miss Arnold. - -"It's there, all right. We ain't got any nerve." - -"It seems to me you are riding the transmigration of soul theory at a -pretty hard pace, Mr. Driscoll. Yesterday, when you upset the bottle of -ink, you were a bull in a china shop, you know." - -"When you know me a year or two longer, you'll know I'm several sorts of -dumb animals. But I didn't call you to give you a natural history -lecture. Get Duffy on the 'phone, will you, and tell him to send Keating -around as soon as he can. Then come in and take some letters that I want -you to let me have just as quick as you can get them off." - -Two hours later Tom appeared in Miss Arnold's office. She had seen him -two or three times when he had come in on business, and had been struck -by his square, open face and his confident bearing. She now greeted him -with a slight smile. "Mr. Driscoll is waiting for you," she said; and -sent him straight on through the next door. - -Mr. Driscoll asked Tom to be seated and continued to hold his bulging -eyes on a sheet of paper which he scratched with a pencil. Tom, with a -sense of impending disaster, sat waiting for his employer to speak. - -At length Mr. Driscoll wheeled about abruptly. "What d'you think of -Foley?" - -"I've known worse men," Tom answered, on his guard. - -"You must have been in hell, then! You think better of him than I do. -And better than he thinks of you. He's just been in to see me. He wants -me to fire you." - -Tom had half-guessed this from the moment Duffy had told him Mr. -Driscoll wanted him, but nevertheless he was startled by its -announcement in words. He let several seconds pass, the while he got -hold of himself, then asked in a hard voice: "And what are you going to -do?" - -Mr. Driscoll knew what he was going to do, but his temper insisted on -gratification before he told his plan. "What can I do?" he demanded -testily. "It's your fault--the union's fault. And I don't have any -sympathy to waste for anything that happens to any of you. Why don't you -put a decent man in as your business agent?" - -Tom passed all this by. "So you're going to fire me?" - -"What else can I do?" Mr. Driscoll reiterated. - -"Hasn't my work been satisfactory?" - -"It isn't a question of work. If it's any satisfaction to you, I'll say -that I never had a foreman that got as much or as good work out of the -men." - -"Then you're firing me because Foley orders you to?" There were both -pity and indignation in Tom's voice. - -Mr. Driscoll had expected to put his foreman on the defensive; instead, -he found himself getting on that side. "If you want it right out, that's -it. But what can I do? I'm held up." - -"Do?" Tom stood up before his employer, neck and face red, eyes -flashing. "Why, fight him!" - -"I've tried that"--sarcastically--"thanks." - -"That's what's the matter with you bosses! You think more of dollars -than you do of self-respect!" - -Mr. Driscoll trembled. "Young man, d'you know who you're talking to?" - -"I do!" Tom cried hotly. "To the man who's firing me because he's too -cowardly to stand up for what's right!" - -Mr. Driscoll glared, his eyes clicked. Then he gave a great swallow. "I -guess you're about right. But if I understand the situation, I guess -there's a lot of men in your union that'd rather hold their jobs than -stand up for what's right." - -Tom, in his turn, had his fires drawn. "And I guess you're about right, -too," he had to admit. - -"I may be a coward," Mr. Driscoll went on, "but if a man puts a gun to -my head and says he'll pull the trigger unless I do what he says, I've -got to do it, that's all. And I rather guess you would, too. But let's -pass this by. I've got a plan. Foley can make me put you off one job, -but he can't make me fire you. Let's see; I'm paying you thirty a week, -ain't I?" - -"That's it." - -"Well, I'm going to give you thirty-five a week and put you to work in -the shop as a superintendent. Foley can't touch you there,--or me -either. Isn't that all right?" Mr. Driscoll wore a look of half-hearted -triumph. - -Tom had regarded Mr. Driscoll so long with dislike that even this -proposal, apparently uttered in good faith, made him suspicious. He -began to search for a hidden motive. - -"Well?" queried Mr. Driscoll impatiently. - -He could find no dishonest motive. "But if I took the job I'd have to go -out of the union," he said finally. - -"It oughtn't break your heart to quit Foley's company." - -Tom walked to the window and looked meditatively into the street. Mr. -Driscoll's offer was tempting. It was full of possibilities that -appealed to his ambition. He was confident of his ability to fill this -position, and was confident that he would develop capacity to fill -higher positions. This chance would prove the first of a series of -opportunities that would lead him higher and higher,--perhaps even to -Mr. Driscoll's own desk. He knew he had it in him. And the comfort, even -the little luxuries, the broader opportunities for self-development that -would be his, all appealed to him. And he was aware of the joy this new -career would give to Maggie. But to leave the union--to give up the -fight---- - -He turned back to Mr. Driscoll. "I can't do it." - -"What!" cried the contractor in amazement. - -"I can't do it," Tom repeated. - -"Do you know what you're throwing away? If you turned out well, and I -know you would, why there'd be no end of chances for advancement. I've -got a lot of weak men on my pay-roll." - -"I understand the chance, Mr. Driscoll. But I can't take it. Do you know -why Foley's got it in for me?" - -"He don't like you, I suppose." - -"Because he's found out, somehow, that I've begun a fight on him, and am -going to try to put him out of business. If I take this job, I've got to -drop the fight. And I'll never do that!" Tom was warming up again. "Do -you know the sort Foley is? I suppose you know he's a grafter?" - -"Yes. So does my pocket-book." - -"And so does his pocket-book. His grafting alone is enough to fight him -on. But there's the way he treats the union! You know what he's done to -me. Well, he's done that to a lot of others. He's got some of us scared -so we're afraid to breathe. And the union's just his machine. Now d'you -suppose I'm going to quit the union in that shape?" He brought his big -red fist thundering down on the desk before Mr. Driscoll. "No, by God! -I'm going to stick by the boys. I've got a few hundred saved. They'll -last me a while, if I can't get another job. And I'm going to fight that -damned skate till one of us drops!" - -Miss Arnold had come in the moment before with letters for Mr. -Driscoll's signature, and had stood through Tom's outburst. She now -handed the letters to Mr. Driscoll, and Tom for the first time noticed -her presence. It struck him full of confusion. - -"I beg pardon, miss. I didn't know you were here. I--I hope you didn't -mind what I said." - -"If Miss Arnold objects to what you said, I'll fire her!" put in Mr. -Driscoll. - -The secretary looked with hardly-concealed admiration at Tom, still -splendid in the dying glow of his defiant wrath. "If I objected, I'd -deserve to be fired," she said. Then she added, smiling: "You may say it -again if you like." - -After Miss Arnold had gone out Mr. Driscoll looked at Tom with blinking -eyes. "I suppose you think you're some sort of a hero," he growled. - -Tom's sudden confusion had collapsed his indignation. "No, I'm a man -looking for a job," he returned, with a faint smile. - -"Well, I'm glad you didn't take the job I offered you. I can't afford to -let fools help manage my business." - -Tom took his hat. "I suppose this is all," he said and started for the -door. - -"Hold on!" Mr. Driscoll stood up. "Why don't you shake hands with a man, -like a gentleman? There. That's the stuff. I want to say to you, -Keating, that I think you're just about all right. If ever you want a -job with me, just come around and say so and I'll give you one if I have -to fire myself to make a place for you. And if your money gives out, or -you need some to use in your fight, why I ain't throwing much away these -days, but you can get all you want by asking for it." - - - - -Chapter VII - -GETTING THE MEN IN LINE - - -His dismissal had been one of the risks Tom had accepted when he had -decided upon war, and though he felt it keenly now that it had come, yet -its chief effect was to intensify his resolution to overturn Buck Foley. -He strode on block after block, with his long, powerful steps, his -resolution gripping him fiercer and fiercer,--till the thought leaped -into his mind: "I've got to tell Maggie." - -He stopped as though a cold hand had been laid against his heart; then -walked on more slowly, considering how he should give the news to her. -His first thought was to say nothing of his dismissal for a few days. By -then he might have found another job, and the telling that he had lost -one would be an easy matter. But his second thought was that she would -doubtless learn the news from some of her friends, and would use her -tongue all the more freely because of his attempt at concealment; and, -furthermore, he would be in the somewhat inglorious position of the man -who has been found out. He decided to have done with it at once. - -When he entered his flat Maggie looked up in surprise from the tidy on -which she was working. "What! home already!" Then she noticed his face. -"Why, what's the matter?" - -Tom drew off his overcoat and threw it upon the couch. "I've been -fired." - -She looked at him in astonishment. "Fired!" - -"Yes." He sat down, determined to get through with the scene as quickly -as possible. - -For the better part of a minute she could not speak. "Fired? What for?" -she articulated. - -"It's Foley's work. He ordered Driscoll to." - -"You've been talking about Foley some more, then?" - -"I have." - -Tom saw what he had feared, a hard, accusing look spread itself over her -face. "And you've done that, Tom Keating, after what I, your wife, said -to you only last week? I told you what would happen. I told you Foley -would make us suffer. I told you not to talk again, and you've gone and -done it!" The words came out slowly, sharply, as though it were her -desire to thrust them into him one by one. - -Tom began to harden, as she had hardened. But at least he would give her -the chance to understand him. "You know what Foley's like. You know some -of the things he's done. Well, I've made up my mind that we oughtn't to -stand him any longer. I'm going to do what I can to drive him out of the -union." - -"And you've been talking this?" she cut in. "Oh, of course you have! No -wonder he got you fired! Oh, my God! I see it all. And you, you never -thought once of your wife or your child!" - -"I did, and you'll see when I tell you all," Tom said harshly. "But -would you have me stand for all the dirty things he does?" - -"Couldn't you keep out of his way--as I asked you to? Because a wolf's a -wolf, that's no reason why you should jump in his mouth." - -"It is if you can do him up. And I'm going to do Foley up. I'm going to -run against him as walking delegate. The situation ain't so bad as you -think," he went on, with a weak effort to appease her. "You think things -look dark, but they're going to be brighter than they ever were. I'll -get another job soon, and after the first of March I'll be walking -delegate. I'm going to beat Buck Foley, sure!" - -For a moment the vision of an even greater elevation than the one from -which they were falling made her forget her bitter wrath. Then it -flooded back upon her, and she put it all into a laugh. "You beat Buck -Foley! Oh, my!" - -Her ireful words he had borne with outward calm; he had learned they -were borne more easily, if borne calmly. But her sneering disbelief in -him was too much. He sprang up, his wrath tugging at its leash. She, -too, came to her feet, and stood facing him, hands clenched, breast -heaving, sneering, sobbing. Her words tumbled out. - -"Oh, you! you! Brighter days, you say. Ha! ha! You beat Buck Foley? Yes, -I know how! Buck Foley'll not let you get a job in your trade. You'll -have to take up some other work--if you can get it! Begin all over! -We'll grow poorer and poorer. We'll have to eat anything. I'll have to -wear rags. Just when we were getting comfortable. And all because you -wouldn't pay any attention to what I said. Because you were such a -fo-o-ol! Oh, my God! My God!" - -As she went on her voice rose to a scream, broken by gasps and sobs. At -the end she passionately jerked Tom's coat and hat from the couch and -threw herself upon it--and the frenzied words tumbled on, and on. - -Tom looked down upon her a moment, quivering with wrath and a nameless -sickness. Then he picked up hat and coat, and glancing at Ferdinand, who -had shrunk terrified into a corner, walked quickly out of the flat. - -He strode about the streets awhile, had dinner in a restaurant, and -then, as Wednesday was the union's meeting night, he went to Potomac -Hall. It fell out that he met Pete and Barry entering as he came up. - -"I guess you'll have another foreman to-morrow, boys," he announced; and -he briefly told them of his discharge. - -"It'll be us next, Rivet Head," said Pete. - -Barry nodded, his face pale. - -All the men in the hall learned that evening what had happened to Tom, -some from his friends, more from Foley's friends. And the manner of the -latter's telling was a warning to every listener. "D'you hear Keating -has been fired?" "Fired? No. What for?" A wise wink: "Well, he's been -talkin' about Foley, you know." - -Tom grew hot under, but ignored, the open jeering of the Foleyites. The -sympathy of his friends he answered with a quiet, but ominous, "Just you -wait!" There were few present of the men he had counted on seeing, and -soon after the meeting ended, which was unusually early, he started -home. - -It was after ten when he came in. Maggie sat working at the tidy; she -did not look up or speak; her passion had settled into resentful -obstinacy, and that, he knew from experience, only time could overcome. -He had not the least desire to assist time in its work of subjection, -and passed straight into their bedroom. - -Tom felt her sustained resentment, as indeed he could not help; but he -did not feel that which was the first cause of the resentment--her lack -of sympathetic understanding of him. At twenty-three he had come into a -man's wages, and Maggie's was the first pretty face he had seen after -that. The novelty of their married life had soon worn off, and with the -development of his stronger qualities and of her worst ones, it had -gradually come about that the only thoughts they shared were those -concerning their common existence in their home. Tom had long since -become accustomed to carrying his real ideas to other ears. And so he -did not now consciously miss wifely sympathy with his efforts. - -There was no break the next morning in Maggie's sullen resentment. After -an almost wordless breakfast Tom set forth to look for another job. An -opening presented itself at the first place he called. "Yes, it happens -we do need a foreman," said the contractor. "What experience have you -had?" - -Tom gave an outline of his course in his trade, dwelling on the last two -years and a half that he had been a foreman. - -"Um,--yes. That sounds very good. You say you worked last for Driscoll -on the St. Etienne job?" - -"Yes." - -"I suppose you don't mind telling why you left? Driscoll hasn't finished -that job yet." - -Tom briefly related the circumstances. - -"So you're out with Foley." The contractor shook his head. "Sorry. We -need a man, and I guess you're a good one. But if Foley did that to -Driscoll, he'll do the same to me. I can't afford to be mixed up in any -trouble with him." - -This conversation was a more or less accurate pattern of many that -followed on this and succeeding days. Tom called on every contractor of -importance doing steel construction work. None of them cared to risk -trouble with Foley, and so Tom continued walking the streets. - -One contractor--the man for whom he had worked before he went on the St. -Etienne job--offered Tom what he called some "business advice." "I'm a -pretty good friend of yours, Keating, for I've found you all on the -level. The trouble with you is, when you see a stone wall you think it -was put there to butt your head against. Now, I'm older than you are, -and had a lot more experience, and let me tell you it's a lot easier, -and a lot quicker, when you see trouble across your path like a stone -wall, to go round it than it is to try to butt it out of your way. Stop -butting against Foley. Make up with him, or go to some other city. Go -round him." - -In the meantime Tom was busy with his campaign against Foley. He was -discharged on the fourteenth of February; the election came on the -seventh of March; only three weeks, so haste was necessary. On the days -he was tramping about for a job he met many members of the union also -looking for work, and to these he talked wherever he found them. And -every night he was out talking to the men, in the streets, in saloons, -in their own homes. - -The problem of his campaign was a simple one--to get at least five -hundred of the three thousand members of the union to come to the hall -on election night and cast their votes against Foley. His campaign, -therefore, could have no spectacular methods and no spectacular -features. Hard, persistent work, night after night--that was all. - -On the evening after the meeting and on the following evening Tom had -talks with several leading men in the union. A few joined in his plan -with spirit. But most that he saw held back; they were willing to help -him in secret, but they feared the result of an open espousal of his -cause. There were only a dozen men, including Barry and Pete, who were -willing to go the whole way with him, and these he formed loosely into a -campaign committee. They held a caucus and nominations for all offices -were made, Tom being chosen to run for walking delegate and president. -The presidency was unsalaried, and during Foley's régime had become an -office of only nominal importance; all real power that had ever -belonged to the position had been gradually absorbed by the office of -walking delegate. At the meeting on the twenty-first Tom's ticket was -formally presented to the union, as was also Foley's. - -Even before this the dozen were busy with a canvass of the union. The -members agreed heartily to the plan of demanding an increase in wages, -for they had long been dissatisfied with the present scale. But to come -out against Foley, that was another matter. Tom found, as he had -expected, that his arguments had to be directed, not at convincing the -men that Foley was bad, but at convincing them it was safe to oppose -him. Reformers are accustomed to explain their failure by saying they -cannot arouse the respectable element to come out and vote against -corruption. They would find that even fewer would come to the polls if -the voters thereby endangered their jobs. - -The answers of the men in almost all cases were the same. - -"If I was sure I wouldn't lose my job, I'd vote against Foley in a -minute. But you know well enough, Tom, that we have a hard enough time -getting on now. Where'd we be if Foley blacklisted us?" - -"But there's no danger at all, if enough of us come out," Tom would -reply. "We can't lose." - -"But you can't count on the boys coming out. And if we lose, Foley'll -make us all smart. He'll manage to find out every man that voted against -him." - -Here was the place in which the guarantee he had sought from Mr. Baxter -would fit in. Impelled by knowledge of the great value of this -guarantee, Tom went to see the big contractor a few days after his first -visit. The uniform traveled down the alley between the offices and -brought back word that Mr. Baxter was not in. Tom called again and -again. Mr. Baxter was always out. Tom was sorely disappointed by his -failure to get the guarantee, but there was nothing to do but to make -the best of it; and so he and his friends went on tirelessly with their -nightly canvassing. - -The days, of course, Tom continued to spend in looking for work. In -wandering from contractor to contractor he frequently passed the -building in which was located the office of Driscoll & Co.; and, a week -after his discharge, as he was going by near one o'clock, it chanced -Miss Arnold was coming into the street. They saw each other in the same -instant. Tom, with his natural diffidence at meeting strange women, was -for passing her by with a lift of his hat. "Why, Mr. Keating!" she -cried, with a little smile, and as they held the same direction he could -but fall into step with her. - -"What's the latest war news?" she asked. - -"One man still out of a job," he answered, taking refuge in an attempt -at lightness. "No actual conflict yet. I'm busy massing my forces. So -far I have one man together--myself." - -"You ought to find that a loyal army." She was silent for a dozen paces, -then asked impulsively: "Have you had lunch yet?" - -Tom threw a surprised look down upon her. "Yes. Twelve o'clock's our -noon hour. We men are used to having our lunch then." - -"I thought if you hadn't we might have lunched in the same place," she -hastened to explain, with a slight flush of embarrassment. "I wanted to -ask you some questions. You see, since I've been in New York I've been -in a way thrown in contact with labor unions. I've read a great deal on -both sides. But the only persons I've had a chance to talk to have all -been on the employers' side,--persons like Mr. Driscoll and my uncle, -Mr. Baxter." - -"Baxter, the contractor--Baxter & Co.?" - -"Yes." - -Tom wondered what necessity had forced the niece of so rich a man as Mr. -Baxter to earn her living as a stenographer. - -"I've often wanted to talk with some trade union man, but I've never had -the chance. I thought you might tell me some of the things I want to -know." - -The note of sincere disappointment in Miss Arnold's voice brought a -suggestion to Tom's mind that both embarrassed and attracted. He was not -accustomed to the society of women of Miss Arnold's sort, whose order of -life had been altogether different from his own, and the idea of an hour -alone with her filled him with a certain confusion. But her freshness -and her desire to know more of the subject that was his whole life -allured him; and his interest was stronger than his embarrassment. "For -that matter, I'm not busy, as you know. If you would like it, I can talk -to you while you eat." - -For the next hour they sat face to face in the quiet little restaurant -to which Miss Arnold had led the way. The other patrons found themselves -looking over at the table in the corner, and wondering what common -subject could so engross the refined young woman in the tailored gown -and the man in ill-fitting clothes, with big red hands, red neck and -crude, square face. For their part these two were unconscious of the -wondering eyes upon them. With a query now and then from Miss Arnold, -Tom spiritedly presented the union side of mooted questions of the -day,--the open shop, the strike, the sympathetic strike, the boycott. -The things Miss Arnold had read had dealt coldly with the moral and -economic principles involved in these questions. Tom spoke in human -terms; he showed how every point affected living men, and women, and -children. The difference was the difference between a treatise and life. - -Miss Arnold was impressed,--not alone by what Tom said, but by the man -himself. The first two or three times she had seen him, on his brief -visits to the office, she had been struck only by a vague bigness--a -bigness that was not so much of figure as of bearing. On his last visit -she had been struck by his bold spirit. She now discovered the crude, -rugged strength of the man: he had thought much; he felt deeply; he -believed in the justice of his cause; he was willing, if the need might -be, to suffer for his beliefs. And he spoke well, for his sentences, -though not always grammatical, were always vital. He seemed to present -the very heart of a thing, and let it throb before the eyes. - -When they were in the street again and about to go their separate ways, -Miss Arnold asked, with impulsive interest: "Won't you talk to me again -about these things--some time?" - -Tom, glowing with the excitement of his own words and of her sympathetic -listening, promised. It was finally settled that he should call the -following Sunday afternoon. - -Back at her desk, Miss Arnold fell to wondering what sort of man Tom -would be had he had four years at a university, and had his life been -thrown among people of cultivation. His power, plus these advantages, -would have made him--something big, to say the least. But had he gone to -college he would not now be in a trade union. And in a trade union, Miss -Arnold admitted to herself, was where he was needed, and where he -belonged. - -Tom went on his way in the elation that comes of a new and gratifying -experience. He had never before had so keen and sympathetic a listener. -And never before had he had speech with a woman of Miss Arnold's -type--educated, thoughtful, of broad interests. Most of the women he had -known necessity had made into household drudges--tired and -uninteresting, whose few thoughts rarely ranged far from home. Miss -Arnold was a discovery to him. Deep down in his consciousness was a -distinct surprise that a woman should be interested in the big things of -the outside world. - -He was fairly jerked out of his elation, when, on turning a corner, he -met Foley face to face in front of a skyscraper that was going up in -lower Broadway. It was their first meeting since Foley had tried to -have grim sport out of him on the St. Etienne Hotel. - -Foley planted himself squarely across Tom's path. "Hello, Keating! -How're youse? Where youse workin' now?" - -The sneering good-fellowship in Foley's voice set Tom's blood -a-tingling. But he tried to step to one side and pass on. Again Foley -blocked his way. - -"I understand youse're goin' to be the next walkin' delegate o' the -union. That's nice. I s'pose these days youse're trainin' your legs for -the job?" - -"See here, Buck Foley, are you looking for a fight? If you are, come -around to some quiet place and I'll mix it up with you all you want." - -"I don't fight a man till he gets in my class." - -"If you don't want to fight, then get out of my way!" - -With that Tom stepped forward quickly and butted his hunched-out right -shoulder against Foley's left. Foley, unprepared, swung round as though -on a pivot. Tom brushed by and continued on his way with unturned head. - -Again the walking delegate proved that he could swear. - - - - -Chapter VIII - -THE COWARD - - -Two days before his meeting with Miss Arnold Tom had been convinced that -any more time was wasted that was spent in looking for a job as foreman. -He had before him the choice of being idle or working in the gang. He -disliked to do the latter, regarding it as a professional relapse. But -he was unwilling to draw upon his savings, if that could be avoided, so -he decided to go back into the ranks. The previous evening he had heard -of three new jobs that were being started. The contractors on two of -them he had seen during the morning; and after his encounter with Foley -he set out to interview the third. The contractor was an employer of the -smallest consequence--a florid man with little cunning eyes. "Yes, I do -need some men," he replied to Tom's inquiry. "How much d'you want?" - -"Three seventy-five a day, the regular rate." - -The contractor shook his head. "Too much. I can only pay three." - -"But you signed an agreement to pay the full rate!" Tom cried. - -"Oh, a man signs a lot o' things." - -Tom was about to turn away, when his curiosity got the better of his -disgust. For a union man to work under the scale was an offense against -the union. For an employer to pay under the scale was an offense -against the employers' association. Tom decided to draw the contractor -out. "Well, suppose I go to work at three dollars, how do we keep from -being discovered?" he asked. - -The little eyes gleamed with appreciation of their small cunning. "I -make this agreement with all my men: You get the full amount in your -envelope Saturday. Anybody that sees you open your envelope sees that -you're gettin' full scale. Then you hand me back four-fifty later. -That's for money I advanced you durin' the week. D'you understand?" - -"I do," said Tom. "But I'm no three dollar man!" - -"Hold on!" the contractor cried to Tom's back. His cunning told him in -an instant that he had made a mistake; that this man, if let go, might -make trouble. "I was just foolin' you. Of course, I'll pay you full -rate." - -Tom knew the man was lying, but he had no real proof that the contractor -was breaking faith both with the union and his fellow employers; so, as -he needed the money, he took the offered position and went to work the -next morning. The job was a fire-engine house just being started on the -upper west side of the island. The isolation of the job and the -insignificance of the contractor made Tom feel there was a chance Foley -might overlook him for the next two weeks. - -On the following Saturday morning three new men began work on the job. -One of them Tom was certain he knew--a tall, lank fellow, chiefly knobs -and angles, with wide, drooping shoulders and a big yellow mustache. Tom -left his place at the crane of the jimmy derrick and ran down a plank -into the basement to where this man and four others were rolling a round -column to its place. - -He touched the man on the shoulder. "Your name's Petersen, ain't it?" - -"Yah," said the big fellow. - -"And you worked for a couple of days on the St. Etienne Hotel?" - -"Yah." - -Tom did his duty as prescribed by the union rules. He pointed out -Petersen as a scab to the steward. Straightway the men crowded up and -there was a rapid exchange of opinions. Tom and the steward wanted that -a demand for Petersen's discharge be made of the contractor. But the -others favored summary action, and made for where the big Swede was -standing. - -"Get out!" they ordered. - -Petersen glowered at the crowd. "I lick de whole bunch!" he said with -slow defiance. - -The men were brought to a pause by his threatening attitude. His -resentful eyes turned for an instant on Tom. The men began to move -forward cautiously. Then the transformation that had taken place on the -St. Etienne Hotel took place again. The courage faded from him, and he -turned and started up the inclined plank for the street. - -Jeers broke from the men. Caps and greasy gloves pelted Petersen's -retreating figure. One man, the smallest of the gang, ran up the plank -after him. - -"Do him up, Kid!" the men shouted scrambling up to the sidewalk. - -Kid, with showy valiance, aimed an upward blow at the Swede's head. -Petersen warded off the fist with automatic ease, but made no attempt to -strike back. He started away, walking sidewise, one eye on his path, one -on his little assailant who kept delivering fierce blows that somehow -failed to reach their mark. - -"If he ain't runnin' from Kid!" ejaculated the men. "Good boy, Kid!" - -The blows became faster and fiercer. At the corner Petersen turned back, -held his foe at bay an instant, and a second time Tom felt the -resentment of his eyes. Then he was driven around the corner. A minute -later the little man came back, puffed out and swaggering. - -"What an infernal coward!" the men marveled, as they went back to work. - -That was a hard evening for Tom. He not only had to work for votes, but -he met two or three lieutenants who were disheartened by the men's -slowness to promise support, and to these friends he had to give new -courage. Twice, as he was talking to men on the street, he glimpsed the -tall, lean figure of Petersen, standing in a doorway as though waiting -for someone. - -The end of his exhausting evening's work found him near the Barrys', and -he dropped in for an exchange of experiences. Barry and Pig Iron Pete -had themselves come in but a few minutes before. - -"Got work on your job for a couple more men?" asked Pete after the first -words had been spoken. - -"Hello! You haven't been fired?" - -"That's it," answered Pete; and Barry nodded. - -"Foley's work, I suppose?" - -"Sure. Foley put Jake Henderson up to it. Oh, Jake makes a hot foreman! -Driscoll ought to pay him ten a day to keep off the job. Jake complained -against us an' got us fired. Said we didn't know our business." - -"Well, it's only for another week, boys," Tom cheered them. - -"If you think that then you've had better luck with the men than me 'n' -Barry has," Pete declared in disgust. "They're a bunch o' old maids! -Foley's too good for 'em. I don't see why we should try to force 'em to -take somethin' better." The whole blankety-blanked outfit had Pete's -permission to go where they didn't need a forge to heat their rivets. - -"You don't understand 'em, Pete," returned Tom. "They've got to think -first of all of how to earn a living for their families. Of course -they're going to hesitate to do anything that will endanger their chance -to earn a living. And you seem to forget that we've only got to get one -man in five to win out." - -"An' we've got to get him!" said Barry, almost fiercely. - -"D'you think there's much danger of your losin', Tom?" Mrs. Barry -queried anxiously. - -"Not if we work. But we've got to work." - -Mrs. Barry was silent for several moments, during which the talk of the -men ran on. Suddenly, she broke in: "Don't you think the women'd have -some influence with their husbands?" - -Tom was silent for a thoughtful minute. "Some of them, mebbe." - -"More'n you think, I bet!" Mrs. Barry declared. "It's worth tryin', -anyhow. Here's what I'm goin' to do: I'm goin' to start out to-morrow -an' begin visitin' all the union women I know. I can get the addresses -of others from them. An' I'll keep at it every afternoon I can get away -till the election. I'll talk to 'em good an' straight an' get 'em to -talk to other women. An' we'll get a lot o' the men in line, see if we -don't!" - -Tom looked admiringly at Mrs. Barry's homely face, flushed with -determination. "The surest thing we can do to win is to put you up for -walking delegate. I'll hustle for you." - -"Oh, g'wan with you, Tom!" She smiled with pleasure, however. "I've got -a picture o' myself climbin' up ladders an' buyin' drinks for the men." - -"If you was the walkin' delegate," said Pete, "we'd always work on the -first floor, an' never drink nothin' but tea." - -"You shut up, Pete!" Mrs. Barry looked at Tom. "I suppose you're wife'll -help in this, too?" - -Tom looked steadily at the scroll in Mrs. Barry's red rug. "I'm afraid -not," he said at length. "She--she couldn't stand climbing the stairs." - -It was after eleven o'clock when Tom left the Barrys' and started -through the quiet cross street toward a car line. A man stepped from an -adjoining doorway, and fell in a score of paces behind him. Tom heard -rapid steps drawing nearer and nearer, but it was not till the man had -gained to within a pace that it occurred to him perhaps he was being -followed. Then it was too late. His arm was seized in a grip of steel. - -The street was dark and empty. Thoughts of Foley's entertainment -committee flashed through his head. He whirled about and struck out -fiercely with his free arm. His wrist was caught and held by a grip like -the first. He was as helpless as if handcuffed. - -"I vant a yob," a savage voice demanded. - -Tom recognized the tall, angular figure. "Hello, Petersen! What d'you -want?" - -"I vant a yob." - -"A job. How can I give you a job?" - -"You take to-day ma yob avay. You give me a yob!" - -In a flash Tom understood. The Swede held him accountable for the -incident of the morning, and was determined to force another job from -him. Was the man crazy? At any rate 'twould be wiser to parley than to -bring on a conflict with one possessed of such strength as those hands -betokened. So he made no attempt to break loose. - -"I can't give you a job, I say." - -"You take it avay!" the Swede said, with fierce persistence. "You make -me leave!" - -"It's your own fault. If you want to work, why don't you get into the -union?" - -Tom felt a convulsive shiver run through the man's big frame. "De union? -Ah, de union! Ev'ryvare I ask for yob. Ev'ryvare! 'You b'long to union?' -de boss say. 'No,' I say. De boss give me no yob. De union let me not -vork! De union----!" His hands gripped tighter in his impotent -bitterness. - -"Of course the union won't let you work." - -"Vy? I am strong!--yes. I know de vork." - -Tom felt that no explanation of unionism, however lucid, would quiet -this simple-minded excitement. So he said nothing. - -"Vy should I not vork? Dare be yobs. I know how to vork. But no! De -union! I mak dis mont' two days. I mak seven dollar. Seven dollar!" He -fairly shook Tom, and a half sob broke from his lips. "How de union tank -I live? My family?--me? Seven dollar?" - -Tom recognized with a thrill that which he was hearing. It was the man's -soul crying out in resentment and despair. - -"But you can't blame the union," he said weakly, feeling that his answer -did not answer. - -"You tank not?" Petersen cried fiercely. "You tank not?" He was silent a -brief space, and his breath surged in and out as though he had just -paused from running. Suddenly he freed Tom's wrists and set his right -hand into Tom's left arm. "Come! I show you vot de union done." - -He started away. Those iron fingers locked about the prisoner's arm were -a needless fetter. The Swede's despairing soul, glimpsed for a moment, -had thrown a spell upon Tom, and he would have followed willingly. - -Their long strides matched, and their heel-clicks coincided. Both were -silent. At the end of ten minutes they were in a narrow street, clifted -on its either side with tenements that reached up darkly. Presently the -Swede turned down a stairway, sentineled by garbage cans. Tom thought -they were entering a basement. But Petersen walked on, and in the solid -blackness Tom was glad of the hand locked on his arm. They mounted a -flight of stone steps, and came into a little stone-paved court. Far -above there was a roof-framed square of stars. Petersen led the way -across the court and into the doorway of a rear tenement. The air was -rotting. They went up two flights of stairs, so old that the wood -shivered under foot. Petersen opened a door. A coal oil lamp burned on -an otherwise barren table, and beside the table sat a slight woman with -a quilt drawn closely about her. - -She rose, the quilt fell from her shoulders, and she stood forth in a -faded calico wrapper. "Oh, Nels! You've come at last!" she said. Then -she saw Tom, and drew back a step. - -"Yah," said Petersen. He dragged Tom after him into the room and swept -his left arm about. "See!--De union!" - -The room was almost bare. The table, three wooden chairs, a few dishes, -a cooking-stove without fire,--this was the furniture. Half the -plastering was gone from the ceiling, the blue kalsomine was scaling -leprously from the walls, in places the floor was worn almost through. -In another room he saw a child asleep on a bed. - -There was just one picture on the walls, a brown-framed photograph of a -man in the dress and pose of a prize fighter--a big, tall, angular man, -with a drooping mustache. Tom gave a quick glance at Petersen. - -"See!--De union!" Petersen repeated fiercely. - -The little woman came quickly forward and laid her hand on Petersen's -arm. "Nels, Nels," she said gently. - -"Yah, Anna. But he is de man vot drove me from ma yob." - -"We must forgive them that despitefully use us, the Lord says." - -Petersen quieted under her touch and dropped Tom's arm. - -She turned her blue eyes upon Tom in gentle accusation. "How could you? -Oh, how could you?" - -Tom could only answer helplessly: "But why don't he join the union?" - -"How can he?" - -The words echoed within Tom. How could he? Everything Tom saw had not -the value of half the union's initiation fee. - -There was an awkward silence. "Won't you sit down, brother." Mrs. -Petersen offered Tom one of the wooden chairs, and all three sat down. -He noted that the resentment was passing from Petersen's eyes, and that, -fastened on his wife, they were filling with submissive adoration. - -"Nels has tried very hard," the little woman said. They had been in the -West for three years, she went on; Nels had worked with a non-union crew -on a bridge over the Missouri. When that job was finished they had spent -their savings coming to New York, hearing there was plenty of work -there. "We had but twenty dollars when we got here. How could Nels join -the union? We had to live. An' since he couldn't join the union, the -union wouldn't let him work. Brother, is that just? Is that the sort o' -treatment you'd like to get?" - -Tom was helpless against her charges. The union was right in principle, -but what was mere correctness of principle in the presence of such a -situation? - -"Would you be willing to join the union?" he asked abruptly of Petersen. - -It was Petersen's wife who answered. "O' course he would." - -"Well, don't you worry any more then. He won't have any trouble getting -a job." - -"How?" asked the little woman. - -"I'm going to get him in the union." - -"But that costs twenty-five dollars." - -"Yes." - -"But, brother, we haven't got _one_!" - -"I'll advance it. He can pay it back easy enough afterwards." - -The little woman rose and stood before Tom. Her thin white face was -touched up faintly with color, and tears glistened in her eyes. She took -Tom's big red hand in her two frail ones. - -"Brother, if you ain't a Christian, you've got a Christian heart!" she -cried out, and the thin hands tightened fervently. She turned to her -husband. "Nels, what did I say! The Lord would not forget them that -remembered him." - -Tom saw Petersen stand up, nothing in his eyes now but adoration, and -open his arms. He turned his head. - -For the second time Tom took note of the brown-framed photograph, with -"The Swedish Terror" in black letters at its bottom, and rose and stood -staring at it. Presently, Mrs. Petersen drew to his side. - -"We keep it before us to remind us what wonders the Lord can work, bless -His holy name!" she explained. "Nels was a terrible fightin' man before -we was married an' I left the Salvation Army. A terrible fightin' man!" -Even in her awe of Petersen's one-time wickedness Tom could detect a -lurking admiration of his prowess. "The Lord has saved him from all -that. But he has a terrible temper. It flares up at times, an' the old -carnal desire to fight gets hold o' him again. That's his great -weakness. But we pray that God will keep him from fightin', an' God -does!" - -Tom looked at the little woman, a bundle of religious ardor, looked at -Petersen with his big shoulders, thought of the incident of the morning. -He blinked his eyes. - -Tom stepped to the table and laid down a five-dollar bill. "You can pay -that back later." He moved quickly to the door. "Good-night," he said, -and tried to escape. - -But Mrs. Petersen was upon him instantly. "Brother! Brother!" She seized -his hands again in both hers, and looked at him with glowing eyes. -"Brother, may God bless you!" - -Tom blinked his eyes again. "Good-night," he said. - -Petersen stepped forward and without a word took Tom's arm. The grasp -was lighter than when they had come up. Again Tom was glad of the -guidance of that hand as they felt their way down the shivering stairs, -and out through the tunnel. - -"Good-night," he said once more, when they had gained the street. - -Petersen gripped his hand in awkward silence. - - - - -Chapter IX - -RUTH ARNOLD - - -Ruth Arnold was known among her friends as a queer girl. Neither the new -ones in New York nor the old ones of her birth town understood her -"strange impulses." They were constantly being shocked by ideas and -actions which they considered, to phrase it mildly, very unusual. The -friends in her old home were horrified when she decided to become a -stenographer. Friends in both places were horrified when, a little less -than a year before, it became known she was going to leave the home of -her aunt to become Mr. Driscoll's secretary. "What a fool!" they cried. -"If she had stayed she might have married ever so well!" Mrs. Baxter had -entreated, and with considerable elaboration had delivered practically -these same opinions. But Ruth was obstinate in her queerness, and had -left. - -However, only a few weeks before, Mrs. Baxter had had a partial -recompense for Ruth's disappointing conduct. She had noted the growing -intimacy between Mr. Berman, who was frequently at her house, and Ruth, -and by delicate questioning had drawn the calm statement from her niece -that Mr. Berman had asked her in marriage. - -"Of course you said 'yes,'" said Mrs. Baxter. - -Ruth had not. - -"My child! Why not?" - -"I don't love him." - -"What of that?" demanded her aunt, who loved her husband. "Love will -come. He is educated, a thorough gentleman, and has money. What more do -you want in a husband? And your uncle says he is very clever in -business." - -Thus brought to bay, Ruth had taken her aunt into the secret that her -refusal had not been final and that Mr. Berman had given her six months -in which to make up her mind. This statement was Mrs. Baxter's partial -recompense. "Then you'll marry him, Ruth!" she declared, and kissed her -lightly. - -Ruth understood herself no better than did her friends. She was not -conscious that she had in a measure that rare endowment--the clear -vision which perceives the things of life in their true relation and at -their true value, plus the instinct to act upon that vision. It was the -manifestations of this instinct that made her friends call her queer. -Her instinct, however, did not hold her in sole sway. Her training had -fastened many governing conventions upon her, and she was not always as -brave as her inward promptings. Her actions made upon impulse were -usually in accord with this instinct. Her actions that were the result -of thought were frequently in accord with convention. - -It was her instinct that had impelled her to ask Tom to call. It was -convention that, on Sunday afternoon, made her await his coming with -trepidation. She was genuinely interested in the things for which Tom -stood, and her recent-born admiration of him was sincere. Nevertheless -his approaching visit was in the nature of an adventure to her. This -workingman, transferred from the business world to the social world, -might prove himself an embarrassing impossibility. Especially, she -wondered, with more than a little apprehension, how he would be dressed. -She feared a flaming necktie crawling up his collar, and perhaps in it a -showy pin; or a pair of fancy shoes; or a vest of assertive pattern; or, -perhaps, hair oil! - -When word was brought her by a maid that Tom was below, she gave an -order that he was to wait, and put on her hat and jacket. She did not -know him well enough to ask him to her room. She could not receive him -in the parlor common to all the boarding-house. Her instinctive self -told her it would be an embarrassment to him to be set amid the -gossiping crowd that gathered there on Sunday afternoon. Her -conventional self told her that, if he were but a tenth as bad as was -possible, it would be more than an embarrassment for her to sit beside -him amid those curious eyes. The street was the best road out of the -dilemma. - -He was sitting in the high-backed hall chair when she came down. "Shall -we not take a walk?" she asked. "The day is beautiful for February." - -Tom acceded gratefully. He had glanced through the parted portières into -the parlor, and his minutes of waiting had been minutes of -consternation. - -The first thing Ruth noted when they came out into the light of the -street was that his clothes were all in modest taste, and she thrilled -with relief. Mixed with this there was another feeling, a glow of -pleasure that he was vindicating himself to her conventional part. - -Ruth lived but a few doors from Central Park. As they started across -Central Park West a big red automobile, speeding above the legal rate, -came sweeping down upon them, tooting its arrogant warning. Tom jerked -Ruth back upon the sidewalk. She glared at the bundled-up occupants of -the scurrying car. - -"Don't it make you feel like an anarchist when people do that?" she -gasped. - -"Not the bomb-throwing sort." - -"Why not? When people do that, I've got just one desire, and that's to -throw a bomb!" - -"What good would a bomb here or there do? Or what harm?" Tom asked -humorously. "What's the use trying to destroy people that're already -doomed?" - -Ruth was silent till they gained the other side of the street. "Doomed? -What do you mean?" she then asked. - -"Every dog has his day, you know. Them rich people are having theirs. -It's a summer day, and I guess it's just about noon now. But it's -passing." - -Ruth had learned during her conversation with him on the previous -Tuesday that a large figurative statement such as this was likely to -have a great many ideas behind it, so she now proceeded to lead him to -the ideas' expression. The sun, drawing good-humoredly from his summer's -store, had brought thousands to the Park walks, and with genial -presumption had unbuttoned their overcoats. The bare gray branches of -bush and tree glinted dully in the warm light, as if dreamfully smiling -over the budding days not far ahead. But Tom had attention for the joy -of neither the sun nor his dependents. He thought only of what he was -saying, for he had been led to speech upon one of his dearest subjects. - -Though he had left school at thirteen to begin work, he had attended -night school for a number of years, had belonged to a club whose chief -aim was debating, had read a number of solid books and had done a great -deal of thinking for himself. As a result of his reading, thinking and -observation he had come into some large ideas concerning the future of -the working class. In the past, he now said to Ruth, classes had risen -to power, served their purpose, and been displaced by new classes -stimulated by new ideas. The capitalist class was now in power, and was -performing its mission--the development and centralization of -industries. But its decline would be even more rapid than its rise. It -would be succeeded by the working class. The working class was vast in -numbers, and was filled with surging energy. Its future domination was -certain. - -"And you believe this?" Ruth queried when he came to a pause. - -"I know it." - -"Admitting that all these things are coming about--which I don't--don't -you honestly think it would be disastrous to the general interest for -the workingman to come into power?" - -"You mean we would legislate solely in our own interests? What if we -did? Hasn't every class that ever came into power done that? Anyhow, -since we make up nine-tenths of the people we'd certainly be legislating -in the interests of the majority--which can't always be said now. And as -for our ability to run things, I'd rather have an honest fool than a -grafter that knows it all. But if you mean we're a pretty rough lot, and -haven't much education, I guess you're about right. How can we help it? -We've never had a chance to be anything else. But think what the working -class was a hundred years ago! Haven't we come up? Thousands of miles! -That's because we've been getting more and more chances, like chances -for an education, that used to belong only to the rich. And our chances -are increasing. Another hundred years and we won't know ourselves. We'll -be fit for anything!" - -"I see you're very much of a dreamer." - -"Dreamer? Not at all! If you were to look ahead and say in a hundred -years from now it'll be 2000, would you call that a dream?" - -"Hardly!" Ruth admitted with a smile. - -"Well, what I'm telling you is just as certain as the passage of time. -I'm anything but a dreamer. I believe in a present for the working class -as well as a future. I believe that we, if we work hard, have the right, -now, to-day, to a comfortable living, and with enough over to give our -children as good an education as the children of the bosses; and with -enough to buy a few books, see a little of the world, and to save a -little so we'll not have ahead of us the terrible fear that we and our -families may starve when we get too old to work. That's the least we -ought to have. But we lack an almighty lot of having it, Miss Arnold. - -"Take my own trade--and we're a lot better off than most workingmen--we -get three seventy-five a day. That wouldn't be so bad if we made it -three hundred days a year, but you know we don't average more than six -months' work. Less than seven hundred dollars a year. What can a man -with a family do in New York on seven hundred dollars a year? Two -hundred for rent, three hundred for food, one hundred for clothes. -There's six hundred gone in three lumps. Twenty-five cents a day left -for heat, light, education, books, amusement, travel, street-car -fare,--and to save for your old age! - -"And then our trade's dangerous. I think half of our men are killed. If -you saw the obituary list that's published monthly of all the branches -of our union in the country, you'd think so, too! Every other -name--crushed, or something broke and he fell. Only the other day on a -steel bridge near Pittsburg a piece of rigging snapped and ten men -dropped two hundred feet. They landed on steel beams in a barge anchored -below--and were pulp. And after the other names, it's pneumonia or -consumption. D'you know what that means? It means exposure at work. -Killed by their work!... Well, that's our work,--and we get seven -hundred a year! - -"And then our work takes the best part of our lives, and throws us away. -So long as we're strong and active, we can be used. But the day we -begin to get a little stiff--if we last that long!--we're out of it. It -may be at forty. We've got to learn how to do something else, or just -wait for the end. There's our families. And you know how much we've got -in the bank! - -"Well, that's how it is in our union. Is seven hundred a year -enough?--when we risk our lives every day we work?--when we're fit for -work only so long as we're young men? We're human beings, Miss Arnold. -We're men. We want comfortable homes, we want to keep our children in -school, we'd like to save something up for the time when we can't work. -Seven hundred a year! How're we going to do it, Miss Arnold? How're we -going to do it?" - -Ruth looked up at his glowing set face, and for the moment forgot she -was allied to the other side. "Demand higher wages!" her instinct -answered promptly. - -"That's the only thing! And that's what we're going to do! More money -for the time we do work!" - -He said no more. Now that the stimulant of his excited words was gone, -Ruth felt her fatigue. Engrossed by his emotions he had swung along at a -pace that had taxed her lesser stride. - -"Shall we not sit down," she suggested; and they found a bench on a -pinnacle of rock from whence they looked down through a criss-cross of -bare branches upon a sun-polished lagoon, and upon the files of people -curving along the paths. Tom removed his hat, and Ruth turning to face -him took in anew the details of his head--the strong, square, -smooth-shaven face, the broad forehead, moist and banded with pink where -his hat had pressed, the hair that clung to his head in tight brown -curls. Looked,--and felt herself growing small, and the men of her -acquaintance growing small. And thought.... Yes, that was it; it was his -purpose that made him big. - -"You have kept me so interested that I've not yet asked you about your -fight against Mr. Foley," she said, after a moment. - -Tom told her all that had been done. - -"But is there no other way of getting at the men except by seeing them -one by one?" she asked. "That seems such a laborious way of carrying on -a campaign. Can't you have mass-meetings?" - -Tom shook his head. "In the first place it would be hard to get the men -out; they're tired when they come home from work, and then a lot of them -don't want to openly identify themselves with us. And in the second -place Foley'd be likely to fill the hall with his roughs and break the -meeting up." - -"But to see the men individually! And you say there are twenty-five -hundred of them. Why, that's impossible!" - -"Yes. A lot of the men we can't find. They're out when we call." - -"Why not send a letter to every member?" asked Ruth, suggesting the plan -to her most obvious. - -"A letter?" - -"A letter that would reach them a day or two before election! A short -letter, that drove every point home!" She leaned toward him excitedly. - -"Good!" Tom brought his fist down on his knee. - -Ruth knew the money would have to come from his pocket. "Let's see. It -would cost, for stamps, twenty-five dollars; for the letters--they could -be printed--about fifteen dollars; for the envelopes six or seven -dollars. Say forty-five or fifty dollars." - -Fifty dollars was a great deal to Tom--saved little by little. But he -hesitated only a moment. "All right. If we can influence a hundred men, -one in twenty-five, it'll be worth the money." - -A thoughtful look came over his face. - -"What is it?" Ruth asked quickly. - -"I was thinking about the printing and other things. Wondering how I -could get away from work to see to it." - -"Won't you let me look after that for you?" Ruth asked eagerly. "I look -after all our printing. I can leave the office whenever I'm not busy, -you know. It would take only a few minutes of my time." - -"It really wouldn't?" Tom asked hesitantly. - -"It wouldn't be any trouble at all. And I'd be glad to do it." - -Tom thanked her. "I wouldn't know how to go about a thing of that sort, -anyhow, even if I could get away from work," he admitted. - -"And I could see to the addressing, too," Ruth pursued. - -He sat up straight. "There's the trouble! The addresses!" - -"The addresses? Why?" - -"There's only one list of the men and where they live. That's the book -of the secretary and treasurer." - -"Won't he lend it to you?" - -Tom had to laugh. "Connelly lend it to me! Connelly's one of the best -friends Foley's got." - -"Then there's no way of getting it?" - -"He keeps it in his office, and when he's not there the office is -locked. But we'll get it somehow." - -"Well, then if you'll write out the letter and send it to me in a day or -two, I'll see to having it printed right away." - -It flashed upon Tom what a strong concluding statement to the letter the -guarantee from Mr. Baxter would make. He told Ruth of his idea, of his -attempts to get the guarantee, and of the influence it would have on the -men. - -"He's probably forgotten all about it," she said. "I think I may be able -to help you to get it. I can speak to Aunt Elizabeth and have her speak -to him." - -But her quick second thought was that she could not do this without -revealing to her aunt a relation Mrs. Baxter could not understand. "No, -after all I can't be of any use there. You might try to see him again, -and if you fail then you might write him." - -Tom gave her a quick puzzled glance, as he had done a few days before -when she had mentioned her relation to Mr. Baxter. She caught the look. - -"You are wondering how it is Mr. Baxter is my uncle," she guessed. - -"Yes," he admitted. - -"It's very simple. All rich people have their poor relatives, I -suppose? Mrs. Baxter and my mother were sisters. Mr. Baxter made money. -My father died before he had a chance. After mamma died, I decided to go -to work. There was only enough money to live a shabby-genteel, pottering -life--and I was sick of that. I have no talents, and I wanted to be out -in the world, in contact with people who are doing real things. So I -learned stenography. A little over a year ago I came to New York. I -lived for awhile with my uncle and aunt; they were kind, but the part of -a poor relation didn't suit me, and I made up my mind to go to work -again. They were not pleased very well; they wanted me to stay with -them. But my mind was made up. I offered to go to work for my uncle, but -he had no place for me, and got me the position with Mr. Driscoll. And -that's all." - -A little later she asked him for the time. His watch showed a quarter of -five. On starting out she had told him that she must be home by five, so -she now remarked: "Perhaps we'd better be going. It'll take us about -fifteen minutes to walk back." - -They started homeward across the level sunbeams that were stretching -themselves out beneath barren trees and over brown lawns for their -night's sleep. As they drew near to Ruth's boarding-house they saw a -perfectly-tailored man in a high hat go up the steps. He was on the -point of ringing the bell when he sighted them, and he stood waiting -their coming. A surprised look passed over his face when he recognized -Ruth's companion. - -As they came up the steps he raised his hat to Ruth. "Good-afternoon, -Miss Arnold." And to Tom he said carelessly: "Hello, Keating." - -Tom looked him squarely in the eyes. "Hello, Berman," he returned. - -Mr. Berman started at the omission of the "Mr." Tom lifted his hat to -Ruth, bade her good-afternoon, and turned away, not understanding a -sudden pang that shot into his heart. - -Mr. Berman's eyes followed Tom for a dozen paces. "A very decent -sort--for a workingman," he remarked. - -"For any sort of a man," said Ruth, with an emphasis that surprised her. -She took out her latch-key, and they entered. - - - - -Chapter X - -LAST DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN - - -After supper, which was eaten in the customary silence, Tom started for -the Barrys' to talk over the scheme of circularizing the members of the -union. He met Pete coming out of the Barrys' tenement. He joined him -and, as they walked away, outlined the new plan. - -"That's what I call a mighty foxy scheme," Pete approved. "It's a -knock-out blow. It'll come right at the last minute, an' Foley won't -have time to hit back." - -Tom pointed out the difficulty of getting the membership list. "You -leave that to me, Tom. It's as easy as fallin' off the twenty-third -story an' hittin' the asphalt. You can't miss it." - -"But what kind of a deal will you make with Connelly? He's crooked, you -know." - -"Yes, he has got pretty much of a bend to him," Pete admitted. "But he -ain't so worse, Tom. I've traveled a lot with him. When d'you want the -book?" - -"We've got to get it and put it back without Connelly knowing it's been -gone. We'd have to use it at night. Could you get it late, and take it -back the next morning?" - -"That'd be runnin' mighty close. What's the matter with gettin' it -Saturday night an' usin' it Sunday?" - -"Sunday's pretty late, with the election coming Wednesday. But it'll do, -I guess." - -Tom spent the evening at one corner of the dining-table from which he -had turned back the red cloth, laboriously scratching on a sheet of -ruled letter paper. He had never written when he could avoid it. His -ideas were now clear enough, but they struggled against the unaccustomed -confinement of written language. The words came slowly, with physical -effort, and only after crossing out, and interlining, and crossing out -again, were they joined into sentences. - -At ten o'clock Maggie, who had been calling on a friend, came in with -Ferdinand. The boy made straight for the couch and was instantly asleep. -Maggie was struck at once by the unwonted sight of her husband writing, -but her sulkiness fought her curiosity for more than a minute, during -which she removed her hat and jacket, before the latter could gain a -grudged victory. "What are you doing?" she asked shortly. - -"Writing a letter," he answered, keeping his eyes on the paper. - -She leaned over his shoulder and read a few lines. Her features -stiffened. "What're you going to do with that?" - -"Print it." - -"But you'll have to pay for it." - -"Yes." - -"How much?" - -"About fifty dollars." - -She gasped, and her sullen composure fled. "Fifty dollars! For -that--that----" Breath failed her. - -Tom looked around. Her black eyes were blazing. Her hands were clenched. -Her full breast was rising and falling rapidly. - -"Tom Keating, this is about the limit!" she broke out. "Hain't your -foolishness learnt you anything yet? It's cost you seven dollars a week -already. And here you are, throwing fifty dollars away all in one lump! -Fifty dollars!" Her breath failed her again. "That's like you! You'll -throw money away, and let me go without a decent rag to my back!" - -Tom arose. "Maggie," he said, in a voice that was cold and hard, "I -don't expect any sympathy from you. I don't expect you to understand -what I'm about. I don't think you want to understand. But I do expect -you to keep still, if you've got nothing better to say than you've just -said!" - -Maggie had lost herself. "Is that a threat?" she cried furiously. "Do -you mean to threaten me? Why, you brute! D'you think you can make me -keep still? You throw away money that's as much mine as yours!--you make -me suffer for it!--and yet you expect me never to say a word, do you?" - -Tom glared at her. His hands tingled to lay hold of her and shake her. -But, as he glared, he thought of the woman he had so recently left, and -a sense of shame for his desire crept upon him. And, too, he began -vaguely to feel, what it was inevitable he should some time feel, the -contrast between his wife ... and this other. - -His silence added to her frenzy. "You threaten me? What do I care for -your threats! You can't do anything worse than you already have -done,--and are doing. You're ruining us! Well, what are you standing -there for? Why----" - -There was but one thing for Tom to do, that which he had often had to do -before,--go into the street. He put the scribbled sheets into his coat, -and left her standing there in the middle of the floor pouring out her -fury. - -He walked about till he thought she would be asleep, then returned. A -glance into their bedroom showed her in bed, and Ferdinand in his cot at -the bed's foot. He sat down again at the table and resumed his clumsy -pencil. - -It was midnight before the two-hundred-word production was completed and -copied. He put it into an envelope, enclosed a note saying he expected -to have the list of names over the following Sunday, and took the letter -down and dropped it into a mail-box. Then removing shoes, coat, and -collar, he lay down on the sofa with his overcoat for covering, and -presently fell asleep. - -Ruth's heart sank when she received the letter the next afternoon. Her -yesterday's talk with him had left her with a profound impression of his -power, and that impression had been fresh all the morning. This -painfully written letter, with its stiff, hard sentences, headed "Save -the Union!" and beginning "Brothers," recalled to her with a shock -another element of his personality. It was as though his crudity had -dissociated itself from his other qualities and laid itself, bare and -unrelieved, before her eyes. - -As she read the letter a second time she felt a desire to improve upon -his sentences; but she thought this might give him offense; and she -thought also, and rightly, that his stilted sentences, rich with such -epithets, as "tyrant," "bully," "grafter," would have a stronger effect -on his readers than would more polished and controlled language. So she -carried the letter to the printer as it had left Tom's hand. - -She wrote Tom that Mr. Driscoll was willing her office should be used -for the work of Sunday. Tom's answer was on a postal card and written in -pencil. She sighed. - -The week passed rapidly with Tom, the nights in canvassing, the days in -work. Every time he went to work, he did so half expecting it would be -his last day on the job. But all went well till Friday morning. Then the -expected happened. As he came up to the fire-house a hansom cab, which -had turned into the street behind him, stopped and Foley stepped out. - -"Hold on there, Keating!" the walking delegate called. - -Tom paused, three or four paces from the cab. Foley stepped to his side. -"So this's where youse've sneaked off to work!" - -Tom kept his square jaw closed. - -"I heard youse were at work. I thought I'd look youse up to-day. So I -followed youse. Now, are youse goin' to quit this job quiet, or do I -have to get youse fired?" - -Tom answered with dangerous restraint. "I haven't got anything against -the contractor. And I know what you'd do to him to get me off. I'll go." - -"Move then, an' quick!" - -"There's one thing I want to say to you first," said Tom; and instantly -his right fist caught the walking delegate squarely on the chin. Foley -staggered back against the wheel of the hansom. Without giving him a -second look Tom turned about and walked toward the car line. - -When Foley recovered himself Tom was a score of paces away. Half a dozen -of the workmen were looking at him in waiting silence. He glared at -Tom's broad back, but made no attempt to follow. - -"To-day ain't the only day!" he said to the men, closing his eyes to -ominous slits; and he stepped back into the cab and drove away. - -That evening Tom had an answer to the letter he had written Mr. Baxter, -after having failed once more to find that gentleman in. It was of but a -single sentence. - - After giving thorough consideration to your suggestion, I have - decided that it would be neither wise nor in good taste for me to - interfere in the affairs of your union. - -Tom stared at the letter in amazement. Mr. Baxter had little to risk, -and much to gain. He could not understand. But, however obscure Mr. -Baxter's motive, the action necessitated by his decision was as clear -as a noon sun; a vital change had to be made in the letter to the -members of the union. Certain of Mr. Baxter's consent, Tom had set down -the guarantee to the men as the last paragraph in the letter and had -held the proof awaiting Mr. Baxter's formal authorization of its use. He -now cut out the paragraph that might have meant a thousand votes, and -mailed the sheet to Ruth. - -He talked wherever he could all the next day, and the next evening. -After going home he sat up till almost one o'clock expecting Pete to -come in with the roster of the members. But Pete did not appear. Early -Sunday morning Tom was over at the Barrys'. Pete was not yet up, Mrs. -Barry told him. Tom softly opened the door of Pete's narrow room and -stepped in. Pete announced himself asleep by a mighty trumpeting. Tom -shook his shoulders. He stirred, but did not open his eyes. "Doan wan' -no breakfas'," he said, and slipped back into unconsciousness. Tom shook -him again, without response. Then he threw the covers back from Pig -Iron's feet and poured a little water on them. Pete sat suddenly -upright; there was a meteoric shower of language; then he recognized -Tom. - -"Hello, Tom! What sort of a damned society call d'you call this?" - -"If you only worked as hard as you sleep, Pete, you could put up a -building alone," said Tom, exasperated. "D'you get the book?" - -"Over there." Pete pointed to a package lying on the floor. - -Tom picked it up eagerly, sat down on the edge of the bed--Pete's -clothes were sprawling over the only chair--and hastily opened it. -Within the wrapping paper was the secretary's book. - -"How'd you get it, Pete?" - -"The amount o' licker I turned into spittoons last night, Tom, was -certainly an immoral waste. If I'd put it where it belonged, I'd be -drunk for life. Connelly, he'll never come to. Now, s'pose you chase -along, Tom, an' let me finish things up with my bed." - -"What time d'you want the book again?" - -"By nine to-night." - -"Will you have any trouble putting it back in the office?" - -"Sure not. While I had Connelly's keys I made myself one to his office. -I took a blank and a file with me last night." - -At ten o'clock, the hour agreed upon, Tom was in Ruth's office. Ruth and -a business-looking woman of middle age, who was introduced as a Mrs. -Somebody, were already there when he came. Five boxes of envelopes were -stacked on a table, which had been drawn to the center of the room, the -letters were on a smaller table against one wall, and sheets of stamps -were on the top of Ruth's desk. - -Tom was appalled when he saw what a quantity twenty-five hundred -envelopes were. "What! We can't write names on all those to-day!" - -"It'll take the two of us about seven hours with you reading the names -to us," Ruth reassured him. "I had the letters come folded from the -printers. We'll put them in the envelopes and put on the stamps -to-morrow. They'll all be ready for the mail Monday night." - -Until five o'clock, with half an hour off for lunch, the two women wrote -rapidly, Tom, on the opposite side of the table, reading the names to -them alternately and omitting the names of the adherents of Foley. - -Now that she was with him again Ruth soon forgot all about Tom's -crudity. His purposeful power, which projected itself through even so -commonplace an occupation as reading off addresses, rapidly remade its -first impression. It dwarfed his crudity to insignificance. - -When he left her at her door she gave him her hand with frank -cordiality. "You'll come Thursday evening then to tell me all about it -as you promised. When I see you then I'm sure it will be to congratulate -you." - - - - -Chapter XI - -IN FOLEY'S "OFFICE" - - -Buck Foley's greatest weakness was the consciousness of his strength. -Two years before he would have been a much more formidable opponent, for -then he was alert for every possible danger and would have put forth his -full of strength and wits to overwhelm an aspiring usurper. Now he was -like the ring champion of several years' standing who has become too -self-confident to train. - -Foley felt such security that he made light of the first reports of -Tom's campaigning brought him by his intimates. "He can't touch me," he -said confidently. "After he rubs sole leather on asphalt a few more -weeks, he'll be so tame he'll eat out o' my hand." - -It was not till the meeting at which Tom's ticket was presented that -Foley awoke to the possibility of danger. He saw that Tom was -tremendously in earnest, that he was working hard, that he was gaining -strength among the men. If Tom were to succeed in getting out the -goody-goody element, or even a quarter of it----Foley saw the menacing -possibility. - -Connelly hurried up to him at the close of the meeting. "Say, Buck, -this here looks serious!" he whispered. "A lot o' the fellows are -gettin' scared." - -"What's serious?" - -"Keating's game." - -"I'd forgotten that. I keep forgettin' little things. Well, s'pose youse -get the bunch to drop in at Mulligan's." - -Half an hour later Foley, who knew the value of coming late, sauntered -into the back room of Mulligan's saloon, which drinking-place was -distant two blocks from Potomac Hall. This back room was commonly known -as "Buck's Office," for here he met and issued orders to his -lieutenants. It was a square room with a dozen chairs, three tables, -several pictures of prize fighters and several nudes of the brewers' -school of art. Connelly, Jake Henderson, and six other men sat at the -tables, beer glasses before them, talking with deep seriousness. - -Foley paused in the doorway. "Hello, youse coffin-faces! None o' this -for mine!" He started out. - -"Hold on, Buck!" Connelly cried, starting up. - -Foley turned back. "Take that crape off your mugs, then!" - -"We were talkin' about Keating," Connelly explained. "It strikes us he -means business." - -It was a principle in Foley's theory of government not to ask help of -his lieutenants in important affairs except when it was necessary; it -fed his love of power to feel them dependent upon his action. But it was -also a principle that they should feel an absolute confidence in him. He -now saw dubiety on every face; an hour's work was marked out. He sat -down, threw open his overcoat, put one foot on a table and tipped back -in his chair. "Yes, I s'pose Keating thinks he does mean business." - -With his eyes fixed carelessly on the men he drew from a vest pocket a -tight roll of bills, with 100 showing at either end, and struck a match; -and moved the roll, held cigar-wise between the first and second fingers -of his left hand, and the match toward his mouth. With a cry Connelly -sprang forward and seized his wrist. - -"Now what the hell----" Foley began, exasperatedly. His eyes fell to his -hand, and he grinned. "Well! Now I wonder where that cigar is." He went -one by one through the pockets of his vest. "Well, I reckon I'll have to -buy another. Jake, ask one o' the salesladies to fetch in some cabbage." - -Jake Henderson stepped to the door and called for cigars. Mulligan -himself responded, bearing three boxes which he set down before Foley. -"Five, ten and fifteen," he said, pointing in turn at the boxes. - -Foley picked up the cheapest box and snuffed at its contents. "These the -worst youse got?" - -"Got some two-fers." - -"Um! Make youse think youse was mendin' the asphalt, I s'pose. I guess -these's bad enough. Help youselves, boys." But it was the fifteen-cent -box he started around. - -The men took one each, and the box came back to Foley. "Hain't youse -fellows got no vest pockets?" he demanded, and started the box around -again. - -When the box had completed its second circuit Mulligan took it and the -two others and started out. "Hold on, Barney," said Foley. "What's the -matter with your beer?" - -"My beer?" - -"Been beggin' the boys to have some more, but they don't want it." - -"My beer's----" - -"Hi, Barney! Don't youse see he's shootin' hot air into youse?" cried -Jake delightedly. "Chase in the beer!" - -"No, youse don't have to drink nothin' youse don't like. Bring in some -champagne, Barney. I'm doin' a scientific stunt. I want to see what -champagne does to a roughneck." - -"How much?" asked Mulligan. - -"Oh, about a barrel." He drew from his trousers pocket a mixture of -crumpled bills, loose silver, and keys. From this he untangled a -twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Mulligan. - -"Fetch back what youse don't want. An' don't move like your feet was -roots, neither." - -Two minutes later Mulligan returned with four quart bottles. Immediately -behind him came a girl in the dress of the Salvation Army. "Won't you -help us in our work?" she said, holding her tin box out to Foley. - -"Take what youse want." He pointed with his cigar to the change Mulligan -had just laid upon the table. - -With hesitation she picked up a quarter. "This much?" she asked, smiling -doubtfully. - -"No wonder youse're poor!" He swept all the change into his palm. -"Here!" and he thrust it into her astonished hands. - -After she had stammered out her thanks and departed, Foley began to fill -the glasses from a bottle Mulligan had opened. Jake, moistening his -lips, put out his hand in mock refusal. - -"Only a drop for me, Buck." - -Foley filled Jake's glass to the brim. "Well, there's several. Pick your -choice." - -He filled the other glasses, then lifted his own with a "Here's how!" -They all raised the fragile goblets clumsily and emptied them at a gulp. -"Now put about twenty dollars' worth o' grin on your faces," Foley -requested. - -"But what about Keating?" asked Connelly anxiously, harking back to the -first subject. "He's startin' a mighty hot fight. An' really, Buck, he's -a strong man." - -"Yes, I reckon he is." Foley put one hand to his mouth and yawned -mightily behind it. "But he's sorter like a big friend o' mine who went -out to cut ice in July. His judgment ain't good." - -"Of course, he ain't got no chance." - -"The same my friend had o' fillin' his ice-house." - -"But it strikes me we ought to be gettin' busy," Connelly persisted. - -"See here, Connelly. Just because I ain't got a couple o' niggers -humpin' to keep the sweat wiped off me, youse needn't think I'm -loafin'," Foley returned calmly. - -The others, who had shared Connelly's anxiety, were plainly affected by -Foley's large manner. - -"Youse can just bet Buck'll be there with the goods when the time -comes," Jake declared confidently. - -"That's no lie," agreed the others. - -"Oh, I ain't doubtin' Buck. Never a once!" said Connelly. "But what's -your plans, Buck?" - -Foley gazed mysteriously over their heads, and slowly blew out a cloud -of smoke. "Youse just keep your two eyes lookin' my way." - -Foley knew the value of coming late. He also knew the value of leaving -as soon as your point is made. His quick eyes now saw that he had -restored the company's confidence; they knew he was prepared for every -event. - -"I guess I'll pull out," he said, standing up. "Champagne ain't never -been the same to me since me an' Morgan went off in his yacht, an' the -water give out, an' we had to wash our shirts in it." He looked through -the door into the bar-room. "Say, Barney, if these roughnecks want -anything more, just put it down to me." He turned back to the men. -"So-long, boys," he said, with a wave of his hand, and went out through -the bar-room. - -"The man that beats Buck Foley's got to beat five aces," declared Jake -admiringly. - -"Yes," agreed Connelly. "An' he don't keep a strangle holt on his money, -neither." - -Which two sentiments were variously expressed again and again before the -bottoms of the bottles were reached. - -If Foley was slow in getting started, he was not slow to act now that he -was started. During the following two weeks any contractor that so -wished could have worked non-union men on his jobs for all the trouble -Foley would have given him. Buck had more important affairs than the -union's affairs. - -Foley's method of electioneering was even more simple than Tom's. He saw -the foreman on every important job in the city. To such as were his -friends he said: - -"Any o' that Keating nonsense bein' talked on this job?" If there was -not: "Well, it's up to youse to see that things stay that way." If there -was: "Shut it up. If any o' the men talk too loud, fire 'em. If youse -ain't got that authority, find somethin' wrong with their work an' get -'em fired. It's your business to see that not a man on your job votes -again' me!" - -To such few as he did not count among his friends he said: - -"Youse know enough to know I'm goin' to win. Youse know what's the wise -thing for youse to do, all right. I like my friends, an' I don't like -the men that fight me. I ain't likely to go much out o' my way to help -Keating an' his push. I think that's enough, ain't it?" - -It was--especially since it was said with a cold look straight into the -other's eyes. An hour's speech could not have been more effective. - -Foley made it his practice to see as many of the doubtful workmen as -possible during their lunch hour. He had neither hope nor desire that -they should come out and vote for him. His wish was merely that they -should not come out and vote for Tom. To them his speech was mainly -obvious threats. And he called upon the rank and file of his followers -to help him in this detail of his campaign. "Just tell 'em youse think -they won't enjoy the meetin' very much," was his instruction, given with -a grim smile; and this opinion, with effective elaboration, his -followers faithfully delivered. - -When Foley dropped into his office on the Tuesday night before election -he found Jake, Connelly and the other members of his cabinet anxiously -awaiting him. Connelly thrust a copy of Tom's letter into his hands. -"Now wha' d'you think o' that?" he demanded. "Blamed nigh every man in -the union got one to-night." - -As Foley read the blood crept into his face. "'Bully,' 'blood-suckin' -grafter', 'trade union pirate', 'come out and make him walk the plank'," -Jake quoted appreciatively, watching Foley's face. - -By the time he reached the end Foley had regained his self-control. -"Well, that's a purty nice piece o' writin', ain't it, now?" he said, -looking at the sheet admiringly. "Didn't know Keating was buttin' into -literchure. Encouragin', ain't it, to see authors springin' up in every -walk o' life. This here'll get Keating the votes o' all the lit'ry -members, sure." - -"It'll get him too many!" growled Connelly anxiously. - -"A-a-h, go count yourself, Connelly!" Foley looked at the secretary with -a pity that was akin to disgust. "Youse give me an unpleasant feelin' in -my abdomen!" - -He pushed the letter carelessly across to Connelly. "O' course it'll -bring the boys out," he said, in his previous pleasant voice. "But the -trouble with Keating is, he believes in the restriction o' output. He -believes a man oughtn't to cast more'n one vote a day." - -But Foley, for all his careless jocularity, was aware of the seriousness -of Tom's last move, and till long after midnight the cabinet was in -session--to the great profit of Barney Mulligan's cash register. - - - - -Chapter XII - -THE ELECTION - - -Tom set out for Potomac Hall Wednesday evening with the emotions of a -gambler who had placed his fortune on a single color; his all was risked -on the event of that night. However, he had a bracing confidence running -through his agitation; he felt that he controlled the arrow of fortune. -The man to man canvass; the feminine influence made operative by Mrs. -Barry; the letters with which Ruth had helped him,--these, he was -certain, had drawn the arrow's head to the spot where rested his stake -and the union's. - -Tom reached the hall at six-thirty. The polls did not open till seven, -but already thirty or forty of Foley's men stood in knots in front of -the building. - -"Hello, boys! Now don't he think he's It!" said one admiringly. - -"Poor Buck! This's the last o' him!" groaned another. - -There was a burst of derisive laughter, and each of the party tossed a -bit of language in his way; but Tom made no answer and passed them -unflinchingly. At the doorway he was stopped by the policeman who was -regularly stationed at Potomac Hall on meeting nights. - -"Goin' to have a fist sociable to-night?" the policeman asked, -anxiously watching the men in the street. - -"Can't say, Murphy. Ask Foley. He'll be floor manager, if there is one." - -As he went through the hallway toward the stairs, Tom paused to glance -through a side door into the big bar-room, which, with a café, occupied -the whole of the first floor. A couple of score of Foley men stood at -the bar and sat about the tables. It certainly did look as if there -might be festivities. - -Tom mounted the broad stairway and knocked at the door of the union's -hall. Hogan, the sergeant-at-arms, a Foley man, gingerly admitted him. -The hall in which he found himself was a big rectangular room, perhaps -fifty by one hundred feet. The walls had once been maroon in color, and -had a broad moulding of plaster that had been white and gilt; the -ceiling had likewise once been maroon, and was decorated with -plaster scroll-work and crudely painted clusters of fruits and -flowers--scroll-work and paintings lacking their one-time freshness. -From the center of the ceiling hung a great ball of paper roses; at the -front of the room was a grand piano in a faded green cover. The sign -advertising the hall, nailed on the building's front, had as its last -clause: "Also available for weddings, receptions, and balls." - -Tom's glance swept the room. All was in readiness for the election. The -floor was cleared of its folding chairs, they being now stacked at the -rear of the room; down the hall's middle ran a row of tables, set end to -end, with chairs on either side; Bill Jackson, one of his supporters, -was at Hogan's elbow, ready to hand out the ballots as the men were -admitted; the five tellers--Barry, Pete, Jake and two other Foley -men--were smoking at the front of the room, Jake lolling on the piano, -and the other four on the platform where the officers sat at the regular -meetings. - -Tom joined Pete and Barry, and the three drew to one side to await the -opening of the door. "Anything new?" Tom asked. - -"Nothin'," answered Pete. "But say, Tom, that letter was certainly hot -stuff! I've heard some o' the boys talkin' about it. They think it's -great. It's bringin' a lot o' them out." - -"That's good." - -"An' we're goin' to win, sure." - -Tom nodded. "If Foley don't work some of his tricks." - -"Oh, we'll look out for that," said Pete confidently. - -Promptly at seven o'clock Hogan unlocked the door. The men began to -mount the stairway. As each man came to the door Hogan examined his -membership card, and, if it showed the holder to be in good standing, -admitted him. Jackson then handed him a ballot, on which the names of -all the candidates were printed in a vertical row, and he walked to one -of the tables and made crosses before the names of the men for whom he -desired to vote. - -Five minutes after the door had been opened there were thirty or forty -men in the room, an equal number of each party, Foley among them. Jake, -who was chief teller, rose at the center table on the platform to -discharge the formality of offering the ballot-box for inspection. He -unlocked the box, which was about twelve inches square, and performing a -slow arc presented the open side to the eyes of the tellers and the -waiting members. The box was empty. - -"All right?" he asked. - -"Sure," said the men carelessly. The tellers nodded. - -Foley began the telling of a yarn, and was straightway the center of the -group of voters. In the meantime Jake locked the box and started to -carry it to its appointed place on a table at one end of the platform, -to reach which he had to pass through the narrow space between the wall -and the chair-backs of the other tellers. As he brushed through this -alley, Tom, whose eyes had not left him, saw the ballot-box turn so that -its slot was toward the wall, and glimpsed a quick motion of Jake's hand -from a pocket toward the slot--a motion wholly of the wrist. He sprang -after the chief teller and seized his hand. - -"You don't work that game!" he cried. - -Foley's story snapped off. His hearers pivoted to face the disturbance. - -Jake turned about. "What game?" - -"Open your hand!" Tom demanded. - -Jake elevated his big fist, then opened it. It held nothing. He laughed -derisively, and set the box down in its place. A jeering shout rose from -Foley's crowd. - -For an instant Tom was taken aback. Then he stepped quickly to the -table and gave the box a light shake. He triumphantly raised it on high -and shook it violently. From it there came an unmistakable rattle. - -"This's how Foley'd win!" he cried to the crowd. - -Jake, his derision suddenly changed to fury, would have struck Tom in -another instant, for all his wits were in his fists; but the incisive -voice of Foley sounded out: "A clever trick, Keating." - -"How's that?" asked several men. - -"A trick to cast suspicion on us," Foley answered quietly. "Keating put -'em in there himself." - -Tom stared at him, then turned sharply upon Jake. "Give me the key. I'll -show who those ballots are for." - -Jake, not understanding, but taking his cue from Foley, handed over the -key. Tom unlocked the box, and took out a handful of tightly-folded -ballots. He opened several of them and held them up to the crowd. The -crosses were before the Foley candidates. - -"Of course I put 'em in!" Tom said sarcastically, looking squarely at -Foley. - -"O' course youse did," Foley returned calmly. "To cast suspicion on us. -It's a clever trick, but it's what I call dirty politics." - -Tom made no reply. His eyes had caught a slight bulge in the pocket of -Jake's coat from which he had before seen Jake's hand emerge -ballot-laden. He lunged suddenly toward the chief teller, and thrust a -hand into the pocket. There was a struggle of an instant; the crowd saw -Tom's hand come out of the pocket filled with packets of paper; then -Tom broke loose. It all happened so quickly that the crowd had no time -to move. The tellers rose just in time to lay hands upon Jake, who was -hurling himself upon Tom in animal fury. - -Tom held the ballots out toward Foley. They were bound in packets half -an inch thick by narrow bands of papers which were obviously to be -snapped as the packet was thrust into the slot of the box. "I suppose -you'll say now, Buck Foley, that I put these in Henderson's pocket!" - -For once Foley was at a loss. Part of the crowd cursed and hissed him. -His own men looked at him expectantly, but the trickery was too apparent -for his wits to be of avail. He glared straight ahead, rolling his cigar -from side to side of his mouth. - -Tom tossed the ballots into the open box. "Enough votes there already to -elect Foley. Now I demand another teller instead of that man." He jerked -his head contemptuously toward Jake. - -Foley's composure was with him again. "Anything to please youse, Tom. I -guess nobody's got a kick again' Connelly. Connelly, youse take Jake's -place." - -As the exchange was being made the Foleyites regarded their leader -dubiously; not out of disapproval of his trickery, but because his -attempted jugglery had failed. Foley had recourse again to his -confidence-compelling glance--eyes narrowed and full of mystery. "It's -only seven-thirty, boys!" he said in an impressive whisper, and turned -and went out. Jake glowered at Tom and followed him. - -Tom transferred the ballots from the box to his pockets, locked the box, -turned over the key to the tellers, and was resuming his seat when he -saw a man of disordered dress at the edge of the platform, who had been -anxiously awaiting the end of this episode, beckoning him. Tom quickly -stepped to his side. "What's the matter?" - -"Hell's broke loose downstairs, Tom," said the man. "Come down." - -"Look out for any more tricks," Tom called to Pete, and hurried out. The -stairway was held from top to bottom by a line of Foley men. Foley -supporters were marching up, trading rough jests with these guardsmen; -but not a single man of his was on the stairs. He saw one of his men -start up, and receive a shove in the chest that sent him upon his back. -A laugh rose from the line. Tom's fists knotted and his eyes filled with -fire. The head guardsman tried to seize him, and got one of the fists in -the face. - -"Look out, you----!" He swore mightily at the line, and plunged downward -past the guards, who were held back by a momentary awe. The man below -rose to his feet, hotly charged, and was sent staggering again. Tom, -descending, caught the assailant by the collar, and with a powerful jerk -sent him sprawling upon the floor. He turned fiercely upon the line. But -before he could even speak, half of it charged down upon him, overbore -him and swept him through the open door into the street. Then they -melted away from him and returned to their posts. - -Tom, bruised and dazed, would have followed the men back through the -doorway, but his eyes came upon a new scene. On his either hand in the -street, which was weakly illumined by windows and corner lights, several -scuffles were going on, six or seven in each; groups of Foley men were -blocking the way of his supporters, and blows and high words were -passing; farther away he could dimly see his men standing about in -hesitant knots--having not the reckless courage to attempt passage -through such a rowdy sea. - -The policeman was trying to quell one of the scuffles with his club. Tom -saw it twisted from his hand. Murphy drew his revolver. The club sent it -spinning. He turned and walked quickly out of the street. - -All this Tom saw in two glances. The man beside him swore. "Send for the -police, Tom. Nothing else'll save us." His voice barely rose above the -cries and oaths. - -"It won't do, Smith. We'd never hear the last of it." - -And yet Tom realized, with instant quickness, the hopelessness of the -situation. Against Foley's organized ruffianism, holding hall and -street, his unorganized supporters, standing on the outskirts, could do -nothing. There was but one thing to be done--to get to his men, organize -them in some way, wait till their number had grown, and then march in a -body to the ballot-box. - -Ten seconds after his discharge into the street Tom was springing away -on this errand, when out of the tail of his eye he saw Foley come to the -door and glance about. He wheeled and strode up to the walking -delegate. - -"Is this your only way of winning an election?" he cried hotly. - -"Well! well! They're mixin' it up a bit, ain't they," Foley drawled, -looking over Tom's head. "That's too bad!" - -"Don't try any of your stage business on me! Stop this fighting!" - -"What could I do?" Foley asked deprecatingly. "If I tried, I'd only get -my nut cracked." And he turned back into the hall. - -"Come on!" Tom cried to Smith; and together they plunged eastward, in -which direction were the largest number of Tom's friends. Before they -had gone a dozen paces they were engulfed in the fray. Several of his -men swept in from the outskirts to his support; more Foley men rushed -into the conflict; the fight that had before been waged in skirmishes -was now a general engagement. For a space that seemed an hour to Tom, -but that in reality was no more than its quarter, it was struggle at the -top of his strength. He warded off blows. He stung under fists. He -struck out at dim faces. He swayed fiercely in grappling arms. He sent -men down. He went down again and again himself. And oaths were gasped -and shouted, and deep-lunged cries battered riotously against the -street's high walls.... And so it was all around him--a writhing, -striking, kicking, swearing whirlpool of men, over whose fierce -turbulence fell the dusky light of bar-room and tenement windows. - -After a time, when his breath was coming in gasps, and his strength was -well-nigh gone, he saw the vindictive face of Jake Henderson, with the -bar-room's light across it, draw nearer and nearer through the -struggling mob. If Jake should reach him, spent as he was----He saw his -limp, outstretched body as in a vision. - -But Jake's vengeance did not then fall. Tom heard a cry go up and run -through the crowd: "Police! Police!" In an instant the whirlpool half -calmed. The cry brought to their feet the two men who had last borne him -down. Tom scrambled up, saw the mob untangle itself into individuals, -and saw, turning the corner, a squad of policemen, clubs drawn, Murphy -marching at the captain's side. - -The captain drew his squad up beside the doorway of the hall, and -himself mounted the two steps. "If there's any more o' this rough house, -I'll run in every one o' you!" he shouted, shaking his club at the men. - -The Foleyites laughed, and defiance buzzed among them, but they knew the -better part of valor. It was a Foley principle to observe the law when -the law is observing you. - -Five minutes later the captain's threat was made even more potent for -order by the appearance of the reserves from another precinct; and in a -little while still another squad leaped from clanging patrol wagons, -making in all fifty policemen that had answered Murphy's call. Twenty of -these were posted in the stairway, and the rest were placed on guard in -the street. - -A new order came from the bar-room, and Foley's men withdrew to beyond -the limits of police influence and intercepted the men coming to vote, -using blandishment and threats, and leading some into the bar-room to be -further convinced. - -Tom, who stood outside watching the restoration of order, now started -back to the hall. On the way he glanced through the side door into the -bar-room. It was heavy with smoke, and at the bar was a crowd, with -Foley as its center. "I don't know what youse think about Keating -callin' in the police," he was saying, "but youse can bet I know what -Buck Foley thinks! A man that'll turn the police on his own union!" And -then as a fresh group of men were led into the room: "Step right up to -the counter, boys, an' have your measure taken for a drink. I've bought -out the place, an' am givin' it away. Me an' Carnegie's tryin' to die -poor." - -Tom mounted to the hall with a secret satisfaction in the protection of -the broad-chested bluecoats that now held the stairway. A fusillade of -remarks from the men marking their ballots greeted his entrance, but he -passed up to the platform without making answers. - -Pete's mouth fell agape at sight of him. "Hello! You look like you been -ticklin' a grizzly under the chin!" - -Tom noted the relishing grins of the Foley tellers. "The trouble -downstairs is all over. I'll tell you all about it after awhile," he -said shortly; and sat down just behind Pete to watch the voting. - -Up to this time the balloting had been light. But now the hall began to -fill, and the voting proceeded rapidly--and orderly, too, thanks to the -policemen on stairway and in street. Tom, his clothes "lookin' like he -tried to take 'em off without unbuttonin'," as a Foley teller whispered, -his battered hat down over his eyes, sat tilted against the wall -scanning every man that filed past the box. As man after man had his -membership card stamped "voted," and dropped in his ballot, Tom's -excitement rose, for he recognized the majority of the men that marched -by as of his following. - -At nine o'clock Pete leaned far back in his chair. "Lookin' great, ain't -it?" he whispered. - -"If it only keeps up like this." That it might not was Tom's great fear -now. - -"Oh, it will, don't you worry." - -The line of voters that marched by, and by, bore out Pete's prediction, -as Tom's counting eyes saw. He had the wild exultation and throbbing -weakness of the man who is on the verge of success. But the possibility -of failure, the cause of his weakness, became less and less as time -ticked on and the votes dropped into the ballot box. His enthusiasm -grew. Dozens of plans flashed through his head. But his eyes never left -that string of men who were deciding his fate and that of the union. - -At half past ten Tom was certain of his election. Pete leaned back and -gripped his hand. "It's a cinch, Tom. It's a shame to take the money," -he whispered. - -Tom acquiesced in Pete's conviction with a jerk of his head, and watched -the passing line, now grown thin and slow, drop in their ballots, his -certainty growing doubly sure. - -Fifteen minutes later Foley entered the hall, whispered a moment with -Hogan at the door, a moment with Connelly, and then went out again. Tom -thought he saw anxiety showing through Foley's ease of manner, and to -him it was an advance taste of triumph. - -Tom wished eleven o'clock had come and the door was locked. The minutes -passed with such exhausting slowness. A straggling voter dropped in his -ballot--and another straggler--and another. Tom looked at his watch. Two -minutes had passed since Foley's visit. Another straggling voter. And -then four men appeared in a body at the hall door, all apparently the -worse for Foley's hospitality. Tom saw the foremost present his card. -Hogan glanced at it, and handed it back. "You can't vote that card; it's -expired," Tom heard him say. - -"What's that?" demanded the man, threateningly. - -"The card's expired, I said! You can't vote it! Get out!" - -"I can't vote it, hey!" There was an oath, a blow--a surprisingly light -blow to produce such an effect, so it seemed to Tom--and Hogan staggered -back and went to the floor. There was a scuffle; the tables on which lay -the ballots toppled over, and the ballots went fluttering. By this time -Tom reached the door, policemen had rushed in and settled the scuffle, -and the four men were being led from the room. - -Hogan was unhurt, but Jackson was so dazed from a blow that Tom had to -put another man in his place. - -The minutes moved toward eleven with slow, ticking steps. Two stragglers -... at long intervals. At a few minutes before eleven the exhausting -monotony was enlivened by the entrance of eight men, singing -boisterously and jostling each other in alcoholic jollity. They marked -their ballots and staggered in a group to the ballot-box. Two tried to -deposit their ballots at once. - -"Leave me alone, will youse!" cried one, with an oath, and struck at the -other. - -The ballot-box slipped across to the edge of the table. Connelly, who -sat just behind the box, made no move for its safety. "Hey, stop that!" -cried Pete and sprang across to seize it. But he was too late. The one -blow struck, the eight were all instantly delivering blows, and pushing -and swearing. The box was knocked forward upon the floor, and the eight -sprawled pell-mell upon it. - -Tom and the tellers sprang from behind the tables upon the scuffling -heap, and several policemen rushed in from the hallway. The men, once -dragged apart, subsided and gave no trouble. They were allowed to drop -their ballots in the box, now back in its place on the table, and were -then led out in quietness by the officers. - -Pete turned about, struck with a sudden fear. "I wonder if that was a -trick?" he whispered. - -Tom's face was pale. The same fear had come to him. "I wonder!" - -In another five minutes the door was locked and the tellers were -counting the ballots. Among the first hundred there were perhaps a score -that bore no mark except a cross before Foley's name. Pete looked again -at Tom. With both fear had been replaced by certainty. - -"The box's been stuffed!" Pete whispered. - -Tom nodded. - -His only hope now was that not enough false ballots had been got into -the box to carry the election. But as the count proceeded, this hope -left him. And the end was equal to his worst fears. The count stood: for -walking delegate, Foley 976, Keating 763; for president, Keating 763, -Foley's man 595; all the other Foley candidates won by a slight margin. -The apparent inconsistencies of this count Tom readily understood even -in the first wild minutes. Foley's running ahead of his ticket was to be -explained on the ground that the brief time permitted of a cross being -put before his name alone on the false ballots; his own election to the -unimportant presidency, and the failure of his other candidates, was -evidently caused by several of his followers splitting their tickets and -voting for the minor Foley candidates. - -As the count had proceeded Tom had exploded more than once, and Pete had -made lurid use of his gift. When Connelly read off the final results Tom -exploded again. - -"It's an infernal steal!" he shouted. - -"Even if it is, what can we do?" returned Connelly. - -Words ran high. But Tom quickly saw the uselessness of protests and -accusations at this time. His great desire now was to take his heat and -disappointment out into the street; and so he gave evasive answers to -Pete and Barry, who wanted to talk it over, and made his way out of the -hall alone. - -Cheers and laughter were ascending from the bar-room. As he was half-way -down the stairs the door of the saloon opened, and Foley came out and -started up, followed by a number of men. Among them Tom saw several of -the drunken group that had upset the ballot-box; and he also saw that -they probably had not been more sober in years. - -"Why, hello, Tom!" Foley cried out on sight of him. "D'youse hear the -election returns?" - -Tom looked hard at Foley's face with its leering geniality, and he was -almost overmastered by a desire to hurl himself upon Foley and -annihilate him. "You infernal thief!" he burst out. - -Foley sidled toward him across the broad step. "I'll pass that by. I can -afford to, for youse're about wiped out. I guess youse've had enough." - -"Enough?" cried Tom. "I've just begun!" - -With that he brushed by Foley and passed through the door out into the -street. - - - - -Chapter XIII - -THE DAY AFTER - - -The distance to Tom's home was half a hundred blocks, but he chose to -walk. Anger, disappointment, and underlying these the hopeless sense of -being barred from his trade, all demanded the sympathy of physical -exertion--and, too, there was the inevitable meeting with his wife. -Walking would give him an hour before that. - -It was after one when he opened the hall door and stepped into his flat. -Through the dining-room he could see the gas in the sitting-room was -turned down to a point, and could see Maggie lying on the couch, a -flowered comforter drawn over her. He guessed she had stayed up to wait -for his report. He listened. In the night's dead stillness he could -faintly hear her breath come deep and regular. Seizing at the chance of -postponing the scene, he cautiously closed the hall door, and, sitting -down on a chair beside it, removed his shoes. He crossed on tiptoe -toward their bedroom, but its door betrayed him by a creak. He turned -quickly about. There was Maggie, propped up on one arm, the comforter -thrown back. - -She looked at him for a space without speaking. Through all his other -feelings Tom had a sense that he made anything but a brave figure, -standing in his stocking feet, his shoes in one hand, hat and overcoat -on. - -"Well?" she demanded at length. - -Tom returned her fixed gaze, and made no reply to her all-inclusive -query. - -Her hands gripped her covering. She gave a gasp. Then she threw back the -comforter and slipped to her feet. - -"I understand!" she said. "Everything! I knew it! O-o-h!" There were -more resentment and recrimination packed into that prolonged "oh" than -she could have put into an hour's upbraiding. - -Tom kept himself in hand. He knew the futility of explanation, but he -explained. "I won, fairly. But Foley robbed me. He stuffed the -ballot-box." - -"It makes no difference how you lost! You lost! That's what I've got to -face. You know I didn't want you to go into this. I knew you couldn't -win. I knew Foley was full of tricks. But you went in. You lost wages. -You threw away money--_our_ money! And what have you got to show for it -all?" - -Tom let her words pass in silence. On his long walk he had made up his -mind to bear her fury quietly. - -"Oh, you!" she cried through clenched teeth, stamping a bare foot on the -floor. "You do what you please, and I suffer for it. You wouldn't take -my advice. And now you're out of a job and can't get one in your trade. -How are we to live? Tell me that, Tom Keating? How are we to live?" - -Only the word he had passed with himself enabled Tom to hold himself in -after this outburst. "I'll find work." - -"Find work! A hod-carrier! Oh, my God!" - -She turned and flung herself at full length upon the couch, and lay -there sobbing, her hands passionately gripping the comforter. - -Tom silently watched the workings of her passion for a moment. He -realized the measure of right on her side, and his sense of justice made -his spirit unbend. "If we have to live close, it'll only be for a time," -he said. - -"Oh, my God!" she moaned. - -He grimly turned and went into the bedroom. After a while he came out -again. She had drawn the comforter over her, but her irregular breathing -told him she was still awake. - -"Aren't you coming to bed?" he asked. - -She made no answer, and he went back. For half an hour he tossed about. -Then he came into the sitting-room again. Her breath was coming quietly -and regularly. He sat down and gazed at her handsome face for a long, -long time, with misty, wondering thoughts. Then he rose with a -deep-drawn sigh, took part of the covering from the bed, and spread it -over her sleeping figure. - -He tossed about long before he fell into a restless sleep. It was early -when he awoke. He looked into the sitting-room. Maggie was still -sleeping. He quickly dressed himself in his best suit (the one he had -had on the night before was beyond further wearing), noting with -surprise that his face bore few marks of conflict, and stole quietly -out. - -Tom's disappointment and anger were too fresh to allow him to put his -mind upon plans for the future. All day he wandered aimlessly about, -talking over the events of the previous night with such of his friends -as chance put in his path. Late in the afternoon he met Pete and Barry, -who had been looking for work since morning. They sat down in a saloon -and talked about the election till dinner time. It was decided that Tom -should protest the election and appeal to the union--a move they all -agreed had little promise. Tom found a soothing gratification in Pete's -verbal handling of the affair; there was an ease, a broadness, a -completeness, to Pete's profanity that left nothing to be desired; so -that Tom was prompted to remark, with a half smile: "If there was a -professorship of your kind of English over at Columbia University, Pete, -you'd never have to put on overalls again." - -Tom had breakfasted in a restaurant, and lunched in a restaurant, and -after Pete and Barry left he had dinner in one. It was a cheap and -meager meal; with his uncertain future he felt it wise to begin to count -every cent. Afterwards he walked about the streets till eight, bringing -up at Ruth's boarding-house. The colored maid who answered his ring -brought back the message: "Miss Arnold says will you please come up." - -He mounted the stairway behind the maid. Ruth was standing at the head -of the stairs awaiting him. - -She wore a loose white gown, held in at the waist by a red girdle, and -there was a knot of red in her heavy dark hair. Tom felt himself go warm -at sight of her, and there began a throbbing that beat even in his ears. - -"You don't mind my receiving you in my room, do you?" she said, opening -her door, after she had greeted him. - -"Why, no," said Tom, slightly puzzled. His acquaintance with the -proprieties was so slight that he did not know she was then breaking -one. - -She closed the door. "I'm glad to see you. I know what happened last -night; we heard at the office." She held out her hand again. The grip -was warm and full of sympathy. - -The hand sent a thrill through Tom. In his fresh disappointment it was -just this intelligent sympathy that he was hungry for. For a moment he -was unable to speak or move. - -She gently withdrew her hand. "But we heard only the bare fact. I want -you to tell me the whole story." - -Tom laid his hat and overcoat upon the couch, which had a dull green -cover, glancing, as he did so, about the room. There were a few prints -of good pictures on the walls; a small case of books; a writing desk; -and in one corner a large screen whose dominant color was a dull green. -The thing that struck him most was the absence of the knick-knackery -with which his home was decorated. Tom was not accustomed to give -attention to his surroundings, but the room pleased him; and yet it was -only an ordinary boarding-house room, plus the good taste of a tasteful -woman. - -Tom took one of the two easy chairs in the room, and once again went -over the happenings of the previous night. She interrupted again and -again with indignant exclamations. - -"Why, you didn't lose at all!" she cried, when he had finished the -episode of the eight drunken men. - -"You won, and it was stolen from you! Your Mr. Foley is a--a----" -Whichever way she turned for an adequate word she ran against a -restriction barring its use by femininity. "A robber!" she ended. - -"But aren't you going to protest the election?" - -"I shall--certainly. But there's mighty little chance of the result -being changed. Foley'll see to that." - -He tried to look brave, but Ruth guessed the bitterness within. She -yearned to have him talk over things with her; her sympathy for him now -that she beheld him dispirited after a daring fight was even warmer than -when she had seen him pulsing with defiant vigor. "Won't you tell me -what you are going to do? If you don't mind." - -"I'd tell if I knew. But I hardly have my bearings yet." - -"Are you sure you can't work at your trade?" - -"Not unless I kiss Foley's shoes." - -She did not like to ask him if he were going to give in, but the -question was in her face, and he saw it. - -"I'm not that bad licked yet." - -"There's Mr. Driscoll's offer," she suggested. - -"Yes. I've thought of that. I don't know what move I'll make next. I -don't just see now how I'm going to keep at the fight, but I'm not ready -to give it up. If I took Mr. Driscoll's job, I'd have to drop the fight, -for I'd practically have to drop out of the union. If the protest -fails--well, we'll see." - -Ruth looked at him thoughtfully, and she thrilled with a personal pride -in him. He had been beaten; the days just ahead looked black for him; -but his spirit, though exhausted, was unbroken. As a result of her -experience she was beginning to regard business as being largely a -compromise between self-respect and profit. In Tom's place she guessed -what Mr. Baxter would do, and she knew what Mr. Driscoll would do; and -the thing they would do was not the thing that Tom was doing. And she -wondered what would be the course of Mr. Berman. - -At the moment of parting she said to him, in her frank, impulsive way: -"I think you are the bravest man I have ever known." He could only -stumble away from her awkwardly, for to this his startled brain had no -proper answer. His courage began to bubble back into him; and the warmth -aroused by her words grew and grew--till he drew near his home, and then -a chill began to settle about him. - -Maggie was reading the installment of a serial story in an evening paper -when he came in. She glanced up, then quickly looked back at her paper -without speaking. - -He started into the bedroom in silence, but paused hesitant in the -doorway and looked at her. "What are you reading, Maggie?" - -"The Scarlet Stain." - -He held his eyes upon her a moment longer, and then with a sigh went -into the bedroom and lit the gas. The instant he was gone from the -doorway Maggie took her eyes from the story and listened irresolutely. -All day her brain had burnt with angry thoughts, and all day she had -been waiting the chance to speak. But her obstinate pride now strove to -keep her tongue silent. - -"Tom!" she called out, at length. - -He appeared in the doorway. "Yes." - -"What are you going to do?" - -He was silent for a space. "I don't just know yet." - -"I know," she said in a voice she tried to keep cold and steady. -"There's only one thing for you to do. That's to get on the square with -Foley." - -Their eyes met. Hers were cold, hard, rebellious. - -"I'll think it over," he said quietly; and went back into the bedroom. - - - - -Chapter XIV - -NEW COURAGE AND NEW PLANS - - -The next morning after breakfast Tom sat down to take account of his -situation. But his wife's sullen presence, as she cleared away the -dishes, suffocated his thoughts. He went out and walked south a few -blocks to a little park that had formerly served the neighborhood as a -burying-ground. A raw wind was chattering among the bare twigs of the -sycamore trees; the earth was a rigid shell from the night's frost, and -its little squares and oblongs of grass were a brownish-gray; the sky -was overcast with gray clouds. The little park, this dull March day, was -hardly more cheerful than the death it had erewhile housed, but Tom sat -down in its midst with a sense of grateful relief. - -His mind had already passed upon Maggie's demand of the previous -evening. But would it avail to continue the fight against Foley? He had -slept well, and the sleep had strengthened his spirit and cleared his -brain; and Ruth's recurring words, "I think you are the bravest man I -have ever known," were to him a determining inspiration. He went over -the situation detail by detail, and slowly a new plan took shape. - -Foley had beaten him by a trick. In six months there would be another -election. He would run again, and this next time, profiting by his dear -experience of Wednesday night, he would see that guard was set against -every chance for unfair play. During the six months he would hammer at -Foley's every weak spot, and emphasize to the union the discredit of -Foley's discreditable acts. - -He would follow up his strike agitation. He had already put Foley into -opposition to a demand for more money. If he could induce the union to -make the demand in the face of Foley's opposition it would be a telling -victory over the walking delegate. Perhaps, even, he might head the -management of the strike--if it came to a strike. And if the strike were -won, it would be the complete undoing of Foley. As for Maggie, she would -oppose the plan, of course, but once he had succeeded she would approve -what he had done. In the meantime he would have to work at some poorly -paid labor, and appease her as best he could. - -At dinner that night little was said, till Maggie asked with a choking -effort: "Did you see Foley to-day?" - -"No," said Tom. He ate a mouthful, then laid down knife and fork, and -looked firmly into her face. "I didn't try to see him. And I might as -well tell you, Maggie, that I'm not going to see him." - -"You'll not see him?" she asked in a dry voice. "You'll not see him?" - -"Most likely it would not do any good if I did see him. You mark what I -say, Maggie," he went on, hopefully. "Foley thinks I'm down, and you -do, too, but in a few months things'll be better than they ever were. We -may see some hard times--but in the end!" - -"You were just that certain last week. But how'll we live?" - -"I'll find some sort of a temporary job." - -She looked at him tensely; then she rose abruptly and carried her -indignant grief into the kitchen. She had decided that he must be borne -with. But would he never, never come to his senses! - -After he had finished his dinner, which had been ready earlier than -usual, Tom hurried to the Barrys', and found the family just leaving the -table. He rapidly sketched his new plan. - -"You're runnin' again' Foley again in six months is all right, but -where's the use our tryin' to get more money?" grumbled Pete. "Suppose -we fight hard an' win the strike. What then? We get nothin' out of it. -Foley won't let us work." - -"Oh, talk like a man, Pete!" requested Mrs. Barry. "You know you don't -think that way." - -"If we win the strike, with Foley against it, it'll be the end of him," -said Tom, in answer to Pete. - -"But suppose things turn out with Foley in control o' the strike?" -questioned Barry. - -"That won't happen. But if it would, he'd run it all on the square. And -he'd manage it well, too. You know what he has done. Well, he'd do the -same again if he was forced into a fight. - -"It won't be hard to work the men up to make the demand for an -increase," Tom went on. "All the men who voted for me are in favor of -it, and a lot more, too. All we've got to do is to stir them up a bit, -and get word to them to come out on a certain night. Foley'll hardly -dare put up a fight against us in the open." - -"Whoever runs the strike, we certainly ought to have more money," said -Mrs. Barry decidedly. - -"And the bosses can afford to give us more," declared Tom. "They've -never made more than they have the last two years." - -"Sure, they could divide a lot o' the money we've made with us, an' -still not have to button up their own clothes," averred Mrs. Barry. - -"Oh, I dunno," said Pete. "They're hard up, just the same as us. What's -a hundred thousand when you've got to spend money on yachts, champagne -an' Newport, an' other necessities o' life? The last time I was at the -Baxters', Mrs. Baxter was settin' at the kitchen table figgerin' how she -could make over the new dress she had last summer an' wonderin' how -she'd ever pay the gas bill." - -Mrs. Barry grunted. - -"I got a picture o' her!" - -Tom brought the talk back to bear directly upon his scheme, and soon -after left, accompanied by Pete, to begin immediately his new campaign. - -As soon as they had gone Mrs. Barry turned eagerly to her husband. "If -we get that ten per cent. raise, Henry won't have to go to work when -he's fourteen like we expected." - -"Yes. I was thinkin' o' that." - -"An' we could keep him in school mebbe till he's eighteen. Then he -could get a place in some office or business. By that time Annie'll be -old enough to go to normal college. She can go through there and learn -to be a teacher." - -"An' mebbe I can get you some good clothes, like I've always wanted to." - -"Oh, you! D'you think you can buy everything with seventy dollars!" She -leaned over with glowing eyes and kissed him. - -Rapid work was required by the new campaign, for Tom had settled upon -the first meeting in April as the time when he would have the demand for -more wages put to a vote. The new campaign, however, would be much -easier than the one that had just come to so disastrous an ending. As he -had said, the men were already eager to make the demand for more money; -his work was to unite this sentiment into a movement, and to urge upon -the men that they be out to vote on the first Wednesday in April. - -Tom's first step was to enlist the assistance of the nine other men who -had helped him in his fight against Foley. He found that the vengeance -of the walking delegate had been swift; seven had abruptly lost their -jobs. When he had explained his new plan, eight of the nine were with -him. The spirit of the ninth was gone. - -"I've had enough," he said bitterly. "If I hadn't mixed in with you, I'd -be all right now." Upon this man Tom promptly turned his back. He was an -excellent ally to be without. - -Tom, with Pete, Barry, and his eight other helpers, began regularly to -put in each evening in calling upon the members of the union. Every man -they saw was asked to talk to others. And so the word spread and spread. - -And to Foley it came among the first. Jake Henderson heard it whispered -about the St. Etienne Hotel Saturday, and when the day's work was done -he hurried straight to Foley's home in order to be certain of catching -Buck when he came in to dinner. He had to wait half an hour, but that -time was not unpleasantly spent, inasmuch as Mrs. Foley set forth a -bottle of beer. - -When Foley caught the tenor of Jake's story his face darkened and he let -out an oath. But immediately thereafter he caught hold of his -excitement. While Jake talked Foley's mind worked rapidly. He did not -want a strike for three sufficient reasons. First of all, that the move -was being fathered by Tom was enough to make him its opponent. Secondly, -he had absolutely nothing to gain from a strike; his power was great, -and even a successful strike could not add to it. And last, he would -lose financially by it; his arrangement with Baxter and one or two other -contractors would come to an end, and in the management of a general -strike so many persons were involved that he would have no chance to -levy tribute. - -Before Jake had finished his rather long-winded account Foley cut him -short. "Yes. I'm glad youse come in. I was goin' to send for youse -to-night about this very thing." - -"What! Youse knew all about it already?" - -Foley looked surprise at him. "D'youse think I do nothin' but sleep?" - -"Nobody can't tell youse anything," said Jake admiringly. "Youse're -right up to the minute." - -"Some folks find me a little ahead." He pulled at his cigar. "I got a -little work for youse an' your bunch." - -Jake sprang up excitedly. "Not Keating?" - -"If youse could guess that well at the races youse'd always pick the -winner. This business's got to stop, an' I guess that's the easiest way -to stop it." And, Foley might have added, the only way. - -"He ought to've had it long ago," said Jake, with conviction. - -"He'll enjoy it all the more for havin' to wait for it." He stood up, -and Jake, accepting his dismissal, took his hat. "Youse have a few o' -the boys around to-night, an' I'll show up about ten. Four or five ought -to be enough--say Arkansas, Smoky, Kaffir Bill, and Hickey." - -Foley saw Connelly and two or three other members of his cabinet during -the evening, and gave orders that the word was to go forth among his -followers that he was against Keating's agitation; he knew the inside -facts of present conditions, and knew there was no chance of winning a -strike. At ten o'clock he sauntered into the rear room of Mulligan's -saloon. Five men were playing poker. With the exception of one they were -a group to make an honest man fall to his knees and quickly confess his -sins. Such a guileless face had the one that the honest man would have -been content with him as confessor. In past days the five had worked a -little, each in his own part of the world, and not liking work had -procured their living in more congenial ways; and on landing in New -York, in the course of their wanderings, they had been gathered in by -Foley as suited to his purpose. - -"Hello, Buck!" they called out at sight of Foley. - -"Hello, gents," he answered. He locked the door with a private key, and -kicked a chair up to the table. - -"Say, Buck, I got a thirst like a barrel o' lime," remarked he of the -guileless face, commonly known as Arkansas Number Two. "D'you know -anything good for it?" - -"The amount o' money I spend in a year on other men's drinks'd support a -church," Foley answered. But he ordered a quart of whisky and glasses. -"Now let's get to business," he said, when they had been placed on the -table. "I guess youse've got an idea in your nuts as to what's doin'?" - -"Jake put us next," grinned Kaffir Bill. "Keating." - -"Yes. He's over-exertin' his throat. He's likely to spoil his voice, if -we don't sorter step in an' stop him." - -"But Jake didn't tell us how much youse wanted him to have," said Kaffir -Bill. "Stiff?" - -"Not much. Don't youse remember when youse made an undertaker's job out -o' Fleischmann? An' how near youse come to takin' the trip to Sing Sing? -We don't want any more risks o' that sort. Leave your guns at home." -Foley gulped down the raw whisky. "A couple months' vacation'd be about -right for Keating. It'd give him a chance to get acquainted with his -wife." - -He drew out a cigar and fitted it to one corner of his mouth. "He's left -handed, youse know. An' anyhow he works mostly with his mouth." - -"An' he's purty chesty," said Jake, following up Foley's cue with a -grin. - -"That's the idea," said Foley. "A wing, an' say two or three slats. Or a -leg." - -The five understood and pledged the faithful discharge of their trust in -a round of drinks. - -"But what's in it for us?" asked Arkansas Number Two. - -"It's an easy job. Youse get him in a fight, he goes down; youse do the -business with your feet. Say ten apiece. That's plenty." - -"Is that all it's worth to you?" Arkansas asked cunningly. - -"Make it twenty-five, Buck," petitioned Kaffir Bill. "We need the coin. -What's seventy-five more to youse?" - -The other four joined in the request. - -"Well, if I don't I s'pose every son-of-a-gun o' youse'll strike," said -Foley, assuming the air of a defeated employer. "All right--for this -once. But this ain't to be the regular union rate." - -"You're all to the good, Buck!" the five shouted. - -Foley rose and started out. At the door he paused. "Youse can't ask me -for the coin any too soon," he said meaningly. - -The five held divergent opinions upon many subjects, but upon one point -they were as one mind--esteem for the bottle. So when Buck's quart of -whisky was exhausted they unanimously decided to remove themselves to -Potomac Hall, in whose bar-room there usually could be found someone -that, after a dark glance or two, was delighted to set out the drinks. - -They quickly found a benefactor in the person of Johnson, also a devotee -of the bottle. They were disposing of the third round of drinks when -Pete, who had been attending a meeting of the Membership Committee of -the union, passed through the bar-room on his way out. Jake saw him, -and, three parts drunk, could not resist the opportunity for advance -satisfaction. "Hold on, Pig Iron," he called after him. - -Pete stopped, and Jake walked leeringly up to him. "This here----" the -best Jake could do in the way of profanity, "Keating is goin' to get -what's comin' to him!" Jake ended with a few more selections from his -repertoire of swear-words. - -Pete retorted in kind, imperatively informing Jake that he knew where he -could go, and walked away. Pete recognized the full meaning of Jake's -words; and a half hour later he was knocking on Tom's door. He found a -tall, raw-boned man sitting in one of Tom's chairs. Maggie had gone to -bed. - -"Shake hands with Mr. Petersen, Pete," said Tom sleepily. "He's just -come into the union." - -"Glad to know you," said Pete, and offered a hand to the Swede, who took -it without a word. He turned immediately about on Tom. "I guess you're -in for your thumps, Tom." And he told about his meeting with the five -members of the entertainment committee. - -"I expected 'em before the election. Well, I'll be ready for 'em," Tom -said grimly. - -A light had begun to glow in Petersen's heavy eyes as Pete talked. He -now spoke for the first time since Pete had come in. "Vot day do?" he -asked. - -Pete explained in pantomine, thrusting rapid fists close to various -parts of Petersen's face. "About five men on you at once." - -Petersen grunted. - -When Pete left, the Swede remained in his chair with anxiety showing -through his natural stolidity. Tom gave a helpless glance at him, and -followed Pete out into the hall. - -"For God's sake, Pete, help me out!" Tom said in a whisper. "He's the -fellow I helped get into the union. I told you about him, you know. He -came around to-night to tell me he's got a job. When I came in at half -past ten he'd been here half an hour already. It's eleven-thirty now. -And he ain't said ten words. I want to go to bed, but confound him, he -don't know how to leave!" - -Pete opened the door. "Say, Petersen, ain't you goin' my way? Come on, -we'll go together." - -Petersen rose with obvious relief. He shook hands with Tom in awkward -silence, and together he and Pete went down the stairs. - -Monday morning Tom bought the first revolver he had ever possessed. If -he had had any doubt as to the correctness of Pete's news, that doubt -would not have been long with him. During the morning, as he went about -looking for a job, he twice caught a glimpse of three members of the -entertainment committee watching him from the distance; and he knew -they were waiting a safe chance to close in upon him. The revolver in -his inner vest pocket pressed a welcome assurance against his ribs. - -That night when he came down from dinner to carry his new plan from ear -to ear, he found Petersen, hands in his overcoat pockets, standing -patiently without the doorway of the tenement. - -"Hello, Petersen," he said in surprise. - -"Hello," said Petersen. - -Tom wanted no repetition of his experience of Saturday night. "Got a lot -of work to do to-night," he said hurriedly. "So-long." - -He started away. The Swede, with no further words, fell into step beside -him. For several blocks they walked in silence, then Tom came to a pause -before a tenement in which lived a member of the union. - -"Good-by, Petersen," he said. - -"Goo'-by," said Petersen. - -They shook hands. - -When Tom came into the street ten minutes later there was Petersen -standing just where he had left him. Again the Swede fell into step. -Tom, though embarrassed and irritated by the man's silent, persistent -company, held back his words. - -At the second stop Tom said shortly: "I'll be here a long while. You -needn't wait." - -But when he came down from the call, which he had purposely extended, -Petersen was waiting beside the steps. This was too much for Tom. "Where -are you going?" he demanded. - -"'Long you," the Swede answered slowly. - -"I don't know's I need you," Tom returned shortly, and started away. - -For half a dozen paces there was no sound but his own heel-clicks. Then -he heard the heel-clicks of the Swede. He turned about in exasperation. -"See here! What's your idea in following me around like this?" - -Petersen shifted his feet uncomfortably. "De man, last night, he -say----" He finished by placing his bony fists successively on either -side of his jaw. "I tank maybe I be 'long, I be some good." - -A light broke in on Tom. And he thought of the photograph on Petersen's -leprous wall. He shoved out his hand. "Put it there, Petersen!" he said. - -And all that evening Tom's silent companion marched through the streets -beside him. - - - - -Chapter XV - -MR. BAXTER HAS A FEW CONFERENCES - - -Captains of war have it as a common practice to secure information, in -such secret ways as they can, about their opponents' plans and -movements, and to develop their own plans to match these; and this -practice has come into usage among captains of industry. The same -afternoon that Jake brought news of Tom's scheme to Foley, a man of -furtive glance whom a member of the union would have recognized as -Johnson requested the youth in the outer office of Baxter & Co. to carry -his name to the head of the firm. - -"Wha' d'youse want to see him 'bout?" demanded the uniform. - -"A job." - -"No good. He don't hire nobody but the foremen." - -"It's a foreman's job I'm after," returned Johnson, glancing about. - -The debate continued, but in the end Johnson's name went in to Mr. -Baxter, and Johnson himself soon followed it. When he came out Mr. -Baxter's information was as complete as Buck Foley's. - -That evening Johnson's news came into the conversation of Mr. Baxter and -his wife. After dinner she drew him into the library--a real library, -booked to the ceiling on three sides, an open wood fire on the -other--to tell him of a talk she had had that day with chance-met Ruth. -With an aunt's privilege she had asked about the state of affairs -between her and Mr. Berman. - -"There's no telling what she's going to do," Mrs. Baxter went on, with a -gentle sigh. "I do hope she'll marry him! People are still talking about -her strange behavior in leaving us to go to work. How I did try to -persuade her not to do it! I knew it would involve us in a scandal. And -the idea of her offering to go to work in your office!" - -Mr. Baxter continued to look abstractedly into the grate, as he had -looked ever since she had begun her half-reminiscent strain. Now that -she was ended, she could but note that his mind was elsewhere. - -"James!" - -"Yes." He turned to her with a start. - -"Why, you have not spoken a word to me. Is there something on your -mind?" - -He studied the flames for a moment. "I learned this afternoon that the -Iron Workers' Union will probably demand a ten per cent. increase in -wages." - -"What! And that means a strike?" - -"It doubtless does, unless we grant their demand." - -"But can you afford to?" - -"We could without actually running at a loss." - -Mrs. Baxter was on the board of patronesses of one or two workingwomen's -clubs and was a contributor to several fashionable charities, so -considered herself genuinely thoughtful of the interests of -wage-earners. "If you won't lose anything, I suppose you might as well -increase their salaries. Most of them can use a little more money. -They're respectable people who appreciate everything we do for them. And -you can make it up by charging higher prices." - -Mr. Baxter sat silent for a space looking at his wife, quizzically, -admiringly. He was inclined to scoff in his heart at his wife's -philanthropic hobbies, but he indulged her in them as he did in all her -efforts to attain fashionable standing. He had said, lover fashion, in -their courtship days, that she should never have an ungratified wish, -and after a score of years he still held warmly to this promise. He -still admired her; and little wonder, for sitting with her feet -stretched toward the open fire, her blonde head gracefully in one hand, -her brown eyes fixed waitingly on him, looking at least eight less than -her forty-three years, she was absolutely beautiful. - -"Elizabeth," he said at length, "do you know how much we spent last -year?" - -"No." - -"About ninety-three thousand dollars." - -"So much as that? But really, it isn't such a big sum. A mere nothing to -what some of our friends spend." - -"This year, with our Newport house, it'll be a good thirty thousand -more; one hundred and twenty-five thousand, anyway. Now I can't make the -owners pay the raise, as you seem to think." He smiled slightly at her -business naïveté. "The estimates on the work I'll do this year were all -made on the present scale, and I can't raise the estimates. If the ten -per cent. increase is granted, it'll have to come out of our income. Our -income will be cut down for this year to at least seventy-five thousand. -If things go bad, to fifty thousand." - -Mrs. Baxter rose excitedly to her feet. "Why, that's absurd!" - -"We'd have to give up the Newport house," he went on, "put the yacht out -of commission and lessen expenses here." - -She looked at her husband in consternation. After several years of -effort Mrs. Baxter was just getting into the outer edge of the upper -crust of New York society. At her husband's words she saw all that she -had striven for, and which of late had seemed near of attainment, -withdraw into the shadowy recesses of an uncertain future. - -"But we can't cut down!" she cried desperately. "We simply can't! We -couldn't entertain here in the manner we have planned. And we'd have to -go to Atlantic City this summer, or some other such place!--and who goes -to Atlantic City? Why, we'd lose everything we've gained! We can never -give the raise, James. It's simply out of the question!" - -"And we won't," said Mr. Baxter, gently tapping a forefinger upon the -beautifully carved arm of his chair. - -"Anyhow, suppose we do spend a hundred and twenty-five thousand, why the -working people get everything back in wages," she added ingeniously. - -Mr. Baxter realized the economic fallacy of this last statement; but he -refrained from exposing her sophistry since her conscience found -satisfaction in it. - -Monday morning, in discharge of his duty as president of the Iron -Employers' Association, Mr. Baxter got Murphy, Bobbs, Isaacs, and -Driscoll, the other four members of the Executive Committee, on the -telephone. At eleven o'clock the five men were sitting around Mr. -Baxter's cherry table. Bobbs, Murphy, and Isaacs already had knowledge -of Tom's plans; Mr. Baxter was not the only one having unionists on his -payroll who performed services other than handling beams and hammering -rivets. Mr. Driscoll alone was surprised when Mr. Baxter stated the -object of calling the committee thus hastily together. - -"Why, I thought we'd been assured the old schedule would be continued!" -he said. - -"So Mr. Foley gave us to understand," answered Mr. Baxter. "But it's -another man, a man named Keating, that's stirring this up." - -"Keating!" Mr. Driscoll's lips pouted hugely, and his round eyes -snapped. For a man to whom he had taken a genuine liking to be stirring -up a fight against his interest was in the nature of a personal affront -to him. - -"I think I know him," said Mr. Murphy. "He ain't such a much!" - -"That shows you don't know him!" said Mr. Driscoll sharply. "Well, if -there is a strike, we'll at least have the satisfaction of fighting with -an honest man." - -"That satisfaction, of course," admitted Mr. Baxter, in his soft, -rounded voice. "But what shall be our plan? It is certainly the part of -wisdom for us to decide upon our attitude, and our course, in advance." - -"Fight 'em!" said Mr. Driscoll. - -"What is the opinion of you other gentlemen?" - -"They don't deserve an increase, so I'm against it," said Mr. Bobbs. Had -he spoken his thought his answer would have been: "It'll half ruin me if -we give the increase. Fact is, I've gone in pretty heavy in some real -estate lately. If my profits are cut down, I can't meet my payments." - -"Same as Driscoll," said Mr. Murphy, a blowzed, hairy man, a Tammany -member of the Board of Aldermen. He swore at the union. "Why, they're -already gettin' twice what they're worth!" - -Mr. Baxter raised his eyebrows the least trifle at Mr. Murphy's -profanity. "Mr. Isaacs." - -"I don't see how we can pay more. And yet if we're tied up by a strike -for two or three months we'll lose more than the increase of wages would -come to." - -Mr. Baxter answered the doubtful Mr. Isaacs in his smooth, even tones. -"You seem to forget, Mr. Isaacs, that if we grant this without a fight, -there'll be another demand next spring, and another the year after. -We're compelled to make a stand now if we would keep wages within -reasonable bounds." - -"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Mr. Isaacs. - -"Besides, if there is a strike it is not at all likely that it will last -any time," Mr. Baxter continued. "We should break the strike easily, -with a division in the union, as of course you see there is,--this Mr. -Keating on one side, Mr. Foley on the other. I've met Mr. Keating. I -dare say he's honest enough, as Mr. Driscoll says. But he is -inexperienced, and I am sure we can easily outgeneral him." - -"Beat 'em easy, an' needn't spit on our hands to do it neither," said -Mr. Murphy. He started to swing one foot upon the cherry table, but -catching Mr. Baxter's eye he checked the leg in mid-career. - -Straightway the five plunged into an excited discussion of the chance of -beating the strike, of plans for fighting it, and of preparation that -should be made in anticipation of it. - -When they had gone Mr. Baxter sat down to his desk and began writing a -note. He had listened to the talk of the four, to him mere chatter, with -outward courtesy and inward chafing, not caring to mention to them the -plan upon which he had already decided. His first impulse had been to -fight the union, and fight it hard. He hated trade unionism for its -arrogation of powers that he regarded as the natural right of the -employer; it was his right, as the owner of a great business, and as the -possessor of a superior intelligence, to run his affairs as he saw -fit--to employ men on his own terms, work them such hours and under such -conditions as he should decide--terms, hours, and conditions, of course, -to be as good as he could afford. But his business training, his wholly -natural instinct for gain, and later his large family expenses, had -fixed upon him the profitable habit of seeking the line of least -resistance. And so, succeeding this first hot impulse, was a desire that -the strike be avoided--if that were possible. - -His first thought had been of Foley. But the fewer his meetings with the -walking delegate of the iron workers, the more pleased was he. Then came -the second thought that it was better to deal directly with the -threatening cause--and so the letter he now wrote was to Tom Keating. - -The letter was delivered Tuesday morning before Tom left home. He read -it in wonderment, for to him any letter was an event: - - "Will you please call at my office as soon as you can find it - convenient. I have something to say that I think will interest you." - -Guessing wildly as to what this something might be, Tom presented -himself at ten o'clock in the outer office of Baxter & Co. The uniform -respectfully told him that Mr. Baxter would not be in before twelve. At -twelve Tom was back. Yes, Mr. Baxter was in, said the uniform, and -hurried away with Tom's name. Again there was a wait before the boy came -back, and again a wait in a sheeny chair before Mr. Baxter looked up. - -"Oh, Mr. Keating," he said. "I see you got my letter." - -"Yes. This morning." - -Mr. Baxter did not lose a second. "What I wanted to see you about is -this: I understand that some time ago you were inquiring here for a -position. It happens that I have a place just now that I'm desirous of -filling with an absolutely trustworthy man. Mr. Driscoll spoke very -highly to me of you, so I've sent for you." - -This offer came to Tom as a surprise. His uppermost guess as to the -reason for his being summoned had been that Mr. Baxter, repenting of his -late non-participation, now wished to join in the fight against Foley. -Under other circumstances Tom would have accepted the position, said -nothing, and held the job as long as he could. But the fact that the -offer was coming to him freely and in good faith prompted him to say: -"You must know, Mr. Baxter, that if you give me a job Foley'll make -trouble for you." - -"I have no fear of Mr. Foley's interference," Mr. Baxter answered him -quietly. - -"You haven't!" Tom leaned forward in sudden admiration. "You're the -first boss I've struck yet that's not afraid of Foley! He's got 'em all -scared stiff. If you'd come out against him----" - -Tom would have said more but Mr. Baxter's cold reserve, not a change of -feature, chilled his enthusiasm. He drew up in his chair. "What's the -job?" - -"Foreman. The salary is forty a week." - -Tom's heart beat exultantly--and he had a momentary triumph over Maggie. -"I'll take it," he said. - -"Can you begin at once?" - -"Yes." - -"Very well. Then I'll want you to leave to-morrow." - -Tom started. "Leave?" - -"Yes. Didn't I mention that the job is in Chicago?" - -Mr. Baxter watched Tom closely out of his steely gray eyes. He saw the -flush die out of Tom's face, saw Tom's clasped hands suddenly -tighten--and knew his answer before he spoke. - -"I can't do it," he said with an effort. "I can't leave New York." - -Mr. Baxter studied Tom's face an instant longer.... But it was too -honest. - -He turned toward his desk with a gentle abruptness. "I am very sorry, -Mr. Keating. Good-day." - -With Mr. Baxter there was small space between actions. He had already -decided upon his course in case this plan should fail. Tom was scarcely -out of his office before he was writing a note to Buck Foley. - -Foley sauntered in the next morning, hands in overcoat pockets, a cigar -in one corner of his mouth. "What's this I hear about a strike?" Mr. -Baxter asked, as soon as the walking delegate was seated. - -"Don't youse waste none o' the thinks in your brain-box on no strike," -returned Foley. He had early discovered Mr. Baxter's dislike of uncouth -expressions. - -"But there's a great deal of serious talk." - -"There's always wind comin' out o' men's mouths." - -Mr. Baxter showed not a trace of the irritation he felt. - -"Is there going to be a strike?" - -"Not if I know myself. And I think I do." He blew out a great cloud of -smoke. - -"But one of your men--a Mr. Keating--is stirring one up." - -"He thinks he is," Foley corrected. "But he's got another think comin'. -He's a fellow youse ought to know, Baxter. Nice an' cultivated; -God-fearin' an' otherwise harmless." - -Mr. Baxter's face tightened. "I know, Mr. Foley, that this situation is -much more serious than you pretend," he said sharply. - -Foley tilted back in his chair. "If youse seen a lion comin' at youse -with a yard or so of open mouth youse'd think things was gettin' a -little serious. But if youse knew the lion'd never make its last jump, -youse wouldn't go into the occupation o' throwin' fits, now would -youse?" - -"What do you mean?" - -"Nothin'. Only there'll be no last jump for Keating." - -"How's that?" - -"How? That's my business." He stood up, relit his cigar, striking the -match on the sole of his shoe. "Results is what youse's after. The how -belongs to me." - -At the door he paused, half closed one eye, and slowly blew forth the -smoke of his cigar. "Now don't get brain-fag," he said. - - - - -Chapter XVI - -BLOWS - - -It was about half past twelve when Tom left Mr. Baxter's office. As he -came purposeless into the street it occurred to him that he was but a -few blocks from the office of Mr. Driscoll, and in the same instant his -chance meeting with Ruth three weeks before as she came out to lunch -flashed across his memory. He turned his steps in the direction of Mr. -Driscoll's office, and on gaining the block it was in walked slowly back -and forth on the opposite side of the street, eagerly watching the -revolving door of the great building. At length she appeared. Tom -started quickly toward her. Another quarter revolution of the door and a -man was discharged at her side. The man was Mr. Berman; and they walked -off together, he turning upon her glances whose meaning Tom's quickened -instinct divined at once. - -The sight of these two together, Mr. Berman's eyes upon her with an -unmistakable look, struck him through with jagged pain. He was as a man -whose sealed vision an oculist's knife has just released. Amid startled -anguish his eyes suddenly opened to things he, in his blindness, had -never guessed. He saw what she had come to mean to him. This was so -great that, at first, it well-nigh obscured all else. She filled -him,--her sympathy, her intelligence, her high womanliness. And she, -she that filled him, was ... only a great pain. - -And then (he had mechanically followed them, and now stood watching the -door within which they had disappeared--the door through which he had -gone with her three weeks before) he saw, his pain writhing within him -the while, the double hopelessness of his love: she was educated, -cultured--she could care nothing for a mere workman; and even if she -could care, he was bound. - -And then (he was now moving slowly through the Broadway crowd, scarcely -conscious of it) he saw how poor he was in his loveless married life. -Since his first liking for Maggie had run its so brief course, he had -lapsed by such slow degrees to his present relations with her that he -had been hardly more conscious of his life's lacking than if he had been -living with an unsympathetic sister. But now that a real love had -discovered itself to him, with the suddenness of lightning that rips -open the night, he saw, almost gaspingly, how glorious life with love -could be; and, by contrast, he saw how sordid and commonplace his own -life was; and he saw this life without love stretching away its flat -monotony, year after year. - -And there were things he did not see, for he had not been made aware by -the unwritten laws prevailing in a more self-conscious social stratum. -And one of these things was, he did not see that perhaps in his social -ignorance he had done Ruth some great injury. - -That night Maggie kept his dinner warm on the back of the kitchen -range, to no purpose; and that night Petersen waited vainly on the -tenement steps. It was after twelve when Tom came into the flat, his -face drawn, his heart chilled. He had seen his course vaguely almost -from the first moment of his vision's release; he had seen it clearer -and more clear as hour after hour of walking had passed; and he felt -himself strong enough to hold to that course. - -The next morning at breakfast he was gentler with Maggie than he had -been in many a day; so that once, when she had gone into the kitchen to -refill her coffee cup, she looked in at him for a moment in a kind of -resentful surprise. Not being accustomed to peering inward upon the -workings of his soul, Tom himself understood this slight change in his -attitude no better than did his wife. He did not realize that the coming -of the knowledge of love, and the coming of sorrow, were together -beginning to soften and refine his nature. - -The work Tom had marked out for himself permitted him little time to -brood over his new unhappiness. After breakfast he set out once more -upon his twofold purpose: to find a job, if one could be found; to talk -strike to as many members of the union as he could see. In seeking work -he was limited to such occupations as had not yet been unionized. He -walked along the docks, thinking to find something to do as a -longshoreman, but the work was heavy and irregular, the hours long, the -pay small; and he left the river front without asking for employment. He -looked at the men in the tunnel of the underground railway; but he could -not bring himself to ask employment among the low-waged Italians he saw -there. He did go into three big stores and make blind requests for -anything, but at none was there work for him. - -As he went about Tom visited the jobs near which he passed, on which -members of his union were at work. One of these was a small residence -hotel just west of Fifth Avenue, whose walls were up, but which was as -yet unfinished on the inside. He climbed to the top in search of members -employed on the iron stairways and the elevator shafts, but did not find -a man. He reached the bottom of the stairway just in time to see three -men enter the doorway. One of the three he recognized as Jake Henderson, -and he knew the entertainment committee had him cornered. He grimly -changed his revolver from his vest pocket to his left coat pocket, and -filling his right coat pocket from a heap of sand beside him, quietly -awaited their coming. - -The three paused a moment inside the door, evidently to accustom their -eyes to the half darkness, for all the windows were boarded up. At -length they sighted him, standing before the servants' staircase in the -further corner. They came cautiously across the great room, as yet -unpartitioned, Jake slightly in the lead. At ten paces away they came to -a halt. - -"I guess we got youse good an' proper at last," said Jake gloatingly. -"It won't do youse no good to yell. We'll give youse all the more if -youse do. An' we can give it to youse, anyhow, before the men can get -down." - -Tom did not answer. He had no mind to cry for help. He stood alertly -watching them, his hands in his coat pockets. - -Jake laid off his hat and coat--there was leisure, and it enlarged his -pleasure to take his time--and moved forward in advance of his two -companions. - -"Good-by," he said leering. He was on the point of lunging at his -victim, when Tom's right hand came out and a fistful of sand went -stinging full into his face. He gave a cry, but before he could so much -as make a move to brush away the sand Tom's fist caught him on the ear. -He dropped limply. - -The two men sprang forward, to be met in the face by Tom's revolver. - -"If you fellows want button-holes put into you, just move another step!" -he said. - -They took another step, several of them--but backward steps. Tom kept -them covered for a minute, then moved toward the light, walking -backward, his eyes never leaving them. On gaining the door he slipped -the revolver into his vest pocket and stepped quickly into the blinding -street. - -When Tom, entering the union hall that evening, passed Jake at his place -at the door, the latter scowled fiercely, but the presence of several of -Tom's friends, who had been acquainted with the afternoon's encounter, -pacified his fists. - -"Why, what's the matter with your eyes, Jake?" asked Pig Iron Pete -sympathetically. - -Jake consigned Pete to the usual place, and whispered in Tom's ear: -"Youse just wait! I'll git youse yet!" - -That night Tom sat his first time in the president's chair. His -situation was painfully grotesque,--instead of being the result of the -chances of election, it might well have been an ironic jest of Foley: -there was Connelly, two tables away, at his right; Brown, the -vice-president, at the table next him; Snyder, the corresponding -secretary, at his left; Jake Henderson, sergeant-at-arms, at the -door;--every man of them an intimate friend of Foley. And it was not -long before Tom felt the farce-tragedy of his position. Shortly after he -rapped the meeting to order a man in the rear of the hall became -persistently obstreperous. After two censured outbreaks he rose -unsteadily amid the discussion upon a motion. "I objec'," he said. - -"What's your objection?" Tom asked, repressing his wrath. - -The man swore. "Ain't it 'nough I objec'!" - -"If the member is out of order again he'll have to leave the hall." Tom -guessed this to be a scheme of Foley to annoy him. - -"Put me out, you----" And the man offered some remarks upon Tom's -character. - -Tom pounded the table with his gavel. "Sergeant-at-arms, put that man -out!" - -Jake, who stood at the door whispering to a man, did not even turn -about. - -"Sergeant-at-arms!" - -Jake went on with his conversation. - -"Sergeant-at-arms!" thundered Tom, springing to his feet. - -Jake looked slowly around. - -"Put that man out!" Tom ordered. - -"Can't youse see I'm busy?" said Jake; and turned his broad back. - -Several of Tom's friends sprang up, but all in the room waited to see -what he would do. For a moment he stood motionless, a statue of -controlled fury, and for that moment there was stillness in the hall. -Then he tossed the gavel upon the table and strode down the center -aisle. He seized the offending member, who was in an end seat, one hand -on his collar and one on his wrist. The man struck out, but a fierce -turn of his wrist brought from him a submissive cry of pain. Tom pushed -him, swearing, toward the door. No one offered interference, and his -ejection was easy, for he was small and half drunken. - -Tom strode back to his table, brought the gavel down with a blow that -broke its handle and looked about with blazing eyes. Again the union -waited his action in suspense. His chest heaved; he swallowed mightily. -Then he asked steadily: "Are you ready for the question?" - -This is but one sample of the many annoyances Tom suffered during the -meeting, and of the annoyances he was to suffer for many meetings to -come. A man less obstinately strong would have yielded his resignation -within an hour--to force which was half the purpose of the harassment; -and a man more violent would have broken into a fury of words, which, -answering the other half of the purpose, would have been to Foley's crew -what the tirade of a beggar is to teasing schoolboys. - -When "new business" was reached Tom yielded the chair to Brown, the -vice-president, and rose to make the protest on which he had determined. -He had no great hope of winning the union to the action he desired; but -it had become a part of his nature never to give up and to try every -chance. - -The union knew what was coming. There were cheers and hisses, but Tom -stood waiting minute after minute till both had died away. "Mr. -Chairman, I move we set aside last week's election of walking delegate," -he began, and went on to make his charges against Foley. Cries of "Good -boy, Tom!" "Right there!" came from his friends, and various and -variously decorated synonyms for liar came from Foley's crowd; but Tom, -raising his voice to a shout, spoke without pause through the cries of -friends and foes. - -When he ended half the crowd was on foot demanding the right to the -floor. Brown dutifully recognized Foley. - -Foley did not speak from where he stood in the front row, but sauntered -angularly, hands in trousers pockets, to the platform and mounted it. -With a couple of kicks he sent a chair from its place against the wall -to the platform's edge, leisurely swung his right foot upon the chair's -seat, rested his right elbow upon his knee, and with cigar in the left -corner of his mouth, and his side to his audience, he began to speak. - -"When I was a kid about as big as a rivet I used to play marbles for -keeps," he drawled, looking at the side wall. "When I won, I didn't make -no kick. When I lost, a deaf man could 'a' heard me a mile. I said the -other kid didn't play fair, an' I went cryin' around to make him give -'em up." - -He paused to puff at his cigar. "Our honorable president, it seems he's -still a kid. Me an' him played a little game o' marbles last week. He -lost. An' now he's been givin' youse the earache. It's the same old -holler. He says I didn't play fair. He says I tried to stuff the box at -the start. But that was just a game on his part, as I said then, to -throw suspicion on me; an' anyhow, no ballots got in. He says I stuffed -it by a trick at the last. What's his proof? He says so. -Convincin'--hey? Gents, if youse want to stop his bawlin', give him back -his marbles. Turn me down, an' youse'll have about what's comin' to -youse--a cry baby sport." - -He kicked his chair back against the wall and sat down; and amidst all -the talk that followed he did not once rise or turn his face direct to -the crowd. But when, finally, Brown said, "Everybody in favor of the -motion stand up," Foley rose to his full height with his back against -the wall, and his withheld gaze now struck upon the crowd with startling -effect. It was a phenomenon of his close-set eyes that each man in a -crowd thought them fixed upon himself. Upon every face that gaze seemed -bent--lean, sarcastic, menacing. - -"Everybody that likes a cry baby sport, stand up!" he shouted. - -Men sprang up all over the hall, and stood so till the count was made. - -"Those opposed," Brown called out. - -A number equally great rose noisily. A glance showed Tom the motion was -lost, since a two-thirds' vote was necessary to rescind an action. But -as his hope had been small, his disappointment was now not great. - -Foley's supporters broke into cheers when they saw their leader was -safe, but Foley himself walked with up-tilted cigar back to his first -seat in an indifferent silence. - - - - -Chapter XVII - -THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE - - -During the three weeks that followed Tom kept busy day and night,--by -day looking for work and talking to chance-met members, by night -stirring the members to appear on the first Wednesday of April to vote -for the demand for higher wages. He was much of the time dogged by part -of the entertainment committee, but he had become watchful, and the -knowledge that he was armed made them wary, so day after day passed -without another conflict. At first his committee's delay in the -discharge of their duty stirred Foley's wrath. "Youse're as slow as fat -angels!" he informed them in disgust. Later the delay stirred his -anxiety, and he raised his offer from twenty-five dollars a man to one -hundred. - -Every night Tom was met at his street door by Petersen and left there by -him a few hours later. His frequent appearance with Tom brought Petersen -into some prominence; and he was promptly nicknamed "Babe" by a -facetious member who had been struck by his size, and "Rosie" by a man -who saw only his awkwardness. Both names stuck. His relation to Tom had -a more unpleasant result: it made the story of his discomfiture by a man -of half his size, while on the fire-house job, decidedly worth the -telling; and so it rapidly came into general circulation, and the sight -of Petersen was the signal for jeers, even among Tom's own friends. -Petersen flushed at the taunts, but bore them dumbly and kept his arms -at his side. - -All this while Ruth was much in Tom's mind. Had it not been that he kept -himself busy he could have done little else but think of her. As it was, -he lay awake long hours at night, very quietly that he might not rouse -his wife, in wide-eyed dreams of her; and several times by day he caught -himself out of thoughts of her to find himself in a street far out of -his way. And once, in the evening, he had puzzled the faithful Petersen -by walking back and forth through an uptown block and gazing at a house -in which no member of the Iron Workers' Union could possibly be living. -But he held firmly to the course he had recognized as his only course. - -For three weeks he maintained his determination, against desire scarcely -less strong than his strength, till the evening of the first Tuesday of -April, the night before the vote upon the strike. Then, either he was -weaker, or desire was stronger. He was overwhelmed. His resolve to keep -away from her, his intention to spend this last evening in work, were -nothing before his wish to see her again. He was fairly swept up to her -door, not heeding Petersen, and not giving a thought to Jake, whom he -glimpsed once in the street car behind when a brief blockade let it gain -the tail of his own. - -"You needn't wait for me," he said mechanically to Petersen as he rang -the bell. Again the maid brought back word for him to come up. This -time Ruth was not waiting him at the head of the stairs. He stood before -her door a moment, with burning brain, striving for mastery over -himself, before he could knock. She called to him to enter, and he found -her leaning against her little case of books, unusually pale, but with -eyes brighter than he had ever seen them. - -She took a step toward him, and held out her hand. "I'm so glad you -called, Mr. Keating." - -Tom, for his part, could make no answer; his throat had suddenly gone -cracking dry. He took her hand; his grip was as loose as an unconscious -man's. - -As was the first minute, so were the two hours that followed. In answer -to her questions he told her of his new plans, without a vestige of -enthusiasm; and presently, to save the situation, she began to talk -volubly about nothing at all. They were hours of mutual constraint. Tom -hardly had knowledge of what he said, and he hardly heard her words. His -very nearness to her made more ruthlessly clear the wideness that lay -between them. He felt with its first keenness the utter hopelessness of -his love. Every moment that he sat with his hot eyes upon her he -realized that he should forthwith go. But still he sat on in a silence -of blissful agony. - -At length there came an interruption--a knock at the door. Ruth answered -it, and when she turned about she held out an envelope to Tom. "A letter -for you," she said, with a faint show of surprise. "A messenger brought -it." - -Tom tore it open, looking first to the signature. It was from Pete. "I -have got a bunch of the fellows in the hall over the saloon at--Third -Avenue," read the awkward scramble of words. "On the third floor. Can't -you come in and help me with the spieling?" - -At another time Tom might have wondered at this note: how Pete had come -to be in a hall with a crowd of men, how Pete had learned where he was. -But now the note did not raise a doubt in his fevered brain. - -He folded the note, and put it into a pocket. "I've got some work to do -yet to-night," he explained, and he took up his hat. It was an unusually -warm evening for the first of April and he had worn no overcoat. - -"You must come again soon," she said a few moments later, as he was -leaving. Tom had nothing to say; he could not tell her the truth--that -he expected never to see her again. And so he left her, awkwardly, -without parting word of any kind. At the foot of the stairs he paused -and looked up at her door, at the head of the first flight, and he -looked for a long, long space before he stepped forth into the night. - -A little round man stood bareheaded on the stoop; Petersen was pacing -slowly to and fro on the sidewalk. The little man seized Tom by the arm. -"Won't you send a policeman, please," he asked excitedly, in an -inconsequential voice, such as belongs properly to the husband of a -boarding-house mistress. - -"What for?" - -"That man there has been walking just so, back and forth, for the last -two hours. From the way he keeps looking up at the house it is certain -he is contemplating some nefarious act of burglary." - -"I'll do better than send a cop," said Tom. "I'll take him away myself." - -He went down the steps, took Petersen's arm and started off with him. -"Thank you exceedingly, sir!" called out the little man. - -They took an Eighty-sixth Street cross-town car to Third Avenue, and -after five minutes' riding southward Tom, keeping watch from the end of -the car, spied a number near to the one for which he was searching. They -got out and easily found the place designated in Pete's note. It was -that great rarity, a saloon in the middle of a New York block. The -windows of the second floor were dark; a soft glow came through those of -the floor above. - -With the rattle of the elevated trains in their ears Tom and Petersen -entered the hallway which ran alongside the saloon, and mounted two -flights of stairs so dark that, at the top of the second, Tom had to -grope for the door. This discovered, he opened it and found himself at -the rear of the hall. This was a barren, dingy room, perhaps forty feet -long, with double curtains of some figured cloth at the three front -windows. Four men sat at the front end of the room playing cards; there -were glasses and beer bottles on the table, and the men were smoking. - -All this Tom saw within the time of the snapping of an instantaneous -shutter; and he recognized, with the same swiftness, that he had been -trapped. But before he could shift a foot to retreat, a terrific shove -from behind the door sent him staggering against the side wall. The door -was slammed shut by the same force, grazing Petersen as he sprang in. -The bolt of the lock clicked into place. - -"We've got youse this time!" Tom heard a harsh voice cry out, and on the -other side of Petersen, who stood on guard with clenched fists, he saw -Jake Henderson, a heavy stick in his right hand. - -In the same instant the men at the table had sprung to their feet. "Why, -if it ain't Rosie!" cried Kaffir Bill, advancing at the head of the -quartette. - -"Say, fellows, tie my two hands behind me, so's me an' Rosie can have an -even fight," requested Arkansas Number Two. - -"If youse want Rosie to fight, youse've got to tie his feet together," -said Smoky; and this happy reference to the time Petersen ran away -brought a laugh from the three others. - -Tom, recovering from his momentary dizziness, drew his revolver and -levelled it at the four. "The first man that moves gets the first -bullet." - -The men suddenly checked their steps. - -For an instant the seven made a tableau. Then Petersen sprang in at -Jake. A blow from the club on his left shoulder stopped him. Again he -sprang in, this time breaking through Jake's guard, but only to grasp -Jake's left arm with his half-numbed left hand. This gave Jake his -chance. His right hand swung backward with the club, his eyes on Tom. - -"Look out!" cried Petersen. - -Tom, guessing danger in the warning, pulled the trigger. With a cry -Hickey dropped to the floor, a bullet in his leg. In the very flash of -the revolver the whizzing club sent the weapon flying from Tom's hand. -Tom made a rush after the pistol, and Jake, breaking from Petersen's -grip, made a plunge on the same errand. Both outstretched hands closed -upon it, and the two men went sprawling to the floor in a struggle for -its possession. - -Petersen faced quickly about upon the men whom Tom's revolver had made -hesitant. Hickey lay groaning and swearing, a little pool of blood -beginning to form on the bare floor. The other three, in their lust for -their reward now so nearly won, gave Hickey hardly a glance, but -advanced upon Petersen with the confidence that comes of being three to -one and of knowing that one to be a coward. Petersen slipped off his -coat, threw it together with his derby hat upon the floor near the wall, -and with swelling nostrils quietly awaited their onslaught. - -Arkansas stepped forth from his fellows. "Where'll I hit you first, -Rosie? Glad to give you your pref'rence." And he spat into the V of -Petersen's vest. - -That was the last conscious moment of Arkansas for an hour. Petersen -took a step forward, his long arm shot out, and Arkansas went to the -floor all a-huddle. - -Tom's eyes, glancing an instant from his own adversary, saw the "Swedish -Terror" of the photograph: left foot advanced, fists on guard, body -low-crouched. "Come on!" Petersen said, with a joyous snarl, to the two -men who had fallen back a step. "Come on. I vant you bod!" - -Kaffir Bill looked hesitantly upon his companion. "It was only a lucky -lick, Smoky; Arkansas wasn't lookin'," he explained doubtfully. - -"Yes," said the other. - -"Sure. It couldn't 'a' been nothin' else. Why, Kid Morgan done him up." - -"Come on then!" cried Smoky. - -Together they made a rush, Bill a step in advance. Petersen's right -landed over Bill's heart. Bill went tottering backward and to the floor. -Smoky shot in and clinched; but after Petersen's fists, like alternating -hammers, had played a terrific tattoo against his two cheeks, he loosed -his hold and staggered away with his arms about his ears. Bill rose -dizzily to his feet, and the pair leaned against the further wall, -whispering and watching Petersen with glowering irresolution. - -"Come on, bod! Come on vid you!" Petersen shouted, his fists moving back -and forth in invitation, his indrawn breath snoring exultantly. - -Jake let out an oath. "Get into him!" he said. - -"Yah! Come on vid you!" - -They conferred a moment longer, and then crept forward warily. Hickey -stopped his groaning and rose to his elbows to watch the second round. -At five feet away the two paused. Then suddenly Smoky made a feint, -keeping out of reach of the Swede's swinging return, and under cover of -this Kaffir Bill ducked and lunged at Petersen's legs. - -Petersen went floundering to the floor, and Smoky hurled himself upon -his chest. The three became a whirling, tumbling tangle,--arms striking -out, legs kicking,--Petersen now in under, now half free, striking and -hugging with long-untasted joy, breathing fierce grunts and strange -ejaculations. The two had thought, once off his feet, the Swede would be -an easy conquest. But Petersen had been a mighty rough-and-tumble -scrapper before he had gone into the prize ring, and for a few -tumultuous moments the astounded twain had all they could do to hold -their own. - -"Slug him, can't youse!" gasped Bill, who was looking after Petersen's -lower half, to Smoky, who was looking after the upper. - -Smoky likewise saw that only a blow in the right place could give them -victory over this heaving force. So far it had taken his best to hold -these long arms. But he now loosed his hug to get in the victorious -blow. Before he could strike, Petersen's fist jammed him in the face. - -"Ya-a-h!" grunted the Swede. - -Smoky fell instantly to his old position. "Hit him yourself!" he growled -from Petersen's shirt front. - -Bill, not having seen what had happened to Smoky, released a leg so that -he might put his fist into Petersen's stomach. The leg kicked his knee. -Bill, with a shriek, frantically re-embraced the leg. - -The two now saw they could do no more than merely hold Petersen, and so -the struggle settled to a stubborn equilibrium. - -In the meantime the strife between Tom and Jake had been like that of -two bulls which stand braced, with locked horns. Jake's right hand had -gained possession of the revolver, having at first had the better hold -on it; Tom had a fierce grip on his forearm. The whole effort of one was -to put the weapon into use; the whole effort of the other was to prevent -its use, and perhaps to seize it for himself. Neither dared strike lest -the act give the other his chance. - -When he saw nothing was coming of the struggle between Bill and Smoky -and Petersen, a glimpse of the wounded man, raised on his elbows, gave -Jake an idea. With a jerk of his wrist he managed to toss the revolver a -couple of feet away, beyond his own and Tom's reach. - -"Hickey!" he called out. "Get it!" - -The wounded man moved toward them, half crawling, half dragging himself. -A vengeful look came into his eyes. Tom needed no one to tell him what -would happen when the man he had shot laid hand upon his weapon. Hickey -drew nearer and nearer, his bloody trouser leg leaving a moist trail on -the bare floor. His head reached their feet--passed them--his right hand -stretched out for the revolver. Tom saw his only chance. With a supreme -effort he turned Jake, who in watching Hickey was momentarily off his -guard, upon his back; and with all the strength of his leg he drove his -foot into the crawling man's stomach. The man collapsed with a groaning -outrush of breath. - -Tom saw that the deadlock was likely to be ended, and the victory won, -by the side gaining possession of the revolver; and he saw the danger -to Petersen and himself that lay in the possibility of either of the -unconscious men regaining his senses. Petersen's slow mind worked -rapidly enough in a fight; he, too, saw the danger Tom had seen. -Anything to be done must be done at once. - -But a nearer danger presented itself. Jake strained his neck till his -eyes were on the trio. "Can't one o' youse hold him?" he gasped. -"T'other git the gun." - -Smoky was on his back crosswise beneath Petersen's chest, his arms tight -about Petersen's neck, clamping Petersen's hot cheek against his own. -Kaffir Bill lay upon the Swede's legs, arms locked about them just below -the hips. Bill was the freer to obey the order of the chief, and he -began to slip his arms, still embracing the legs, slowly downward. - -Certainly anything to be done must be done at once, for Petersen, lost -to passion though he was, knew that in another moment Bill's arms would -have slipped to his feet, and there would be a spring to be clear of his -kick and a rush for the revolver. With a fierce grunt, he quickly placed -his broad hands on either side of Smoky's chest and slowly strained -upward. Bill, not knowing what this new move meant, immediately -regripped Petersen's thighs. Slowly Petersen rose, lifting Smoky's -stiffened body after him, cheek still tight against cheek, till his -elbows locked. Then his hips gradually raised till part of his weight -was on his knees. His back arched upward, and his whole body stiffened -till it was like a bar of iron. - -Suddenly his arms relaxed, and he drove downward, his weight and -strength concentrated against Smoky's cheek. Smoky's head battered the -floor. His arms loosened; a quick blow on the jaw made them fall limp. -Petersen whirled madly over to dispose of Bill, but in the same tick of -the watch Bill sprang away, and to his feet, and made a dash for the -revolver. Instantly Petersen was up and but two paces behind him. Bill's -lunging hand fell upon the weapon, Petersen's fist fell upon Bill, and -the revolver was Petersen's. - -When Jake saw Petersen come up with the pistol he took his arms from -about Tom. "Youse've got me done. I give in," he growled. - -The two were rising when a wild voice sounded out hoarsely: "Come on! -Come on now vid you!" - -Tom, on his feet, turned toward Petersen. The Swede, left hand gripping -the revolver about its barrel, stood in challenging attitude, his eyes -blazing, saliva trickling from one corner of his mouth. "Yah! Come on!" - -Tom recognized what he was seeing,--that wild Swedish rage that knows -neither when it has beat nor when it is beaten; in this case all the -less controllable from its long restraint. - -Pete, Smoky, and Bill were now all on their feet and leaning against the -wall. Petersen strode glaring before them, shaking his great fists -madly. "Come on now!" - -"Petersen!" Tom called. - -"Come on vid you! I vant all dree!" The harsh voice rose into a shriek. - -The three did not move. "For God's sake, Petersen! The fight's over!" -Tom cried. - -"Afraid! Yah! Afraid! I lick you all dree!" - -With an animal-like roar he rushed at the three men. Smoky and Bill -ducked and dashed away, but Jake stood his ground and put up his fists. -A blow and he went to the floor. Petersen flung about to make for Smoky -and Bill. Tom seized his arm. - -"God, man! Stop! They've give in!" - -"Look out!" A shove sent Tom staggering, and Petersen was away. "I lick -'em all, by God!" he roared. - -With annihilating intent he bore down upon Bill and Smoky, who stood -back to wall on fearful defense. An inspiration flashed upon Tom. "Your -wife, Petersen! Your wife!" he cried. - -Petersen's raging strides checked. He looked slowly about. "Vot?" - -"Your wife!" - -"Anna!... Anna!" Dazed, breathing heavily, he stared at Tom. Something -like a convulsion went through him. His face faded to dullness, then to -contrition. - -"Better let me have the gun," Tom said quietly, after a minute had -passed. - -Petersen handed it over. - -"Now get your hat and coat, and we'll go." - -Without glancing at the three, who were staring at him in utter -bewilderment, Petersen dully put on his hat and coat. A moment later he -and Tom were backing toward the door. But before they reached it Tom's -steady gaze became conscious of the curtains at the further end of the -room. His square face tightened grimly with sudden purpose. - -"Take down those curtains, Petersen," he said. - -Petersen removed the six curtains, dusty and stained with tobacco juice, -from their places and brought them to Tom. - -"Tear five of 'em into two strips." - -The three men, and Hickey from the floor, looked on curiously while -Petersen obeyed. - -"Tie Jake up first; hands behind his back," was Tom's next order. - -"I'll see youse in hell first!" Jake backed away from Petersen and -raised his fists. - -"If you make any trouble, I'll give you a quick chance to look around -there a bit!" - -Jake gazed a moment at the revolver and the gleaming eye behind it, and -his fists dropped. Petersen stepped behind him and went to work, -twisting the strip of muslin into a rope as he wound it about Jake's -wrists. The job was securely done in a minute, for Petersen had once -followed the sea. - -"Now his feet," said Tom; and to Jake: "It'll be easier for you if you -lay down." - -Jake hesitated, then with an oath dropped to his knees and tumbled -awkwardly on his side. In another minute Jake's feet were fastened; and -at the end of ten minutes the other four men had been bound, even the -wounded Hickey. - -Tom put his revolver in his outside coat pocket, and unlocked the door. -"Good-night," he said; and he and Petersen stepped out. He locked the -door and put the key in his pocket. - -"Police?" asked Petersen, when they had gained the street. - -"No. That's what they ought to have. But when you've been a union man -longer you'll know we boys don't ask the police to mix in our affairs. -When there's a strike, they're always turned against us by the bosses. -So we leave 'em alone." - -They were but half a dozen squares from Mulligan's saloon. Tom set out -in its direction, and five minutes later, with Petersen behind him, he -walked into the doorway of the room beyond the bar. As he had expected, -there sat Foley, and with him were three of his men. Foley started, and -half rose from his chair, but settled back again. His discomposure -confirmed what Tom had already guessed--that Foley's was the brain -behind the evening's stratagem, and that he was awaiting his deputies' -report. - -"I guess you were expecting somebody else," Tom said grimly from the -doorway, one hand on the revolver in his coat pocket. "I just dropped in -to tell you Jake Henderson and his bunch are waiting for you up over -Murphy's saloon." - -Foley was dazed, as he could not help but be, thus learning his last -plan had failed. "Youse saw 'em?" - -"I did." - -He looked Tom over. And then his eyes took in the figure of Petersen -just within the doorway. He grasped instinctively at the chance to raise -a laugh. "Was Rosie there?" he queried. - -The three dutifully guffawed. - -"Yes," said Tom. "Rosie was there." - -Foley took a bracing hold of himself, and toyed with the stem of his -beer glass. "Much obliged for comin' in to tell me," he said, with a -show of carelessness. "But I guess the boys ain't in no hurry." - -"No, I guess not," Tom agreed. "They said they'd wait till you came." - -With that he tossed the key upon the table, turned and strode forth from -the saloon. Outside he thrust a gripping arm through Petersen's, which -straightway took on an embarrassed limpness, and walked away. - - - - -Chapter XVIII - -THE STOLEN STRIKE - - -Tom mounted the stairs of Potomac Hall early the next evening. During -the day he had told a few friends the story of the encounter of the -night before. The story had spread in versions more or less vague and -distorted, and now on his entry of the hall he was beset by a crowd who -demanded a true and detailed account of the affair. This he gave. - -"Oh, come now, Tom! This's hot air you're handin' us out about Babe!" -expostulated one of the men. - -"It's the truth." - -"Get out! I saw Kid Morgan chase him a block. He can't fight." - -"You think not? Well, there's one way you can convince yourself." - -"How's that?" - -"Try it with him for about a minute," answered Tom. - -There was a laugh, in which the man joined. "I tell you what, boys," he -said, after it had subsided. "I hit Babe on the back o' the neck with a -glove the day Kid chased him. If what Tom says is straight, I'm goin' to -beg Babe's pardon in open meetin'." - -"Me, too," chimed in another. - -"It's so," said Tom, thinking with a smile of what was in store for -Petersen. - -For some reason, perhaps one having to do with their personal pride, -Jake and his fellows did not appear that night, though several hundred -men waited their coming with impatient greetings. But just before Tom -opened the session Petersen entered the hall and slipped into an obscure -seat near the door. - -He was immediately recognized. "Petersen!" someone announced. -Straightway men arose all over the hall and turned about to face him. -"Petersen!" "Petersen!" "What's the matter with Petersen!" the cries -went up, and there was a great clapping of hands. - -Petersen sprang to his feet in wild consternation. Yes, they were -looking at him. Yes, that was his name. He didn't know what it meant---- - -But the next instant he had bolted out of the hall. - -When the shouting had died away Tom called the union to order. He was -filled with an exultant sense of certain triumph; he had kept an -estimating eye on the members as they had filed in; an easy majority of -the men were with him, and as their decision would be by open vote there -would be no chance for Foley to stuff a ballot-box. - -Pete, the instructed spokesman for Tom's party, was the first man on his -feet. "Mr. President," he said, "I move we drop the reg'lar order o' -business an' proceed at once to new business." - -Tom put the motion to rising vote. His confidence grew as he looked -about the hall, for the rising vote on the motion showed how strong his -majority really was. - -"Motion carried!" he shouted, and brought down his gavel. - -The next instant a dozen men were on their feet waving their right hands -and crying, "Mr. Chairman." One was Pete, ten were good-intentioned but -uninformed friends, and one was Foley. Tom's eyes fastened upon Foley, -and his mind worked quickly. - -"Mr. Foley," he said. - -A murmur of surprise ran among Tom's friends. But he had his reason for -this slight deviation from his set plan. He knew that Foley was opposed -to a strike; if he let Foley go on record against it in a public speech, -then his coming victory over the walking delegate would be all the more -decisive. - -Foley looked slowly about upon the men, and for a moment did not speak. -Then he said suddenly, in a conversational tone: "Boys, how much youse -gettin'?" - -"Three seventy-five," several voices answered. - -"How long youse been gettin' it?" - -"Two years." - -"Yes," he said, his voice rising and ringing with intensity. "Two years -youse've been workin' for three seventy-five. The bosses' profits have -been growin' bigger an' bigger. But not a cent's raise have youse had. -Not a cent, boys! Now here's what I say." - -He paused, and thrust out his right arm impressively. Tom regarded him -in sickened, half-comprehending amazement. - -"Here's what I say, boys! I say it's time we had more money. I say we -ought to make the blood-suckin' bosses give up a part o' what's comin' -to us. That's what I say!" And he swung his doubled fist before his face -in a great semi-circle. - -He turned to Tom, with a leer in his eyes that was for Tom alone. "Mr. -President, I move we demand a ten per cent. increase o' wages, an' if -the bosses won't give it, strike for it!" - -Tom sank stupefied back in his chair. Foley's own men were bewildered -utterly. A dead silence of a minute or more reigned in the hall, while -all but the walking delegate strove to recover their bearing. - -It was Connelly who broke the general trance. Connelly did not -understand, but there was Foley's standing order, "Watch me, an' do the -same." "I second the motion," he said. - -A little later Foley's strike measure was carried without a single -dissenting vote. Foley, Connelly, Brown, Pete, and Tom, with Foley as -chairman, were elected the committee to negotiate with the employers for -higher wages, and, if there should be a strike, to manage it. - -The adoption of the strike measure meant to Foley that the income -derived from Mr. Baxter, and two or three others with whom he maintained -somewhat similar relations, was to be cut off. But before he reached -home that night he had discovered a compensation for this loss, and he -smiled with grim satisfaction. The next morning he presented himself in -the office of Mr. Baxter, and this same grim smile was on his face. - -"Hello, Baxter! How youse stackin' up this mornin'?" And he clapped a -hand on Mr. Baxter's artistically padded shoulder. - -The contractor started at this familiarity, and a slight frown showed -itself on his brow. "Very well," he said shortly. - -"Really, now. Why, youse look like youse slept alongside a bad dream." -Foley drew forth his cigar-case and held it out. He knew Mr. Baxter did -not smoke cigars and hated their smell. - -"No, thank you." - -The walking delegate put one in his mouth and scratched a match under -the edge of the cherry table. "I don't s'pose youse know there was -doin's at the union last night?" - -"I understand the union decided to strike." - -"Wonderful, ain't it, how quick news travels?" - -Mr. Baxter disregarded Foley's look of mock surprise. "You seem to have -failed utterly to keep your promise that there would be no strike," he -said coldly. - -"It was Keating stirred it up," Foley returned, calmly biting a bit off -his cigar and blowing it out upon the deep red rug. - -"You also failed to stop Mr. Keating," Mr. Baxter pursued. - -"Mr. Baxter, even the best of us makes our mistakes. I bet even youse -ain't cheated every man youse've counted on cheatin'." - -Mr. Baxter gave another little start, as when Foley had slapped his -shoulder. "Furthermore, I understand you, yourself, made the motion to -strike." - -"The way youse talk sometimes, Baxter, makes me think youse must 'a' -been born about minute before last," Foley returned blandly. "As an -amachure diplomat, youse've got Mayor Low skinned to death. Sure I made -the motion. An' why did I make the motion? If I hadn't 'a' made it, but -had opposed it, where'd I 'a' been? About a thousand miles outside the -outskirts o' nowhere,--nobody in the union, an' consequently worth about -as much to youse as a hair in a bowl o' soup. I stood to lose both. I -still got the union." - -"What do you propose that we do?" Mr. Baxter held himself in, for the -reason that he supposed the old relation would merely give place to a -new. - -"Well, there's goin' to be strike. The union'll make a demand, an' I -rather guess youse'll not give up without a fight." - -"We shall certainly fight," Mr. Baxter assured him. - -"Well," he drawled, "since I've got to lead the union in a strike an' -youse're goin' to fight the strike, it seems like everything'd have to -be off between us, don't it?" - -Mr. Baxter did not reply at once, and then did not answer the question. -"What are you going to do?" - -"To tell youse, that is just what I came here for." In a flash Foley's -manner changed from the playful to the vindictive, and he leaned slowly -forward in his chair. "I'm goin' to fight youse, Baxter, an' fight youse -like hell!" he said, between barely parted teeth. And his gray eyes, -suddenly hard, gazed maliciously into Mr. Baxter's face. - -"I'm goin' to fight like hell!" he went on. "For two years I've been -standin' your damned manicured manners. Youse've acted like I wasn't fit -to touch. Why d'youse s'pose I've stood it? Because it was money to me. -Now that there's no money in it, d'youse s'pose I'm goin' to stand it -any longer? Not much, by God! And d'youse think I've forgotten the -past--your high-nosed, aristocratic ways? Well, youse'll remember 'em -too! My chance's come, an' I'm goin' to fight youse like hell!" - -At the last Foley's clenched fist was under Mr. Baxter's nose. The -contractor did not stir the breadth of a hair. "Mr. Foley," he said in -his cold, even voice, "I think you know the shortest way out of this -office." - -"I do," said Foley. "An' it's a damned sight too long!" - -He gave Mr. Baxter a long look, full of defiant hate, contemptuously -flipped his half-smoked cigar on Mr. Baxter's spotless desk, and strode -out. - - - - -Chapter XIX - -FOLEY TASTES REVENGE - - -Foley's threat that, under cover of the strike, he was going to make Mr. -Baxter suffer, was anything save empty bluster. But twenty years of -fighting had made him something of a connoisseur of vengeance. He knew, -for instance, that a moment usually presented itself when revenge was -most effective and when it tasted sweetest. So he now waited for time to -bring him that moment; and he waited all the more patiently because a -month must elapse ere the beginning of the strike would afford him his -chance. - -The month passed dully. Buck had spoken from certain knowledge when he -had remarked to Mr. Baxter that the contractors would not yield without -a fight. During April there were no less than half a dozen meetings -between the union's committee and the Executive Committee of the -employers' association in a formal attempt at peaceful settlement. The -public attitude of Foley and Baxter toward each other for the past two -years had been openly hostile. That attitude was not changed, but it was -now sincere. In these meetings the unionists presented their case; the -employers gave their side; every point, pro and con, was gone over again -and again. On the thirtieth of April the situation was just as it had -been on the first: "We're goin' to get all we're askin' for," said -Foley; "We can concede nothing," said Mr. Baxter. On the first of May -not a man was at work on an iron job in New York City. - -During these four weeks Foley regained popularity with an astounding -rapidity. He was again the Foley of four or five years ago, the Foley -that had won the enthusiastic admiration of the union, fierce-tongued in -his denunciation of the employers at union meetings, grimly impudent to -members of the employers' Executive Committee and matching their every -argument,--at all times witty, resourceful, terribly determined, fairly -hurling into others a confidence in himself. He was feeling with almost -its first freshness the joy of being in, and master of, a great fight. -Men that for years had spoken of him only in hate, now cheered him. And -even Tom himself had to yield to this new Foley a reluctant admiration, -he was so tireless, so aggressive, so equal to the occasion. - -Tom had become, by the first of May, a figure of no importance. True, he -was a member of the strike committee, but Foley gave him no chance to -speak; and, anyhow, the walking delegate said what there was to be said -so pointedly, albeit with a virulence that antagonized the employers all -the more, that there was no reason for his saying aught. And as for his -position as president, that had become pathetically ludicrous. As though -in opposite pans of a balance, the higher Foley went in the union's -estimation, the lower went he. Even his own friends, while not -abandoning him, fell in behind Foley. He was that pitiable anomaly, a -leader without a following and without a cause. Foley had stolen both. -He tried to console himself with the knowledge that the walking delegate -was managing the strike for the union's good; but only the millionth man -has so little personal ambition that he is content to see the work he -would do being well done by another.... And yet, though fallen, he hung -obstinately on and waited--blindly. - -Tom was now in little danger from the entertainment committee, for -Foley's disquiet over his influence had been dissipated by his rapid -decline. And after the first of May Tom gave Foley even less concern, -for he had finally secured work in the shipping department of a -wholesale grocer, so could no longer show himself by day among the union -men. - -During April the contractors had prepared for the coming fight by -locating non-union ironworkers, and during the first part of May they -rushed these into the city and set them to work, guarded by Pinkerton -detectives, upon the most pressing jobs. The union, in its turn, -picketed every building on which there was an attempt to continue work, -and against the scabs the pickets waged a more or less pacific warfare. -Foley was of himself as much as all the pickets. He talked to the -non-union men as they came up to their work, as they left their work, as -they rode away on street cars, as they sat in saloons. Some he reached -by his preachment of the principles of trade unionism. And some he -reached by such brief speech as this: "This strike'll be settled soon. -Our men'll all go back to work. What'll happen to youse about then? The -bosses'll kick youse out. If youse're wise youse'll join the union and -help us in the strike." This argument was made more effective by the -temporary lifting of the initiation fee of twenty-five dollars, by which -act scabs were made union men without price. There was also a third -method, which Foley called "transmittin' unionism to the brain by the -fist," and he reached many this way, for his fist was heavy and had a -strong arm behind it. - -The contractors, in order to retain the non-union men, raised their -wages to fifty cents a day more than the union demanded, but even then -they were able to hold only enough workers to keep a few jobs going in -half-hearted fashion. There were many accidents and delays on these -buildings, for the workers were boilermakers, and men who but half knew -the trade, and men who did not know the trade at all. As Pete remarked, -after watching, from a neighboring roof, the gang finishing up the work -on the St. Etienne Hotel, "The shadder of an ironworker would do more'n -three o' them snakes." The contractors themselves realized perfectly -what poor work they were getting for so extravagant a price, and would -have discharged their non-union gangs had this not been a tacit -admission of partial defeat. - -From the first of May there of course had been several hot-heads who -favored violent handling of the scabs. Tom opposed these with the -remnant of his influence, for he knew the sympathy of the public has its -part in the settlement of strikes, and public sympathy goes not to the -side guilty of outrage. The most rabid of all these advocates of -violence was Johnson, who, after being summoned to Mr. Baxter's office, -began diligently to preach this substance: "If we put a dozen or two o' -them snakes out o' business, an' fix a job or two, the bosses'll come -right to time." - -"It strikes me, Johnson, that you change your ideas about as often as -you ought to change your shirt," Pete remarked one day, after listening -to Johnson's inflammatory words. "Not long ago you were all against a -strike." - -For a moment Johnson was disconcerted. Then he said: "But since there is -a strike I'm for measures that'll settle it quick. What you got against -smashin' a few scabs?" - -"Oh, it's always right to smash a scab," Pete agreed. "But you ought to -know that just now there's nothin' the bosses'd rather have us do. -They'd pay good money to get us to give the hospitals a chance to -practice up on a few snakes." - -Johnson looked at Pete searchingly, fearing that Pete suspected. But -Pete guessed nothing, and Johnson went about his duty. - -There were a number of encounters between the strikers and the -strike-breakers, and several of these set-tos had an oral repetition in -the police courts; but nothing occurred so serious as to estrange public -sympathy till the explosion in the Avon, a small apartment house Mr. -Baxter was erecting as a private investment. And with this neither -Johnson nor the rank and file, on whose excitable feelings he tried to -play, had anything to do. - -Foley's patience mastered his desire for vengeance easily enough during -April, but when May had reached its middle without offering the chance -he wanted, his patience weakened and desire demanded its rights. At an -utterly futile meeting between the committees of the union and the -employers, toward the end of the month, arranged for by the Civic -Federation, the desire for vengeance suddenly became the master. This -was the first meeting since the strike began, and was the first time -Foley had seen Mr. Baxter since then. The contractor did not once look -at Foley, and did not once address speech to him; he sat with his back -to the walking delegate, and put all his remarks to Brown, the least -important member of the strikers' committee. Foley gave as good as he -received, for he selected Isaacs, who was nothing more than a fifth man, -and addressed him as head of the employers' committee; and rather -better, for he made Mr. Baxter the object of a condescending affability -that must have been as grateful as salt to raw and living flesh. - -But Foley was not appeased. When he and Connelly were clear of the -meeting he swore fiercely. "He won't be so cool to-morrow!" he said, and -swore again. "An' the same trick'll help bring 'em all to time," he -added. - -Foley had already had vengeful eyes upon the Avon, which stood on a -corner with a vacant lot on one side and an open space between its rear -and the next building. Jake had carefully reconnoitered its premises, -with the discovery that one of the two Pinkerton guards was an -acquaintance belonging to the days when he himself had been in the -service of the Pinkerton agency. That night Jake sauntered by the Avon, -chatted awhile with the two guards, and suggested a visit to a nearby -saloon. As soon as the three were safely around the corner Kaffir Bill -and Arkansas Number Two slipped into the doorway of the Avon, leaving -Smoky on watch without. Bill and Arkansas had their trouble: to find -their way about in the darkness, to light the fuse--and then they had to -cut off an unignitable portion of the fuse; and then in their nervous -eagerness to get away their legs met a barrel of cement and they went -sprawling behind a partition. Several moments passed ere they found the -doorway, the while they could hear the sputtering of the shortened fuse, -and during which they heard Smoky cry out, "Come on!" When they did come -into the street it was to see the two Pinkertons not twenty paces away. -Before their haste could take them to the opposite sidewalk the pavement -jumped under their feet, and the building at their backs roared heavily. -The guards, guessing the whole trick, began shooting at the two. A -policeman appeared from around the corner with drawn pistol--and that -night Jake, Bill, and Arkansas slept in a cell. - -The next morning, after getting on the car that carried him to his work, -Tom took up his paper with a leisure that straightway left him, for his -eyes were instantly caught by the big headlines sketching the explosion -in the Avon. He raced through the three columns. He could see Foley -behind the whole outrage, and he thrilled with satisfaction as he -foresaw the beginning of Foley's undoing in the police court. There was -no work for him that morning. He leaped off the car and took another -that brought him near the court where the three men were to have their -preliminary hearing. - -It was half-past eight when he reached the court. As he entered the -almost empty court-room he saw Foley and a black-maned man of -lego-theatric appearance standing before a police sergeant, and he heard -Foley say: "This is their lawyer; we want to see 'em straight off." Tom -preferred to avoid meeting Foley, so he turned quickly back and walked -about for half an hour. When he returned the small court-room was -crowded, the clerks were in place, the policemen and their prisoners -stood in a long queue having its head at the judge's desk and its tail -without the iron railing that fenced off the spectators. - -Tom had been in the court-room but a few minutes when an officer -motioned him within the railing. The court attorney stepped to his side. -"You were pointed out to me as the president of the Iron Workers' -Union," said the attorney. - -"Yes." - -"And I was told you didn't care particularly for the prisoners in this -explosion case." - -"Well?" - -"Would you be willing to testify against them--not upon the explosion, -which you didn't see, but upon their character?" - -Tom looked at Jake, Arkansas, and Bill, standing at the head of the -queue in charge of the two Pinkertons and a couple of policemen, and -struggled a moment with his thoughts. Ordinarily it was a point of -honor with a union man not to aid the law against a fellow member; but -this was not an ordinary case. The papers had thrown the whole blame for -the outrage upon the union. The union's innocence could be proved only -by fastening the blame upon Foley and the three prisoners. - -"I will," he consented. - -There was a tiresome wait for the judge. About ten o'clock he emerged -from his chambers and took his place upon his platform. He was a -cold-looking man, with an aristocratic face, deeply marked with lines of -hard justice, and with a time-tonsured pate. His enemies, and they were -many, declared his judgments ignored the law; his answer was that he -administered the law according to common sense, and not according to its -sometimes stupid letter. - -The bailiff opened the court, and the case of Jake, Arkansas, and Bill -was called. The two Pinkertons recited the details of the explosion and -the two policemen added details of the arrest. Then Mr. Baxter, looking -pale, but as much the self-controlled gentleman as ever, testified to -the damage done by the dynamite. The Avon still stood, but its steel -frame was so wrenched at the base that it was liable to fall at any -moment. The building would have to be reconstructed entirely. Though -much of the material could be used again, the loss, at a conservative -estimate, would be seventy-five thousand dollars. - -Tom came next before the judge's desk. Exclamations of surprise ran -among the union men in the room when it was seen Tom was to be a -witness, and the bailiff had to pound with his gavel and shout for -order. Tom testified that the three were known in the union as men ready -for any villainy; and he managed to introduce in his answers to the -questions enough to make it plain that the union was in no degree -responsible for the outrage, that it abhorred such acts, that -responsibility rested upon the three--"And someone else," he added -meaningly. - -"Who's that?" quickly demanded the court attorney. - -"Buck Foley." - -"I object!" shouted the prisoners' attorney. Foley, who sat back in the -crowd with crossed legs, did not alter his half-interested expression by -a wrinkle. - -"Objection over-ruled," said the judge. - -"Will you please tell what you know about Mr. Foley's connection with -the case," continued the court attorney. - -"I object, your Honor! Mr. Foley is not on trial." - -"It's the duty of this court to get at all the facts," returned the -judge. "Does the witness speak from his own knowledge, or what he -surmises?" - -"I'm absolutely certain he's at the bottom of this." - -"But is your evidence first-hand information?" - -"It is not," Tom had to confess. "But I couldn't be more certain if I -had seen him----" - -"Guess-work isn't evidence," cut in the judge. - -Tom, however, had attached Foley to the case--he had seen the reporters -start at his words as at a fresh sensation--and he gave a look of -satisfaction at Foley as he stepped away from the judge's desk. Foley -gave back a half-covered sneer, as if to say, "Just youse wait!" - -Arkansas was the first of the prisoners to be called--the reason for -which priority, as Tom afterwards guessed, being his anomalous face that -would not have ill-suited a vest that buttoned to the chin and a collar -that buttoned at the back. Arkansas, replying to the questions of his -long-haired attorney, corroborated the testimony of the policemen and -the Pinkertons in every detail. When Arkansas had answered the last -query the lawyer allowed several seconds to pass, his figure drawn up -impressively, his right hand in the breast of his frock coat. - -The judge bent over his docket and began to write. "This seems a -perfectly plain case. I hold the three prisoners for the grand jury, -each in ten thousand----" - -The attorney's right hand raised itself theatrically. "Hold!" he cried. - -The judge looked up with a start. Tom's eyes, wandering to Foley's face, -met there a malign grin. - -"The case is not ended, your Honor. The case is just begun." The -attorney brushed back his mane with a stagy movement of his hand, and -turned upon Arkansas. "You and the other prisoners did this. You do not -deny it. But now tell his Honor why you did it." - -Arkansas, with honesty fairly obtruding from his every feature, looked -nervously at Tom, and then said hesitantly: "Because we had to." - -"And why did you have to?" - -Again Arkansas showed hesitation. - -"Speak out," encouraged the attorney. "You're in no danger. The court -will protect you." - -"We was ordered to. If we hadn't done it we'd been thrown out o' the -union, an' been done up." - -"Explain to the court what you mean by 'done up'." - -"Slugged an' kicked--half killed." - -"In other words, what you did was done in fear of your life. Now who -ordered you to blow up the Avon, and threatened to have you 'done up' if -you didn't?" - -"Mr. Keating, the president o' the union." - -The judge, who had been leaning forward with kindling eyes, breathed a -prolonged "A-a-ah!" - -For a moment Tom was astounded. Then he sprang to Arkansas's side. "You -infernal liar!" he shouted, his eyes blazing. - -The judge's hammer thundered down. "Silence!" he roared. - -"But, your Honor, he's lying!" - -"Five dollars for contempt of court! Another word and I'll give you the -full penalty." - -Two officers jerked Tom back, and surging with indignant wrath he had to -listen in silence to the romance that had been spun for Arkansas's lips -and which he was now respinning for the court's ears; and he quickly -became aware that newspaper artists had set their pencils busy over his -face. Once, glancing at Jake, he was treated with a leer of triumph. - -Arkansas plausibly related what had passed between Tom and himself and -his two companions; and then Bill took the stand, and then Jake. Each -repeated the story Arkansas, with the help of his face, had made so -convincing. - -"And now, your Honor," the prisoners' attorney began when his evidence -was all in, "I think I have made plain my clients' part in this most -nefarious outrage. They are guilty--yes. But they were but the all too -weak instruments of another's will, who galvanized them by mortal fear -to do his dastardly bidding. He, he alone----" - -"Save your eloquence, councilor," the judge broke in. "The case speaks -best for itself. You here." He crooked his forefinger at Tom. - -Tom was pushed by policemen up before the judge. - -"Now what have you to say for yourself?" the judge demanded. - -"It's one string of infernal lies!" Tom exploded. And he launched into a -hot denial, strong in phrasing but weak in comparison with the -inter-corroborative stones of the three, which had the further -verisimilitude gained by tallying in every detail with the officers' -account of the explosion. - -"What you say is merely denial, the denial we hear from every criminal," -his Honor began when Tom had finished. "I do not say I believe every -word of the testimony of the three prisoners. But it is more credible -than your statements. - -"What has been brought out here to-day--the supreme officer of a union -compelling members to commit an act of violence by threat of economic -disablement and of physical injury, perhaps death--is in perfect accord -with the many diabolical practices that have recently been revealed as -existing among trade unions. It is such things as this that force all -right-minded men to regard trade unionism as the most menacing danger -which our nation now confronts." And for five minutes he continued in -his arraignment of trade unions. - -"In the present circumstances," he ended, "it is my duty to order the -arrest of this man who appears to be the chief conspirator--this -president of a union who has had the supreme hardihood to appear as a -witness against his own tools, doubtless hoping thereby to gain the end -of the thief who cried 'stop thief.' I hold him in fifteen thousand -dollars bond to await the action of the grand jury. The three prisoners -are held in five thousand dollars bail each." - -Jake, Bill, and Arkansas were led away by their captors, and Tom, -utterly dazed by this new disaster that had overtaken him when he had -thought there was nothing more that could befall, was shoved over to the -warrant clerk. And again he caught Foley's eyes; they were full of -malicious satisfaction. - -As he waited before the warrant clerk's desk he saw Mr. Baxter, on his -way to the door, brush by Foley, and in the moment of passing he saw -Foley's lips move. He did not hear Foley's words. They were two, and -were: "First round!" - -A few minutes later Tom was led down a stairway, through a corridor and -locked in a cell. - - - - -Chapter XX - -TOM HAS A CALLER - - -Late in the afternoon, as Tom lay stretched in glowering melancholy on -the greasy, dirt-browned board that did service as chair and bed to the -transitory tenants of the cell, steps paused in the corridor without and -a key rattled in his door. He rose dully out of his dejection. A -scowling officer admitted a man, round and short and with side whiskers, -and locked the door upon his back. - -"This is a pretty how-to-do!" growled the man, coming forward. - -Tom stared at his visitor. "Why, Mr. Driscoll!" he cried. - -"That's who the most of my friends say I am," the contractor admitted -gruffly. - -He deposited himself upon the bench that had seated and bedded so much -unwashed misfortune, and, his back against the cement wall, turned his -sour face about the bare room. "This is what I call a pretty poor sort -of hospitality to offer a visitor," he commented, in his surly voice. -"Not even a chair to sit on." - -"There is also the floor; you may take your choice," Tom returned, -nettled by the other's manner. He himself took the bench. - -Mr. Driscoll stared at him with blinking eyes, and he stared back -defiantly. In Tom's present mood of wrath and depression his temper was -tinder waiting another man's spark. - -"Huh!" Mr. Driscoll ran his pudgy forefinger easefully about between his -collar and his neck, and removing his spectacles mopped his purple face. -"What's this funny business you've been up to now?" he asked. - -"What do you mean?" Tom demanded, his irritation mounting. - -"You ought to read the papers and keep posted on what you do. I just saw -a _Star_. There's half a page of your face, and about a pint of red -ink." - -Tom groaned, and his jaws clamped ragefully. - -"What I read gave me the impression you'd been having a sort of private -Fourth of July celebration," Mr. Driscoll pursued. - -Tom turned on the contractor half savagely. "See here! I don't know what -you came here for, but if it was for this kind of talk--well, you can -guess how welcome you are!" - -Mr. Driscoll emitted a little chuckling sound, or Tom thought for an -instant he did. But a glance at that sour face, with its straight -pouting mouth, corrected Tom's ears. - -"Now, what was your fool idea in blowing up the Avon?" - -Tom uprose wrathfully. "Do you mean to say you believe the lies those -blackguards told this morning?" - -"I only know what I read in the papers." - -"If you swallow everything you see in the papers, you must have an awful -maw!" - -"Yes, I suppose you have got some sort of a story you put up." - -Tom glared at his pudgy visitor who questioned with such an exasperating -presumption. "Did I ask you here?" he demanded. - -The contractor's eyes snapped, and Tom expected hot words. But none -came. "Don't get hot under the collar," Mr. Driscoll advised, running -his comforting finger under his own. "Come, what's your side of the -story?" - -Tom was of half a mind to give a curt refusal. But his wrong was too -great, too burning, for him to keep silent upon it. He would have talked -of it to any one--to his very walls. He took a turn in the cell, then -paused before his old employer and hotly explained his innocence and -Foley's guilt. - -While Tom spoke Mr. Driscoll's head nodded excitedly. - -"Just what I said!" he cried when Tom ended, and brought his fist down -on his knee. "Well, we'll show him!" - -"Show him what?" Tom asked. - -Mr. Driscoll stopped his fist midway in another excited descent. He -stood up, for he saw the officer's scowling face at the grated front of -the cell. "Oh, a lot of things before he dies. As for you, keep your -courage up. What else's it for?" - -He held out his hand. Tom took it with bewildered perfunctoriness. - -Mr. Driscoll passed through the door, held open by the officer. Outside -he turned about and growled through the bars: "Now don't be blowing up -any more buildings!" - -Tom, stung anew, would have retorted in kind, but Mr. Driscoll's -footsteps had died away down the corridor before adequate words came to -him. - -It was about an hour later that the officer appeared before his cell -again and unlocked his door. "Come on," he said shortly. - -Tom, supposing he was at length to be removed to the county jail, put on -his hat and stepped outside the cell. He had expected to find policemen -in the corridor, and to be handcuffed. But the officer was alone. - -Two cells away he saw Jake's malignant face peering at him through the -bars. "I guess this puts us about even!" Jake called out. - -Tom shook his fist. "Wait till the trial! We'll see!" he cried -vengefully. - -"Shut up, youse!" shouted the surly watchman. He pushed Tom through the -corridor and up a stairway. At its head Tom was guided through a door, -and found himself in the general hall of the police station. - -"Here youse are," said the officer, starting for the sergeant's desk. -"Come on and sign the bail bond." - -Tom caught his arm. "What's this mean?" he cried. - -"Don't youse know? Youse're bailed out." - -"Bailed out! Who by?" - -"Didn't he tell youse?" Surprise showed in the crabbed face of the -officer. "Why, before he done anything he went down to talk it over with -youse." - -"Not Mr. Driscoll?" - -"I don't know his name. That red-faced old geezer in the glasses. -Huh!--his coin comes easier'n mine." - -Tom put his name to the bond, already signed by Mr. Driscoll, and -stumbled out into the street, half blinded by the rush of sunlight into -his cell-darkened eyes, and struck through with bewilderment at his -unexpected liberation. He threw off a number of quizzing reporters, who -had got quick news of his release, and walked several aimless blocks -before he came back to his senses. Then he set out for Mr. Driscoll's -office, almost choking with emotion at the prospect of meeting Ruth -again. But he reached it too late to spend his thanks or to test his -self-control. It was past six and the office was locked. - -He started home, and during the car ride posted himself upon his recent -doings by reading the accounts of the trial and his part in the Avon -outrage. On reaching the block in which he lived he hesitated long -before he found the courage to go up to the ordeal of telling Maggie his -last misfortune. When he entered his flat it was to find it empty. He -sat down at the window, with its backyard view of clothes-lines and of -fire-escape landings that were each an open-air pantry, and rehearsed -the sentences with which he should break the news to her, his suspense -mounting as the minutes passed. At length her key sounded in the lock, -he heard her footsteps, then saw her dim shape come into the -sitting-room. - -In the same instant she saw him at the window. "What--Tom!" she cried, -with the tremulous relief of one who ends a great suspense. - -He had been nerving himself to face another mood than this. He was taken -aback by the unexpected note in her voice--a sympathetic note he had not -heard for such a time it seemed he had never heard it at all. - -He rose, embarrassed. "Yes," he said. - -She had come quickly to his side, and now caught his arm. "You are here, -Tom?" - -"Why, yes," he answered, still dazed and at a loss. "Where have you -been, Maggie?" - -Had the invading twilight not half blindfolded him, Tom could have seen -the rapid change that took place in Maggie's face--the relief at finding -him safe yielding to the stronger emotion beneath it. When she answered -her voice was as of old. "Been? Where haven't I been? To the jail the -last place." - -"To the jail?" He was again surprised. "Then ... you know all?" - -"Know all?" She laughed harshly, a tremolo beneath the harshness. "How -could I help knowing all? The newsboys yelling down in the street! The -neighbors coming in with their sympathy!" She did not tell him how to -these visitors she had hotly defended his innocence. - -"I didn't know you were at the police station," he said weakly, still at -a loss. - -"Of course not. When I got there they told me you'd been let out." Her -breath was coming rapidly, deeply. "What a time I had! I didn't know -how to get to the jail! Dragging myself all over town! Those awful -papers everywhere! Everybody looking at me and guessing who I was! Oh, -the disgrace! The disgrace!" - -"But, Maggie, I didn't do this!" - -"The world don't know that!" The rage and despair that had been held in -check all afternoon by her concern for him now completely mastered her. -"We're disgraced! You've been in jail! You're now only out on bail! -Fifteen thousand dollars bail! Why that boss, Mr. Driscoll, went on it, -heaven only knows! You're going to be tried. Even if you get off we'll -never hear the last of it. Hadn't we had trouble enough? Now it's -disgrace! And why's this come on us? You tell me that!" - -She was shaking all over, and for her to speak was a struggle with her -sobs. She supported herself with arms on the table, and looked at him -fiercely, wildly, through the dim light. - -Tom took her arm. "Sit down, Maggie," he said, and tried to push her -into a chair. - -She repulsed him. "Answer me. Why has this trouble come on us?" - -He was silent. - -"Oh, you know! Because you wouldn't take a little advice from your wife! -Other men got along with Foley and held their jobs. But you wanted to be -different; you wanted to fight Foley. Well, you've had your way; you've -fought him. And what of it? We're ruined! Disgraced! You're working for -less than half what you used to get. We're ashamed to show our faces in -the street. All because you wouldn't pay any attention to me. And -me--how I've got to suffer for it! Oh, my God! My God!" - -Tom recognized the justice, from her point of view, in her wild phrases -and did not try to dispute her. He again tried to push her into a chair. - -She threw off his hand, and went hysterically on, now beating her -knuckles upon the table. "Leave me alone! I've made up my mind about one -thing. You won't listen to reason. I've given you good advice. I've been -right every time. You've paid no attention to me and we're ruined! Well, -I've made up my mind. If you do this sort of thing again, I'll lock you -out of the house! D'you hear? I'll lock you out of the house!" - -She fell of her own accord into a chair, and with her head in her hands -abandoned herself to sobbing. Tom looked at her silently. In a narrow -way, she was right. In a broad way, he knew he was right. But he could -not make her understand, so there was nothing he could say. Presently he -noticed that her hair had loosened and her hat had fallen over one -cheek. With unaccustomed hands he took out the pins and laid the hat -upon the table. She gave no sign that she had noted the act.... Her sobs -became fewer and less violent. - -Tom quietly lit the gas. "Where's Ferdinand?" he asked, in his ordinary -voice. - -"I left him with Mrs. Jones," she answered through her hands. - -When Tom came back with the boy she was in the kitchen, a big apron over -her street dress, beginning the dinner. Tom looked in upon her, then -obeying an impulse long unstirred he began to set the table. She -glanced furtively at this unusual service, but said nothing. She sat -through the meal with hard face, but did not again refer to the day's -happenings; and, since the day was Wednesday, as soon as he had eaten -Tom hurried away to Potomac Hall. - -Tom was surrounded by friends the minute he entered the hall. The ten -o'clock edition of the evening papers, out before seven, had acquainted -them with his release. The accounts in this edition played up the -anomaly of this labor ruffian, shown by his act to be the arch-enemy of -the employers, being bailed out by one of the very contractors with whom -the union was at war. Two of the papers printed interviews with Mr. -Driscoll upon the question, why had he done it? One interview was, "I -don't know"; the other, "None of your business." - -Tom's friends had the curiosity of the papers, and put to him the -question the news sheets had put to Mr. Driscoll. "If Mr. Driscoll don't -know, how can I?" was all the answer he could give them. Their -curiosity, however, was weak measured by their indignation over the turn -events had taken in the court-room. They would stand by him at his -trial, they declared, and show what his relations had been with Jake, -Bill and Arkansas. - -Before the meeting was opened there was talk among the Foleyites against -Tom being allowed to preside, but he ended their muttering by marching -to his table and pounding the union to order. He immediately took the -floor and in a speech filled with charges against Foley gave to the -union his side of the facts that had already been presented them from a -different viewpoint in the papers. When he ended Foley's followers -looked to their chief to make reply, but Foley kept his seat. Connelly, -seeing it his duty to defend his leader, was rising to his feet when a -glance from Foley made him sink back into his chair. The talk from Tom's -side went hotly on for a time, but, meeting with no resistance, and -having no immediate purpose, it dwindled away. - -The union then turned to matters pertaining to the management of the -strike. As the discussion went on followers of Foley slipped quietly -about the hall whispering in the ears of their brethren. The talk became -tedious. Tom's friends, wearied and uninterested, sat in silence. -Foleyites spoke at great length upon unimportant details. Foley himself -made a long speech, the like of which had never before come from him, it -was that dull and purposeless. At half-past ten, by which time the men -usually were restless to be out of the hall and bound toward their beds, -adjournment seemed as far off as at eight. Sleepy and bored by the -stupid discussion, members began to go out, and most of those that left -were followers of Tom. The pointless talk went on; men kept slipping -out. At twelve o'clock not above two hundred were in the hall, and of -these not two dozen were Tom's friends. - -Tom saw Foley cast his eyes over the thinned crowd, and then give a -short nod at Connelly. The secretary stood up and claimed Tom's -recognition. - -"Mr. President, I move we suspend the constitution." - -The motion was instantly seconded. Tom promptly ruled it out of order, -on the ground that it was unconstitutional to suspend the constitution. -But he was over-ruled, only a score siding with him. The motion was put -and was carried by the same big majority that had voted against his -decision. - -Connelly rose a second time. "I make a motion that we remove the -president from office on the charge that he is the instigator of an -outrage that has blackened the fair name of our union before all the -world." - -A hundred voices cried a second to the motion. Tom rose and looked with -impotent wrath into the faces of the crowd from which Foley's cunning -had removed his followers. Then he tossed the gavel upon the table. - -"I refuse to put the motion!" he shouted; and picking up his hat he -strode down the middle aisle. Half-way to the door he heard Connelly, in -the absence of the vice-president, put the motion; and turning as he -passed out he glimpsed the whole crowd on its feet. - -The next morning Tom saw by his newspaper that Connelly was the union's -new president; also that he had been dropped from the strike committee, -Hogan now being in his place. The reports in the papers intimated that -the union had partially exonerated itself by its prompt discardure of -the principal in the Avon explosion. The editorial pages expressed -surprise that the notorious Foley bore no relation to an outrage that -seemed a legitimate offspring of his character. - -Tom had not been at work more than an hour when a boy brought him word -that the superintendent of the shipping department desired to see him. -He hurried to his superior's office. - -"You were not at work yesterday?" the superintendent said. - -"No," Tom admitted. - -The head of the department drew a morning paper from a pigeon-hole and -pointed at a face on its first page. "Your likeness, I believe." - -"It was intended for me." - -He touched a button, and a clerk appeared. "Phillips, make out Keating's -time check." He turned sharply back upon Tom. "That's all. We've got no -use for anarchists in our business." - - - - -Chapter XXI - -WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - - -When Ruth carried a handful of letters she had just finished into Mr. -Driscoll's office--this while he sat talking to Tom in the latter's -cell--she saw staring luridly at her from the desk the newspaper that -had sent her employer to the jail on his errand of gruff mercy. There -was a great drawing of Tom's face, brutalized, yet easily recognizable, -and over it the heavy crimson heading: - - TOOLS UNION PRESIDENT - OF - - FORCED BY BLEW UP THE AVON - DEATH THREATS - -The stare of that brutal face and of those red words sent her sinking -into Mr. Driscoll's chair, and the letters fluttered to the floor. After -a moment she reached in eager revulsion for the paper, and her eyes -reeled through the high-colored account of the court scene. What was -printed there was the newest of news to her; she had lunched early, and -the paper she had bought to learn the latest developments in the Avon -case had carried her only to the beginning of the trial. As she read, a -dizzy sickness ran through all her body. The case against Tom, as the -papers made it out, was certainly strong; and the fact that he, the -instigator of the outrage, had attempted to escape blame by seeking to -help convict his own tools was emphasized as the most blackening phase -of the whole black affair. But strong as the case appeared, within her -sickened, bewildered self there was something that protested the story -could not possibly be true. - -During the weeks that had passed since she had last seen Tom she had -wondered much that he had not come again, guessing every reason but the -right one. When ten days had passed without a visit from him she had -concluded that he must be too busy in the management of the strike to -spare an evening; she did not know how completely Tom had been crowded -off the stage by Foley. When more days had passed, and still no call -from him, her subtle woman's nature had supplied another reason, and one -that was a sufficient explanation to her even to the present. She knew -what Tom's feelings were toward her; a woman needs precious little -insight to discover when a man loves her. For all her instinctive -democracy, she was perfectly conscious of the social difference between -herself and him, and with not unnatural egotism she endowed Tom with the -same consciousness. He loved her, but felt their social inequality, and -felt it with such keenness that he deemed it hopeless to try to win her, -and so had decided to see her no more. - -Such was her explanation of his absence. She pitied him with a warm -romantic pity for his renunciation. Held away by such a reason, she knew -that if ever he came it must be at her bidding. At times she had been -impelled to send for him to come. To her this was not an impulse of -prohibitive unmaidenliness; she could bend to a man who thought himself -beneath her as she never could to a man on her own level. But she had -not sent. To do so without being prepared to give him what he desired -would be to do him a great wrong, and to give him this she was neither -able nor ready. She admired all that was good in him; but she could not -blind her eyes to his shortcomings, and to go into his world, with its -easily imagined coarseness, with its ignorance of books and music and -painting, and all the little refinements that were dear to her, she -could not. And yet her heart had ached that he had not come. - -But now as she read the story of his disgrace, and as the reflux of wits -and strength began, all her heart was one protest of his innocence, and -she forgot all the little differences that had before halted her desire -to see him; and this desire, freed of its checks, suddenly expanded till -it filled the uttermost recesses of her soul. - -Her first impulse, when she had reached the story's end, was to go -straight to him, and she went so far as to put on her hat. But reason -stopped her at the door. She could do him no good, and her call would be -but an embarrassment to them both. She removed her hat, and sat down to -surging thoughts. - -She was sitting at her desk, white and weak, reading anew the lurid -story in the paper, when Mr. Driscoll passed through her room into his -office with hat drawn over his eyes. She looked through his open door -for several minutes--and then, obeying the desire for the relief of -speech, she went in. - -"Did you see this article about Mr. Keating?" she asked, trying to keep -her personal interest in Tom from showing in her voice. - -Mr. Driscoll's hat brim was still over his eyes. He did not look up. -"Yes," he said gruffly. - -"You remember him, don't you?--one of the foremen?" - -The hat brim moved affirmatively. - -She had to summon all her strength to put her next question with -calmness. "What will be done with him?" - -"I don't know. Blowing up buildings isn't a very innocent amusement." - -"But he didn't do it!" - -"He didn't? Hum!" - -Ruth burned to make a hot defense. But instead she asked: "Do you think -he's the sort of a man to do a thing of that sort? He says he didn't." - -"What d'you suppose he'd say?" - -She checked her rising wrath. "But what do you think will be done with -him?" - -"Hung," growled Mr. Driscoll. - -She glared at him, but his hat brim shielded off her resentment; and -without another word she swept indignantly out of the room. - -Ruth went home in that weakening anxiety which is most felt by the -helpless. On the way she bought an evening paper, but there was nothing -new in it. After a dinner hardly touched she went into the street and -got a ten o'clock edition. It had the story of Tom's release on bail. - -"Why, the dear old bear!" she gasped, as she discovered that Mr. -Driscoll had gone Tom's bond. She hurried to her room and in utter -abandonment to her emotion wrote Tom a note asking him to call the -following evening. - -The next morning Tom, discharged but half an hour before, walked into -Ruth's office. He had stood several minutes in front of the building -before he had gained sufficient control to carry him through the certain -meeting with her. She went red at sight of him, and rose in a throbbing -confusion, but subdued herself to greet him with a friendly cordiality. - -"It's been a long time since I've seen you," she said, giving him her -hand. It was barely touched, then dropped. - -"Yes. I've been--very--busy," Tom mumbled, his big chest heaving. It -seemed that his mind, his will, were slipping away from him. He seized -his only safety. "Is Mr. Driscoll in?" - -"Yes." Suddenly chilled, she went into Mr. Driscoll's room. "He says -he's too busy to see you," she said on her return; and then a little of -her greeting smile came back: "But I think you'd better go in, anyhow." - -As Tom entered Mr. Driscoll looked up with something that was meant to -be a scowl. He had had one uncomfortable scene already that morning. -"Didn't I say I was busy?" he asked sharply. - -"I was told you were. But you didn't think I'd go away without thanking -you?" - -"It's a pity a man can't make a fool of himself without being slobbered -over. Well, if you've got to, out with it! But cut it short." - -Tom expressed his thanks warmly, and obediently made them brief. "But I -don't know what you did it for?" he ended. - -"About fifty reporters have been asking that same thing." - -The telephone in Ruth's office began to ring. He waited expectantly. - -"Mr. Bobbs wants to speak to you," said Ruth, appearing at the door. - -"Tell him I'm out--or dead," he ordered, and went on to Tom: "And he's -about the seventeenth contractor that's asked the same question, and -tried to walk on my face. Maybe because I don't love Foley. I don't know -myself. A man goes out of his head now and then, I suppose." His eyes -snapped crossly. - -"If you're sorry this morning, withdraw the bail and I'll----" - -"Don't you try to be a fool, too! All I ask of you is, don't skip town, -and don't blow up any more buildings." - -Tom gave his word, smiling into the cross face; and was withdrawing, -when Mr. Driscoll stood up. "When this strike you started is over come -around to see me." He held out his hand; his grasp was warm and tight. -"Good-by." - -Tom, having none of that control and power of simulation which are given -by social training, knew of but one way to pass safely by the danger -beyond Mr. Driscoll's door. He hurried across Ruth's office straight for -the door opening into the hallway. He had his hand on the knob, when he -felt how brutal was his discourtesy. He turned his head. Ruth sat -before the typewriter, her white face on him. - -"Good-by," he said. - -She did not answer, and he went dazedly out. - -Ruth sat in frozen stillness for long after he had gone. This new -bearing of Tom toward her fitted her explanation for his long -absence--and did not fit it. If he had renounced her, though loving her, -he probably would have borne himself in the abrupt way he had just done. -And he might have acted in just this same way had he come to be -indifferent to her. This last was the chilling thought. If he had -received her letter then his abrupt manner could mean only that this -last thought struck the truth. When she had written him she had been -certain of his feeling for her; that certainty now changed to -uncertainty, she would have given half her life to have called the -letter back with unbroken seal. - -She told herself that he would not come,--told herself this as she -automatically did her work, as she rode home in the car, as she made -weak pretense of eating dinner. And yet, after dinner, she put on the -white dress that his eyes had told her he liked so well. And later, when -Mr. Berman's card was brought her, she sent down word that she was ill. - -Presently ... he came. He did not speak when she opened the door to him, -nor did she. There was an unmastering fever burning in his throat and -through all his body; and all her inner self was the prisoner of a -climacteric paralysis. They held hands for a time, laxly, till one -loosed, and then both swung limply back to their places. - -"I just got your letter to-night--when I got home," he said, driving out -the words. But he said nothing of his struggle: how he had fought back -his longing and determined not to come; and how, the victory won, he had -madly thrown wisdom aside and rushed to her. - -They found seats, somehow, she in a chair, he on the green couch, and -sat in a silence their heart-beats seemed to make sonant. She was the -first to recover somewhat, and being society bred and so knowing the -necessity of speech, she questioned him about his arrest. - -He started out on the story haltingly. But little by little his fever -lost its invalidating control, and little by little the madness in his -blood, the madness that had forced him hither, possessed his brain and -tongue, and the words came rapidly, with spirit. Finishing the story of -his yesterday he harked back to the time he had last seen her, and told -her what had happened in the second part of that evening in the hall -over the Third Avenue saloon; told her how Foley had stolen the strike; -how he had declined to his present insignificance. And as he talked he -eagerly drank in her sympathy, and loosed himself more and more to the -enjoyment of the mad pleasure of being with her. To her his words were -not the account of the more or less sordid experiences of a workingman; -they were the story of the reverses of the hero who, undaunted, has -given battle to one whom all others have dared not, or cared not, fight. - -"What will you do now?" she asked when he had ended. - -"I don't know. Foley says he has me down and out--if you know what that -means." - -She nodded. - -"I guess he's about right. Not many people want to hire men who blow up -buildings. I had thought I'd work at whatever I could till October--our -next election's then--and run against Foley again. But if he wins the -strike he may be too strong to beat." - -"But do you think he'll win the strike?" - -"He'll be certain to win, though this explosion will injure us a lot. -He's in for the strike for all he's worth, and when he fights his best -he's hard to beat. The bosses can't get enough iron-men to keep their -jobs going. That's already been proved. And in a little while all the -other trades will catch up to where we left off; they'll have to stop -then, for they can't do anything till our work's been done. That'll be -equivalent to a general strike in all the building trades. We'll be -losing money, of course, but so'll the bosses. The side'll win that can -hold out longest, and we're fixed to hold out." - -"According to all the talk I hear the victory is bound to go the -opposite way." - -"Well, you know some people then who'll be mighty disappointed!" Tom -returned. - -She did not take him up, and silence fell between them. Thus far their -talk had been of the facts of their daily lives, and though it had been -unnatural in that it was far from the matter in both their hearts, yet -by help of its moderate distraction they had managed to keep their -feelings under control. But now, that distraction ended, Tom's fever -began to burn back upon him. He sat rigidly upright, his eyes avoiding -her face, and the fever flamed higher and higher. Ruth gazed whitely at -him, hands gripped in her lap, her faculties slipping from her, waiting -she hardly knew what. Minutes passed, and the silence between them grew -intenser and more intense. - -Amid her throbbing dizziness Ruth's mind held steadily to just two -thoughts: she was again certain of Tom's love, and certain that his -pride would never allow him to speak. These two thoughts pointed her the -one thing there was for her to do; the one thing that must be done for -both their sakes--and finally she forced herself to say: "It has been a -long time since you have been to see me. I had thought you had quite -forgotten me." - -"I have thought of you often?" he managed to return, eyes still fixed -above her, his self-control tottering. - -"But in a friendly way?--No.--Or you would not have been silent through -two months." - -His eyes came down and fastened upon that noble face, and the words -escaped by the guard he tried to keep at his lips: "I have never had a -friend like you." - -She waited. - -"You are my best friend," the words continued. - -She waited again, but he said nothing more. - -She drove herself on. "And yet you could--stay away two months?--till I -sent for you?" - -He stood up, and walked to the window and stood as if looking through -it--though the shade was drawn. She saw the fingers at his back writhing -and knotting themselves. She waited, unwinking, hardly breathing, all -her life in the tumultuous beating of her heart. - -He turned about. His face was almost wild. "I stayed away--because I -love you----" His last word was a gasp, and he did not have the strength -to say the rest. - -It had come! Her great strain over, she fairly collapsed in a swooning -happiness. Her head drooped, and she swayed forward till her elbows were -on her knees. For a moment she existed only in her great, vague, reeling -joy. Then she heard a spasmodic gasp, and heard his hoarse words add: - -"And because--I am married." - -Her head uprose slowly, and she looked at him, looked at him, with a -deadly stupefaction in her eyes. A sickening minute passed. "Married?" -she whispered. - -"Yes--married." - -A terrified pallor overspread her face, but the face held fixedly to his -own. He stood rigid, looking at her. Her strange silence began to alarm -him. - -"What is it?" he cried. - -Her face did not change, and seconds passed. Suddenly a gasp, then a -little groan, broke from her. - -"Married!" she cried. - -For a moment he was astounded; then he began dimly to understand. "What, -you don't mean----" he commenced, with dry lips. He moved, with -uncertain steps, up before her. "You don't--care for me?" - -The head bowed a trifle. - -"Oh, my God!" He half staggered backward into a chair, and his face fell -into his hands. He saw, in an agonizing vision, what might have been -his, and what never could be his; and he saw the wide desert of his -future. - -"You!" He heard her voice, and he looked up. - -She was on her feet, and was standing directly in front of him. Her -hands were clenched upon folds of her skirt. Her breath was coming -rapidly. Her eyes were flashing. - -"You! How could you come to see me as you have, and you married?" She -spoke tremulously, fiercely, and at the last her voice broke into a sob. -Tears ran down her cheeks, but she did not heed them. - -Tom's face dropped back into his hands; he could not stand the awful -accusation of that gaze. She was another victim of his tragedy, an -innocent victim--and _his_ victim. He saw in a flash the whole ghastly -part he, in ignorance, had played. A groan burst from his lips, and he -writhed in his self-abasement. - -"How could you do it?" he heard her fiercely demand again. "Oh, you! -you!" He heard her sweep across the little room, and then sweep back; -and he knew she was standing before him, gazing down at him in anguish, -anger, contempt. - -He groaned again. "What can I say to you--what?" - -There was silence. He could feel her eyes, unchanging, still on him. -Presently he began to speak into his hands, in a low, broken voice. "I -can make no excuse. I don't know that I can explain. But I never -intended to do this. Never! Never! - -"You know how we met, how we came to be together the first two or three -times. Afterwards ... I said awhile ago that you were my best friend. I -have had few real friends--none but you who sympathized with me, who -seemed to understand me. Well, afterwards I came because--I never -stopped to think why I came. I guess because you understood, and I liked -you. And so I came. As a man might come to see a good man friend. And I -never once thought I was doing wrong. And I never thought of my -wife--that is, you understand, that she made it wrong for me to see you. -I never thought----If you believe in me at all, you must believe this. -You must! And then--one day--I saw you with another man, and I knew I -loved you. I awoke. I saw what I ought to do. I tried to do it--but it -was very hard--and I came to see you again--the last time. I said once -more I would not see you again. It was still hard, very hard--but I did -not. And then--your letter--came----" - -His words dwindled away. Then, after a moment, he said very humbly: -"Perhaps I don't just understand how to be a gentleman." - -Again silence. Presently he felt a light touch on his shoulder. He -raised his eyes. She was still gazing at him, her face very white, but -no anger in it. - -"I understand," she said. - -He rose--weak. "I can't ask that you forgive me." - -"No. Not now." - -"Of course. I have meant to you only grief--pain. And can mean only that -to you, always." - -She did not deny his words. - -"Of course," he agreed. Then he stood, without words, unmoving. - -"You had better go," she said at length. - -He took his hat mechanically. "The future?" - -"You were right." - -"You mean--we should not meet again?" - -"This is the last time." - -Again he stood silent, unmoving. - -"You had better go," she said. "Good-night." - -"Good-night." - -He moved sideways to the door, his eyes never leaving her. He paused. -She stood just as she had since she had touched his shoulder. He moved -back to her, as in a trance. - -"No." She held up a hand, as if to ward him off. - -He took the hand--and the other hand. They were all a-tremble. And he -bent down, slowly, toward her face that he saw as in a mist. The face -did not recede. Their cold lips met. At the touch she collapsed, and the -next instant she was sobbing convulsively in his arms. - - * * * * * - -And all that night she lay dressed on her couch.... And all that night -he walked the streets. - - - - -Chapter XXII - -THE PROGRESS OF THE STRIKE - - -When morning began to creep into the streets, and while it was yet only -a dingy mist, Tom slipped quietly into his flat and stretched his -wearied length upon the couch, his anguish subdued to an aching numbness -by his lone walk. He lay for a time, his eyes turned dully into the back -yard, watching the dirty light grow cleaner; and presently he sank into -a light sleep. After a little his eyes opened and he saw Maggie looking -intently at him from their bedroom door. - -For a moment the two of them maintained a silent gaze. Then she asked: -"You were out all night?" - -"Yes," he answered passively. - -"Why?" - -He hesitated. "I was walking about--thinking." - -"I should think you would be thinking! After what happened to you -Wednesday, and after losing your job yesterday!" - -He did not correct her misinterpretation of his answer, and as he said -nothing more she turned back into the bedroom, and soon emerged dressed. -As she moved about preparing breakfast his eyes rested on her now and -then, and in a not unnatural selfishness he dully wondered why they two -were married. Her feeling for him, he knew, was of no higher sort than -that attachment which dependence upon a man and the sense of being -linked to him for life may engender in an unspiritual woman. There was -no love between them; they had no ideas in common; she was not this, and -not this, and not this. And all the things that she was not, the other -was. And it was always to be Maggie that he was to see thus intimately. - -He had bowed to the situation as the ancients bowed to fate--accepted it -as a fact as unchangeable as death that has fallen. And yet, as he lay -watching her, thinking it was to be always so,--always!--his soul was -filled with agonizing rebellion; and so it was to be through many a day -to come. But later, as his first pain began to settle into an aching -sense of irreparable loss, his less selfish vision showed him that -Maggie was no more to blame for their terrible mistake than he, and not -so much; and that she, in a less painful degree, was also a pitiable -victim of their error. He became consciously considerate of her. For her -part, she at first marveled at this gentler manner, then slowly yielded -to it. - -But this is running ahead. The first days were all the harder to Tom -because he had no work to share his time with his pain. He did not seek -another position; as he had told Ruth, he knew it would be useless to -ask for work so long as the charge of being a dynamiter rested upon him. -He walked about the streets, trying to forget his pain in mixing among -his old friends, with no better financial hope than to wait till the -court had cleared his name. Several times he met Pig Iron Pete, who, -knowing only the public cause for Tom's dejection, prescribed a few -drinks as the best cure for such sorrow, and showed his faith in his -remedy by offering to take the same medicine. And one evening he brought -his cheerless presence to the Barrys'. "Poor fellow!" sighed Mrs. Barry -after he had gone. "He takes his thumps hard." - -One day as he walked about the streets he met Petersen, and with the -Swede was a stocky, red-faced, red-necked man wearing a red necktie -whose brilliance came to a focus in a great diamond pin. Petersen had -continued to call frequently after nightly attendance had become -unnecessary. Two weeks before Tom had gleaned from him by hard -questioning that the monthly rent of twelve dollars was overdue, the -landlord was raging, there was nothing with which to pay, and also -nothing in the house to eat. The next day Tom had drawn fifteen dollars -from his little bank account, and held it by him to give to Petersen -when he next called. But he had not come again. Now on seeing him Tom's -first feeling was of guilt that he had not carried the needed money to -Petersen's home. - -The stocky man, when he saw the two were friends, withdrew himself to -the curb and began to clean his nails with his pocket knife. "How are -you, Petersen?" Tom asked. - -"I'm purty good," Petersen returned, glancing restlessly at the stocky -man. - -"You don't need a little money, do you?" Tom queried anxiously. - -"No. I'm vorkin'." He again looked restlessly at his manicuring friend. - -"You don't say! That's good. What at?" - -Petersen's restlessness became painful. "At de docks." - -Tom saw plainly that Petersen was anxious to get away, so he said -good-by and walked on, puzzled by the Swede's strange manner, by his -rather unusual companion, and puzzled also as to how his work as -longshoreman permitted him to roam the streets in the middle of the -afternoon. - -When Tom met friends in his restless wanderings and stopped to talk to -them, the subject was usually the injustice he had suffered or the -situation regarding the strike. Up to the day of the Avon explosion the -union as a whole had been satisfied with the strike's progress. That -event, of course, had weakened the strikers' cause before the public. -But the promptness with which the union was credited to have renounced -the instigator of the outrage partially restored the ironworkers to -their position. They were completely restored three days after the -explosion, when Mr. Baxter, smarting under his recent loss and not being -able to retaliate directly upon Foley, permitted himself to be induced -by a newspaper to express his sentiments upon labor unions. The -interview was an elaboration of the views which are already partly known -to the reader. By reason of the rights which naturally belong to -property, he said, by reason of capital's greatly superior intelligence, -it was the privilege of capital, nay even its duty, to arrange the -uttermost detail of its affairs without any consultation whatever with -labor, whose views were always selfish and necessarily always -unintelligent. The high assumption of superiority in Mr. Baxter's -interview, its paternalistic, even monarchical, character, did not -appeal to his more democratic and less capitalized readers, and they -drew nearer in sympathy to the men he was fighting. - -As the last days of May passed one by one, Tom's predictions to Ruth -began to have their fulfillment. By the first of June a great part of -the building in the city was practically at a standstill; the other -building trades had caught up with the ironworkers on many of the jobs, -and so had to lay down their tools. The contractors in these trades were -all checked more or less in their work. Their daily loss quickly -overcame their natural sympathy with the iron contractors and Mr. Baxter -was beset by them. "We haven't any trouble with our men," ran the gist -of their complaint. "Why should we be losing money just because you and -your men can't agree? For God's sake, settle it up so we can get to -work!" - -Owners of buildings in process of construction, with big sums tied up in -them, began to grow frantic. Their agreements with the contractors -placed upon the latter a heavy fine for every day the completion of the -buildings was delayed beyond the specified time; but the contracts -contained a "strike clause" which exempted the bosses from penalties for -delays caused by strikes. And so the loss incurred by the present delay -fell solely upon the owners. "Settle this up somehow," they were -constantly demanding of Mr. Baxter. "You've delayed my building a month. -There's a month's interest on my money, and my natural profits for a -month, both gone to blazes!" - -To all of these Mr. Baxter's answer was in substance the same: "The day -the union gives up, on that day the strike is settled." And this he said -with unchangeable resolution showing through his voice. The bosses and -owners went away cursing and looking hopelessly upon an immediate future -whose only view to them was a desert of loss. - -But Mr. Baxter did not have in his heart the same steely decision he had -in his manner. Events had not taken just the course he had foreseen. The -division in the union, on which he had counted for its fall, had been -mended by the subsidence of Tom. The union's resources were almost -exhausted, true, but it was receiving some financial assistance from its -national organization, and its fighting spirit was as strong as ever. If -the aid of the national organization continued to be given, and if the -spirit of the men remained high, Mr. Baxter realized that the union -could hold out indefinitely. The attempt to replace the strikers by -non-union men had been a failure; Mr. Driscoll and himself were the only -contractors who still maintained the expensive farce of keeping a few -scabs at work. And despite his surface indifference to it, the pressure -of the owners of buildings and of the bosses in other trades had a -little effect upon Mr. Baxter, and more than a little upon some other -members of the Executive Committee. A few of the employers were already -eager to yield to the strikers' demand, preferring decreased profits to -a long period of none at all; but when Mr. Isaacs attempted to voice the -sentiments of these gentlemen in a meeting of the Executive Committee, a -look from Mr. Baxter's steady gray eyes was enough to close him up -disconcerted. - -So Buck Foley was not without a foundation in fact for his hopeful words -when he said in his report to the union at the first meeting in June: -"The only way we can lose this strike, boys, is to give it away." - -Which remark might be said, by one speaking from the vantage of later -events, to have been a bit of unconscious prophecy. - - - - -Chapter XXIII - -THE TRIUMPH OF BUSINESS SENSE - - -Mr. Baxter had to withstand pressure from still another source--from -himself. His business sense, as had owners and contractors, demanded of -him an immediate settlement of the strike. In its frequent debates with -him it was its habit to argue by repeating the list of evils begotten by -the strike, placing its emphasis on his losses that promised to continue -for months to come. Unlike most reformers and other critics of the -_status quo_, Mr. Baxter's business sense was not merely destructive; it -offered a practicable plan for betterment--a plan that guaranteed -victory over the strikers and required only the sacrifice of his pride. - -But Mr. Baxter's pride refused to be sacrificed. His business sense had -suggested the plan shortly after the union had voted to strike. He would -have adopted the plan immediately, as the obvious procedure in the -situation, had it not been for the break with Foley. But the break had -come, and his pride could not forget that last visit of Foley to his -private office; it had demanded that the walking delegate be -humiliated--utterly crushed. His business sense, from the other side, -had argued the folly of allowing mere emotion to stand in the way of -victory and the profitable resumption of work. Outraged pride had been -the stronger during April and May, but as the possibility of its -satisfaction had grown less and less as May had dragged by, the pressure -of his business sense had become greater and greater. And the Avon -explosion had given business sense a further chance to greaten. "Try the -plan at once," it had exhorted; "if you don't, Foley may do it again." -However, for all the pressure of owners and contractors and of his -business sense--owners and contractors urging any sort of settlement, so -that it be a settlement, business sense urging its own private plan--in -the early days of June Mr. Baxter continued to present the same -appearance of wall-like firmness. But his firmness was that of a dam -that can sustain a pressure of one hundred, and is bearing a pressure of -ninety-nine with its habitual show of eternal fixedness. - -Mr. Baxter had to withstand pressure from yet another source--from his -wife. When he had told her in early May that the strike was not going to -be settled as quickly as he had first thought, and had asked her to -practice such temporary economy as she could, she had acquiesced -graciously but with an aching heart; and instead of going to Europe as -she had intended, she and her daughter had run up to Tuxedo, where with -two maids, carriage, and coachman, they were managing to make both ends -meet on three hundred dollars a week. But when the first days of June -had come, and no prospect of settlement, she began to think with -swelling anxiety of the Newport season. - -"Why can't this thing be settled right off?" she said to her husband who -had run up Friday evening--the Friday after the Wednesday Foley had -assured the union of certain victory--to stay with her over Saturday and -Sunday. And she acquainted him with her besetting fears. - -Only another unit of pressure was needed to overturn the wall of Mr. -Baxter's resistance, and the stress of his wife's words was many times -the force required. During his two days at Tuxedo Mr. Baxter sat much of -the time apart in quiet thought. Mrs. Baxter was too considerate a wife -to repeat to him her anxieties, or to harass him with pleas and -questions, but just before he left early Monday morning for the city she -could not refrain from saying: "You will try, won't you, dear, to end -the strike soon?" - -"Yes, dear." - -She beamed upon him. "How soon?" - -"It will last about three more weeks." - -She fell on his neck with a happy cry, and kissed him. She asked him to -explain, but his business sense had told him it would be better if she -did not know the plan, and his love had given him the same counsel; so -he merely answered, "I am certain the union will give up," and plead his -haste to catch his train as excuse for saying nothing more. - -That afternoon a regular meeting of the Executive Committee took place -in Mr. Baxter's office. It was not a very cheerful quintet that sat -about the cherry table: Isaacs, in his heart ready to abandon the fight; -Bobbs, Murphy, and Driscoll, determined to win, but with no more speedy -plan than to continue the siege; and Baxter, cold and polite as usual, -and about as inspiring as a frozen thought. - -There was nothing in the early part of the meeting to put enthusiasm -into the committee. First of all, Mr. Baxter read a letter from the -Civic Federation, asking the committee if it would be willing to meet -again, in the interest of a settlement, with the strikers' committee. - -"Why not?" said Isaacs, trying to subdue his eagerness to a -business-like calm. "We've got nothing to lose by it." - -"And nothing to gain!" snorted Driscoll. - -"Tell the Civic Federation, not on its life," advised Murphy. "And tell -'em to cut their letters out. We're gettin' tired o' their eternal -buttin' in." - -Baxter gave Murphy a chilly glance. "We'll consider that settled then," -he said quietly. In his own mind, however, he had assigned the offer of -the Civic Federation to a definite use. - -There were several routine reports on the condition of the strike; and -the members of the committee had a chance to propose new plans. Baxter -was not ready to offer his--he hung back from broaching it; and the -others had none. "Nothin' to do but set still and starve 'em out," said -Murphy, and no one contradicted him. - -At the previous meeting, when pride was still regnant within him, Mr. -Baxter had announced that he had put detectives on the Avon case with -the hope of gaining evidence that would convict Foley of complicity in -the explosion. Since then the detectives had reported that though -morally certain of Foley's direct responsibility they could find not one -bit of legal evidence against him. Furthermore, business sense had -whispered Mr. Baxter that it would be better to let the matter drop, for -if brought to trial Foley might, in a fit of recklessness, make some -undesirable disclosures. So, for his own reasons, Mr. Baxter had thus -far guarded the Avon explosion from the committee's talk. But at length -Mr. Driscoll, restless at the dead subjects they were discussing, -avoided his guard and asked: "Anything new in the Avon business?" - -"Nothing. My detectives have failed to find any proof at all of Mr. -Foley's guilt." - -"Arrest him anyhow," said Driscoll. "If we can convict him, why the back -of the strike's broken." - -"There's no use arresting a man unless you can convict him." - -"Take the risk! You're losing your nerve, Baxter." - -Baxter flushed the least trifle at Driscoll's words, but he did not -retort. His eyes ran over the faces of the four with barely perceptible -hesitancy. He felt this to be his opening, but the plan of his business -sense was a subject difficult and delicate to handle. - -"I have a better use for Mr. Foley," he said steadily. - -"Yes?" cried the others, and leaned toward him. When Baxter said this -much, they knew he had a vast deal more to say. - -"If we could convict him I'd be in favor of his arrest. But if we try, -we'll fail; and that will be a triumph for the union. So to arrest him -is bad policy." - -"Go on," said Murphy. - -"Whatever we may say to the public, we know among ourselves this strike -is nowhere near its end. It may last all summer--the entire building -season." - -The four men nodded. - -Baxter now spoke with apparent effort. "Why not make use of Foley and -win it in three weeks?" - -"How?" asked Driscoll suspiciously. - -"How?" asked the others eagerly. - -"I suppose most of you have been held up by Foley?" - -There were four affirmative answers. - -"You know he's for sale?" - -"I've been forced to buy him!" said Driscoll. - -Baxter went on more easily, and with the smoothness of a book. "We have -all found ourselves, I suppose, compelled to take measures in the -interests of peace or the uninterrupted continuance of business that -were repugnant to us. What I am going to suggest is a thing I would -rather not have to do; but we are face to face with two evils, and this -is the lesser. - -"You will bear me out, of course, when I say the demands of the union -are without the bounds of reason. We can't afford to grant the demands; -and yet the fight against the union may use up the whole building -season. We'll lose a year's profits, and the men will lose a year's -wages, and in the end we'll win. Since we are certain to win, anyhow, -it seems to me that any plan that will enable us to win at once, and -save our profits and the men's wages, is justifiable." - -"Of course," said three of the men. - -"What do you mean?" Driscoll asked guardedly. - -"Many a rebellion has been quelled by satisfying the leader." - -"Oh, come right out with what you mean," demanded Driscoll. - -"The quickest way of settling the strike, and the cheapest, for both us -and the union, is to--well, see that Foley is satisfied." - -Driscoll sprang to his feet, his chair tumbling on its back, and his -fist came down upon the table. "I thought you were driving at that! By -God, I'm getting sick of this whole dirty underhand way of doing -business. I'd get out if I had a half-way decent offer. The union is in -the wrong. Of course it is! But I want to fight 'em on the square--in -the open. I don't want to win by bribing a traitor!" - -"It's a case where it would be wrong not to bribe--if you want to use so -harsh a word," said Baxter, his face tinged the least bit with red. "It -is either to satisfy Mr. Foley or to lose a summer's work and have the -men and their families suffer from the loss of a summer's wages. It's a -choice between evils. I'll leave to the gentlemen here, which is the -greater." - -"Oh, give your conscience a snooze, Driscoll!" growled Murphy. - -"I think Baxter's reasoning is good," said Bobbs. Isaacs corroborated -him with a nod. - -"It's smooth reasoning, but it's rotten!--as rotten as hell!" He glared -about on the four men. "Are you all in for Baxter's plan?" - -"We haven't heard it all yet," said Bobbs. - -"You've heard enough to guess the rest," snorted Driscoll. - -"I think it's worth tryin'," said Murphy. - -"Why, yes," said Bobbs. - -"We can do no less than that," said Isaacs. - -"Then you'll try it without me!" Driscoll shouted. "I resign from this -committee, and resign quick!" - -He grabbed his hat from Baxter's desk and stamped toward the door. Mr. -Baxter's smooth voice stopped him as his hand was on the knob. - -"Even if you do withdraw, of course you'll keep secret what we have -proposed." - -Driscoll gulped for a moment before he could speak; his face deepened -its purplish red, and his eyes snapped and snapped. "Damn you, Baxter, -what sort d'you think I am!" he exploded. "Of course!" - -He opened the door, there was a furious slam, and he was gone. - -The four men looked at each other questioningly. Baxter broke the -silence. "A good fellow," he said with a touch of pity. "But his ideas -are too inelastic for the business world." - -"He ought to be runnin' a girls' boardin' school," commented Murphy. - -"Perhaps it's just as well he withdrew," said Baxter. "I take it we're -pretty much of one mind." - -"Anything to settle the strike--that's me," said Murphy. "Come on now, -Baxter; give us the whole plan. Just handin' a roll over to Foley ain't -goin' to settle it. That'd do if it was his strike. But it ain't. It's -the union's--about three thousand men. How are you goin' to bring the -union around?" - -"The money brings Foley around; Foley brings the union around. It's very -simple." - -"As simple as two and two makes seven," growled Murphy. "Give us the -whole thing." - -Baxter outlined his entire plan, as he expected it to work out. - -"That sounds good," said Bobbs. "But are you certain we can buy Foley -off?" - -"Sure thing," replied Murphy, answering for Baxter. "If we offer him -enough." - -"How much do you think it'll take?" asked Isaacs. - -Baxter named a figure. - -"So much as that!" cried Isaacs. - -"That isn't very much, coming from the Association," said Baxter. -"You're losing as much in a week as your assessment would come to." - -"I suppose you want the whole Association to know all about this," -remarked Murphy. - -"Only we four are to know anything." - -"How'll you get the Association to give you the money then?" Murphy -followed up. - -"I can get the emergency fund increased. We have to give no account of -that, you know." - -"You seem to have thought o' everything, Baxter," Murphy admitted. "I -say we can't see Foley any too soon." - -Bobbs and Isaacs approved this judgment heartily. - -"I'll write him, then, to meet us here to-morrow afternoon. There's one -more point now." He paused to hunt for a phrase. "Don't you think the -suggestion should--ah--come from him?" - -The three men looked puzzled. "My mind don't make the jump," said -Murphy. - -Baxter coughed. It was not very agreeable, this having to say things -right out. "Don't you see? If we make the offer, it's--well, it's -bribery. But if we can open the way a little bit, and lead him on to -make the demand, why we're----" - -"Held up, o' course!" supplied Murphy admiringly. - -"Yes. In that case, if the negotiations with Foley come to nothing, or -there is a break later, Foley can't make capital out of it, as he might -in the first case. We're safe." - -"We couldn't help ourselves! We were held up!" Alderman Murphy could not -restrain a joyous laugh, and he held out a red hairy hand. "Put 'er -there, Baxter! There was a time when I classed you with the rest o' the -reform bunch you stand with in politics--fit for nothin' but to wear -white kid gloves and to tell people how good you are. But say, you're -the smoothest article I've met yet!" - -Baxter, with hardly concealed reluctance, placed his soft slender hand -in Murphy's oily paw. - - - - -Chapter XXIV - -BUSINESS IS BUSINESS - - -It had been hard for Baxter to broach his plan to the Executive -Committee. The next step in the plan was far harder--to write the letter -to Foley. His revolted pride upreared itself against this act, but his -business sense forced him to go on with what he had begun. So he wrote -the letter--not an easy task of itself, since the letter had to be so -vague as to tell Foley nothing, and yet so luring as to secure his -presence--and sent it to Foley's house by messenger. - -The next afternoon at a quarter past two the committee was again in -Baxter's office. Foley had been asked to come at half-past. The fifteen -minutes before his expected arrival they spent in rehearsing the plan, -so soon to be put to its severest test. - -"I suppose you'll do all the talking, Baxter," said Bobbs. - -"Sure," answered Murphy. "It's his game. I don't like to give in that -any man's better than me, but when it comes to fine work o' this kind we -ain't one, two, three with Baxter." - -Baxter took the compliment with unchanged face. - -Foley was not on time. At two-forty he had not come, and that he would -come at all began to be doubted. At two-fifty he had not arrived. At -three none of the four really expected him. - -"Let's go," said Murphy. "He'd 'a' been here on time if he was comin' at -all. I ain't goin' to waste my time waitin' on any walkin' delegate." - -"Perhaps there has been some mistake--perhaps he didn't get the letter," -suggested Baxter. But his explanation did not satisfy himself; he had a -growing fear that he had humiliated himself in vain, that Foley had got -the letter and was laughing at him--a new humiliation greater even than -the first. "But let's wait a few minutes longer; he may come yet," he -went on; and after a little persuasion the three consented to remain -half an hour longer. - -At quarter past three the office boy brought word that Foley was -without. Baxter ordered that he be sent in, but before the boy could -turn Foley walked through the open door, derby hat down over his eyes, -hands in his trousers pockets. Baxter stood up, and the other three rose -slowly after him. - -"Good-afternoon, gents," Foley said carelessly, his eyes running rapidly -from face to face. "D'I keep youse waitin'?" - -"Only about an hour," growled Murphy. - -"Is that so, now? Sorry. I always take a nap after lunch, an' I -overslep' myself." - -Foley's eyes had fixed upon Baxter's, and Baxter's returned their gaze. -For several seconds the two stood looking at each other with -expressionless faces, till the other three began to wonder. Then Baxter -seemed to swallow something. "Won't you please be seated, Mr. Foley," he -said. - -"Sure," said Foley in his first careless tone. - -The five sat down. Foley again coolly scanned the committee. "Well?" he -said. - -The three looked at Baxter to open the conversation. He did not at once -begin, and Foley took out his watch. "I can only give youse a few -minutes, gents. I've got an engagement up town at four. So if there's -anything doin', s'pose we don't waste no time in silent prayer." - -"We want to talk over the strike with you," began Baxter. - -"Really. If I'd known that now I'd 'a' brought the committee along." - -Murphy scowled at this naïveté. "We don't want to talk to your -committee." - -"I'm nobody without the committee. The committee's runnin' the strike." - -"We merely desire to talk things over in a general way with you in your -capacity as an individual," said Baxter quickly, to head off other -remarks from Murphy. - -"A general talk? Huh! Youse talk two hours; result--youse've talked two -hours." He slowly rose and took his hat, covering a yawn with a bony -hand. "Interestin'. I'd like it if I had the time to spare. But I ain't. -Well--so-long." - -"Hold on!" cried Baxter hastily. Foley turned. "We thought that -possibly, as the result of our talk, we might be able to reach some -compromise for the settlement of the strike." - -"If youse've got any plans, that's different." Foley resumed his chair, -resting an elbow on the table. - -"But remember I've got another engagement, an' cut 'em short." - -There were five chairs in the room. Baxter had placed his own with its -back to the window, and Foley's so that the full light fell straight in -the walking delegate's face. His own face, in the shadow, was as though -masked. - -Baxter had now immediately before him the task of opening the way for -Foley to make the desired demand. "This strike has been going on over -five weeks now," he began, watching the walking delegate's face for any -expression significant that his words were having their effect. "You -have been fixed in your position; we have been fixed in ours. Your union -has lost about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I won't say how -much we've lost. We both seem to be as firmly fixed in our determination -as ever. The strike may last all summer. The question is, do we both -want to keep on losing money--indefinitely?" - -Foley did not take the opening. "That's the question," he said blandly. - -It was a few seconds before Baxter went on. "I judge that we do not. You -have----" - -"Excuse me," said Foley, rising, "but I got weak eyes, an' this light -hurts 'em. Suppose me an' youse changes chairs." He calmly stepped over -to Baxter's side and waited. - -There was nothing for Baxter but to yield the seat, which he did. Foley -sat down, tilted back against the window sill, and hooked his heels over -a chair rung. - -"Your union has perhaps a million dollars at stake," Baxter continued at -the same even pitch. "We have--a great deal, and the owners stand to -lose heavily. If by talking an hour we can devise a plan by which this -can be saved, it's worth while, is it not?" - -"Sure. Speakin' as an individual, I'm willin' to talk twice as long for -half as much," Foley drawled. - -There was a silence. The three men, their elbows on the polished table, -looked on as though spectators at a play. - -"I wonder if you have anything to propose?" asked Baxter guardedly. - -"Me? I come to use my ears, not my tongue." - -The two men watched each other narrowly. The advantage, if there could -be advantage in the case of two faces under perfect control, was all -with Foley. The contractor had caught no sign revealing whether his -insinuative words were having effect. - -"But you perhaps have thought of some plan that is worth considering," -he went on. - -Foley hesitated, for the first time. "Well--yes." - -"What is it?" - -"I----" He broke off, and seemed to listen with suspicion. - -Baxter's face quickened--the least trifle. The three men leaned further -across the table, excitement tugging in their faces. - -"You are perfectly safe," Baxter assured him. "No one can hear." - -"The plan's dead simple. But mebbe it's occurred to youse." - -"Go on!" said Baxter. The men hardly breathed. - -"The quickest way o' settlin' the strike is for"--he paused--"youse -bosses to give in." - -Baxter's face went a little pale. Something very like a snarl came from -the spectators. - -Foley gave a prolonged chuckle. "If youse'll pay me for my time, I'm -willin' to play tag in the dark so long's the coin lasts. But if youse -ain't, come to business, or I'll go." - -"I don't understand," returned Baxter blankly. - -"Oh, tell the truth now an' then, Baxter. It sorter gives contrast to -the other things youse say. Youse understand all right enough." - -Baxter continued his blank look. - -Foley laughed dryly. "Now why do youse keep up that little game with me, -Baxter? But keep it up, if youse like it? It don't fool no one, so -where's the harm. I see through youse all right, even if youse don't -understand me." - -"Yes?" - -"Mebbe youse'd like to have me tell youse why youse sent for me?" - -There was no answer. - -"I'll tell then, since youse don't seem to want to. I only expect to -live till I'm seventy-five, so I ain't got no time to waste on your way -o' doin' business." Tilted at his ease against the window sill, he gave -each of the four a slow glance from his sharp eyes. "Well, youse gents -sent for me to see if I wouldn't offer to sell out the strike." - -This was hardly the manner in which the four had expected he would be -led on to hold them up. There was a moment of suppressed -disconcertment. Then Baxter remarked: "It seems to me that you are doing -some very unwarranted guessing." - -"I may be wrong, sure." A sardonic grin showed through the shadow-mask -on his face. "Well, what did youse want to talk to me about then?" - -Again there was a pause. The three twisted in uncomfortable suspense. -Baxter had the control of a bronze. "Suppose that was our purpose?" he -asked quietly. "What would you say?" - -"That's pretty fair; youse're gettin' out where there's daylight," Foley -approved. "I'd say youse was wastin' time. It can't be done--even if -anybody wanted it done." - -"Why?" - -"There's three thousand men in the union, an' every one o' them has a -say in settlin' the strike. An' there's five men on the strike -committee. I s'pose it's necessary to tell four such honest gents that a -trick o' this sort's got to be turned on the quiet. Where's the chance -for quiet? A committee might fool a union--yes. But there's the -committee." - -Foley looked at his watch. "I've got to move if I keep that engagement." -He stood up, and a malignant look came over his face. "I've give youse -gents about the only sort of a reason youse're capable of -appreciatin'--I couldn't if I wanted to. But there's another--I don't -want to. The only way o' settlin' this strike is the one I said first, -for youse bosses to give in. I've swore to beat youse out, an', by God, -I'm goin' to do it!" - -Bobbs and Isaac blinked dazedly. Murphy rose with a savage look, but -was sent to his chair by a glance from Baxter. Save for that glance, -Foley's words would have made no more change on Baxter's face than had -it indeed been of bronze. - -"When youse're ready to give in, gents, send for me, an' I'll come -again. Till then, damn youse, good-by!" - -As his hand was on the knob Baxter's even voice reached him: "But -suppose a man could fool the committee?" - -Foley turned slowly around. "What?" - -"Suppose a man could fool the committee?" - -"What youse drivin' at?" - -"Suppose a man could fool the committee?" - -Foley's eyes were of blazing intentness. "It can't be done." - -"I know of only one man who could do it." - -"Who?" - -"I think you can guess his name." - -Foley came slowly back to his chair, with a gaze that fairly clutched -Baxter's face. "Don't youse fool with me!" he snarled. - -Baxter showed nothing of the angler's excitement who feels the fish on -his hook. "Suppose a man could fool the committee? What would you say?" - -Foley held his eyes in piercing study on Baxter's face. "See here, are -youse talkin' business?" he demanded. - -"Suppose I say I am." - -The shadow could not hide a wolf-like gleam of Foley's yellow teeth. -"Then I might say, 'I'll listen.'" - -"Suppose a man could fool the committee," Baxter reiterated. "What would -you say?" - -"S'pose I was to say, 'how'?" - -Baxter felt sure of his catch. Throwing cautious speech aside, he -outlined the plan of his business sense, Foley watching him the while -with unshifting gaze, elbows on knees, hands gripped. "Negotiations -between your committee and ours might be resumed. You might be defiant -for one or two meetings of the two committees. You might still be -defiant in the meetings, but you might begin to drop a few words of -doubt on the outside. They will spread, and have their effect. You can -gradually grow a little weaker in your declarations at the meetings and -a little stronger in your doubts expressed outside. Some things might -happen, harmless in themselves, which would weaken the union's cause. -Then you might begin to say that perhaps after all it would be better to -go back to work on the old scale now, than to hold out with the -possibility of having to go back at the old scale anyhow after having -lost a summer's work. And so on. In three weeks, or even less, you would -have the union in a mood to declare the strike off." - -Foley's gaze dropped to the rug, and the four waited his decision in -straining suspense. The walking delegate's mind quickly ran over all the -phases of this opportunity for a fortune. None of the four men present -would tell of the transaction, since, if they did, they would be -blackened by their own words. To the union and all outside persons it -would seem nothing more than a lost strike. The prestige he would lose -in the union would be only temporary; he could regain it in the course -of time. Other walking delegates had lost strikes and kept their places -as leaders. - -Even Baxter had begun to show signs of nervous strain when Foley raised -his eyes and looked hesitatingly at the three men. Every man was one -more mouth, so one more danger. - -"What is it?" asked Baxter. - -"I ain't used to doin' business with more'n one man." - -"Oh, we're all on the level," growled Murphy. "Come out with it." - -"Well, then, I say yes--with an 'if'." - -"And the 'if'?" queried Baxter. - -"If the price is right." - -"What do you think it should be?" - -Foley studied the men's faces from beneath lowered eyebrows. "Fifty -thousand." - -This was the sum Baxter had mentioned the afternoon before. But Isaacs -cried out, "What!" - -"That--or nothing!" - -"Half that's enough," declared Murphy. - -Foley sneered in Murphy's face. "As I happen to know, twenty-five -thousand is just what youse got for workin' in the Board o' Aldermen for -the Lincoln Avenue Traction Franchise. Good goods always comes higher." - -The alderman's red face paled to a pink. But Baxter cut in before he -could retort. "We won't haggle over the amount, Mr. Foley. I think we -can consider the sum you mention as agreed upon." - -Foley's yellow teeth gleamed again. He summed up his terms concisely: -"Fifty thousand, then. Paid in advance. No checks. Cash only." - -"Pay you in advance!" snorted Murphy. "Well I rather guess not!" - -"Why?" - -"Well--we want somethin' for our money!" - -Foley's face grew dark. "See here, gents. We've done a little quiet -business together, all of us. Now can any one o' youse say Buck Foley -ever failed to keep his part o' the agreement?" - -The four had to vindicate his honor. But nevertheless, for their own -reason, they seemed unwilling to pay now and trust that he would do the -work; and Foley, for his reason, seemed unwilling to do the work and -trust that they would pay. After much discussion a compromise was -reached: the money was to be paid by Baxter in the morning of the day on -which the union would vote upon the strike; the committee could then -feel certain that Foley would press his measure through, for he would -have gone too far to draw back; and Foley, if payment should not be -made, could still balk the fulfillment of the plan. - -When this agreement had been reached Baxter was ready with another -point. "I believe it would be wise if all our future dealings with Mr. -Foley should be in the open, especially my dealings with him. If we were -seen coming from an apparently secret meeting, and recognized--as we -might be, for we are both known to many people--suspicions might be -aroused and our plan defeated." - -The four gave approval to the suggestion. - -At five o'clock all was settled, and Foley rose to go. He looked -irresolutely at Baxter for a moment, then said in a kind of grudging -admiration: "I've never give youse credit, Baxter. I knew youse was the -smoothest thing in the contractin' business, but I never guessed youse -was this deep." - -For an instant Baxter had a fear that he would again have to shake a -great hairy hand. But Foley's tribute did not pass beyond words. - - - - -Chapter XXV - -IN WHICH FOLEY BOWS TO DEFEAT - - -The minute after Foley had gone Mr. Baxter was talking over the -telephone to the secretary of the Conciliation Committee of the Civic -Federation. "We have considered your offer to try to bring our committee -and the committee of the ironworkers together," he said. "We are willing -to reopen negotiations with them." A letter would have been the proper -and more dignified method of communication. But this was the quicker, -and to Mr. Baxter a day was worth while. - -The secretary believed in the high mission of his committee, and was -enthusiastic to make a record for it in the avoidance of strikes and -assistance in their settlement. So he laid down the telephone receiver -and called for a stenographer. Within twenty minutes a messenger left -his office bearing a letter to Foley. - -When Foley got home, an hour after leaving Mr. Baxter's office, his wife -handed him the letter. It read: - - MY DEAR MR. FOLEY: - - Mr. Baxter, speaking for the Executive Committee of the Iron - Employers' Association, has signified their willingness to meet your - committee and again discuss possible measures for the ending of the - strike. Notwithstanding the barrenness of previous meetings I - sincerely hope your committee will show the same willingness to - resume negotiations. Permit me to urge upon your attention the - extreme seriousness of the present situation: the union, the - contractors, the owners, all losing money, the public discommoded by - the delay in the completion of buildings; all these demand that your - two committees get together and in a spirit of fairness reach some - agreement whereby the present situation will be brought to an end. - - Our rooms are at the service of your two committees. As time is - precious I have secured Mr. Baxter's consent, for his committee, to - meet you here at half-past two to-morrow afternoon. I hope this will - suit you. If not, a later date can be arranged. - -Though his appetite and dinner were both ready, Foley put on his hat and -went to the home of Connelly. The secretary was just sitting down to his -own dinner. - -"I just happened to be goin' by," said Foley, "an' I thought I'd run in -an' show youse a letter I got to-day." He drew out the letter and handed -it to Connelly. - -Foley chatted with Mrs. Connelly while the letter was being read, but -all the time his eyes were watching its effect upon Connelly. When he -saw the end had been reached, he remarked: "It don't amount to nothin'. -I guess we might as well write 'em to go to hell." - -Connelly hesitated. It usually took more than a little courage to -express a view contrary to Foley's. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. -"Baxter knows how we stand. It strikes me if he offers to talk things -over with us, that means he realizes he's licked an' is willin' to make -concessions." - -"Um! Maybe youse're right." - -Encouraged by this admission Connelly went on: "It might be worth our -while to meet 'em, anyhow. Suppose nothin' does come of it, what have we -lost?" - -Foley looked half-convinced. "Well, mebbe our committee might as well -talk the letter over." - -"Sure thing." - -"I suppose then we ought to get together to-night. If we get word to the -other three boys, we've got to catch 'em at dinner. Can youse see to -that?" - -Connelly looked regretfully at his untasted meal. "I guess I can." - -"All right. In your office then, say at eight." - -The five men were in the office on time, though Connelly, to make it, -had to content himself with what he could swallow in a few minutes at a -quick lunch counter. The office was a large, square room, a desk in one -corner, a few chairs along the sides, a great cuspidor in the center; at -the windows were lace curtains, and on one wall was a full-length mirror -in a gilt frame--for on nights when Potomac Hall was let for weddings, -receptions, and balls, Connelly's office had over its door, "Ladies' -Dressing Room." - -The five men lit cigars, Foley's cigars, and drew chairs around the -cuspidor, which forthwith began to bear the relation of hub to their -frequent salivary spokes. "Connelly told youse about the letter from the -Civic Federation, that's gettin' so stuck on runnin' God's business -they'll soon have him chased off his job," Foley began. "But I guess I -might as well read the letter to youse." - -"Take the offer, o' course!" declared Pete, when Foley had ended. - -"That's what I said," Connelly joined. - -Hogan and Brown, knowing how opposed Foley was to the proposition, said -nothing. - -"We've wasted enough time on the bosses' committee," Foley objected. "No -use talkin' to 'em again till we've put 'em down an' out." - -"The trouble with you, Foley, is, you like a fight so well you can't -tell when you've licked your man," said Pete in an exasperated tone. -"What's the use punchin' a man after he's give in?" - -"We've got 'em licked, or they'd never ask to talk things over," urged -Connelly. - -Foley looked in scowling meditation at his cigar ash. Then he raised his -eyes to Brown and Hogan. "What do youse think?" - -Thus directly questioned; they had to admit they stood with Pete and -Connelly. - -"Oh, well, since we ain't workin', I suppose we won't be wastin' much if -we do chin a bit with 'em," he conceded. But the four easily perceived -that he merely yielded to their majority, did not agree. - -The next afternoon Foley and his committee were led by the secretary of -the Conciliation Committee into one of the rooms of the Civic -Federation's suite, where Mr. Baxter and his committee were already in -waiting. The secretary expressed a hope that they arrive at an -understanding, and withdrew in exultation over this example of the -successful work his committee was doing. - -There was a new member on the employers' committee--Mr. Berman. Mr. -Baxter, exercising the power vested in him to fill vacancies -temporarily, had chosen Mr. Berman as Mr. Driscoll's successor for two -reasons: his observations of Mr. Berman had made him certain the latter -had elastic ideas; and, more important, for Mr. Driscoll's own partner -to take the vacant place would quiet all suspicions as to the cause of -Mr. Driscoll's unexpected resignation. Of the five, Bobbs and Isaacs -were rather self-conscious; Murphy, who had had previous experience in -similar situations, wore a large, blustering manner; Berman, for all his -comparative inexperience, was most promisingly at his ease; and Baxter -was the Baxter he was three hundred and sixty-five days in the year. - -The strikers' committee presented the confident front of expected -victory. Foley, slipped far down in his chair, eyed the contractors with -a sideling, insolent glance. - -"If this here's to be another o' them hot air festivals, like we -attended in April an' May, say so now," he growled. "We ain't got no -time for talkin' unless youse mean business." - -Connelly, whose chair was beside Foley's, leaned over anxiously. "Don't -you think you're goin' at 'em pretty rough, Buck?" he whispered. "If you -get 'em mad, they'll go right back to where they stood." - -"Oh, youse leave 'em to me," Foley returned knowingly. - -It would serve no purpose to give the details of this meeting. Mr. -Baxter, ignoring Foley's insolence of manner, outlined in well-balanced -sentences the reasons that made it imperative to both sides for the -strike to be settled, and then went on to give anew the contractors' -side of the questions at issue. Now and then Foley broke in with -comments which were splenetic outbursts rather than effective -rejoinders. When the meeting was over and his committee was out in the -street, Foley shed his roughly defiant manner. "Boys," he said with -quiet confidence, "we've got 'em beat to death." - -The next afternoon was occupied with a debate between Mr. Baxter and -Foley upon their respective claims. Foley's tongue was as sharp as ever, -but his fellow committeemen had to acknowledge to their secret hearts -there was more of convincing substance in what Mr. Baxter said. They -wondered somewhat at the sudden declension in the effectiveness of their -leader's speech, which perhaps they would not have done had they been -parties to a conference that morning at which Foley had pointed out to -Mr. Baxter the vulnerable spots in the union's claims, and schooled him -in the most telling replies to the statements he, Foley, intended -making. - -After the meeting Foley again declared his certainty of winning, but -there was a notable decrease of confidence in his voice. - -"Yes," said Connelly, without much spirit. "But Baxter, he puts up a -good talk." - -"He seems to have facts to talk from," explained Brown. - -"So have we," said Foley. - -"Yes, but somehow at the meetin's his facts seem stronger," said -Connelly. - -"Oh, what o' that," Foley returned encouragingly. "More'n once in poker -I've seen a strong bluff win over a strong hand." - -The next meeting was a repetition of the second. Foley was keen in his -wit, and insolently defiant; but Mr. Baxter got the better of every -argument. The union's committee began to admit, each man to himself, -that their position was weaker, and the contractors' much stronger, than -they had thought. - -And so, day by day, Foley continued to undermine their confidence. So -skillfully did he play his part, they never guessed that he was the -insinuating cause of their failing courage; more, his constant -encouragement made them ashamed to speak of their sinking spirit. - -But on the fifth day, at a consultation in Connelly's office, it came -out. There had been an hour of talk, absolutely without a touch of -enthusiasm, when Connelly, who had been looking around at the men's -faces for some time, said with an effort: "On the level now, boys, d'you -think we've got any chance o' winnin'?" - -Foley swore. "What's that?" he demanded. "Why o' course we're goin' to -win!" - -But Connelly's words had their effect; the silence broken, the men spoke -hesitatingly of the growing doubts they had been trying to hide. Foley -stood up. "Boys, if youse're goin' to talk this kind o' rot, youse've -got to talk it without me," he said, and went out. - -Foley gone, they spoke freely of their doubts; and they also talked of -him. "D'you notice how the ring's all gone out o' his voice?" asked -Brown. - -"I bet he ain't got no more confidence than any o' the rest of us," said -Pete. - -"I bet so, too," agreed Connelly. "He talks big just to cheer us up. -Then it's mighty hard for Buck to give up. He'll always fight to his -last drop o' blood." - -The decline of the committee's enthusiasm had already begun to have a -disquieting effect in the union. It now rapidly spread that the -committee had little confidence of winning the strike, and that Foley, -for all his encouraging words, believed at heart as did the rest of the -committee. - -The first meeting of the union after the resumption of negotiations was -a bitter one. The committee made a vague report, in which Foley did not -join, that made apparent their fallen courage. Immediately questioning -men were on their feet all over the hall, Tom among them. The committee, -cornered by queries, had to admit publicly that it had no such -confidence as it had had a week before. The reasons for this were -demanded. No more definite reason could be given than that the bosses -were stronger in their position than the union had believed. - -There were sneers and hot words for the four members who participated in -the report. Cries went up for Foley, who had thus far kept out of the -discussion; and one voice, answering the cries, shouted: "Oh, he's lost -his nerve, too, the same as the others!" - -Foley was on his feet in an instant, looking over the excited crowd. "If -any man here has heard me say I'm for givin' in, let him get up on his -two feet!" - -No one stood up. "I guess youse all know I'm for fightin' as long's -there's anything worth fightin' for," he declared, and sank back into -his seat. - -But there had been no wrath in his eyes as he had looked over the crowd, -and no ferocity in his words of vindication. The whisper ran about that -it was true, he was losing his nerve. And if Foley, Foley the fighter, -were losing confidence, then the situation must indeed be desperate. - -The courage of a large body of men, especially of one loosely organized, -is the courage of its leaders. Now that it was known the committee's -confidence was well-nigh gone, and guessed that Foley's was going, the -courage of the men ebbed rapidly. It began to be said: "If there's no -chance of winning the strike, why don't we settle it at once, and get -back to work?" And the one who spoke loudest and most often in this -strain was Johnson. - -Two days after the meeting Foley had a conference with Mr. Baxter, at -which the other members of the union's committee were not present. And -that same night there was another explosion in one of Mr. Baxter's -buildings that chanced to be unguarded. The explosion was slight, and -small damage was done, but a search discovered two charges of dynamite -in the foundation, with fuses burned almost to the fulminating caps. - -If the dynamite did not explode, the newspapers did. The perpetrators of -this second outrage, which only fate had prevented, should be hunted -down and made such an example of as would be an eternal warning against -like atrocities. The chief of police should apprehend the miscreants at -whatever cost, and the district attorney should see that they had full -justice--and perhaps a little more. - -The chief of police, for his part, declared he'd have the guilty parties -if it took his every man to run them down. But his men searched, days -passed, and the waiting cells remained empty. - -Mr. Baxter, interviewed, said it was obvious that the union was now -determined to stop at nothing in its efforts to drive the contractors -into submission. The union, at a special meeting, disclaimed any -responsibility for the attempted outrage, and intimated that this was a -scheme of the contractors themselves to blacken the union's character. -When a reporter "conveyed this intelligence to Mr. Baxter, that -gentleman only smiled." - -The chief result of this second explosion was that so much as remained -to the union of public sympathy was lost in what time it took the public -to read its morning paper. Had a feeling of confidence prevailed in the -union, instead of one of growing doubt, this charge might have incited -the union to resistance all the stouter. But the union, dispirited over -the weakness of its cause, saw its cause had been yet further weakened, -and its courage fled precipitately. - -Three days after the explosion there was another joint meeting of the -two committees. At this Mr. Baxter, who had before been soft courtesy, -was all ultimatum. The explosion had decided them. They would not be -intimidated; they would not make a single concession. The union could -return to work on the old terms, if it liked; if not, they would fight -till there was nothing more to fight with, or for. - -Foley, with much bravado, gave ultimatum for ultimatum; but when his -committee met, immediately after leaving the employers', to consider Mr. -Baxter's proposition, he sat in gloomy silence, hardly heeding what was -being said. As they talked they turned constantly to Foley's somber -face, and looking at that face their words became more and more -discouraged. - -Finally Pete asked of him: "Where d'you stand, Buck?" - -He came out of his reverie with a start. "I'm against givin' up," he -said. "Somethin' may turn up yet." - -"What's the use holdin' on?" demanded Connelly. "We're bound to be -licked in the end. Every day we hold out the men lose a day's pay." - -Foley glanced sadly about. "Is that what youse all think?" - -There were four affirmative answers. - -"Well, I ain't goin' to stand out----" - -He broke off, and his face fell forward into his palm, and he was silent -for a long space. The four watched him in wordless sympathy. - -"Boys," he said, huskily, into his hand, "this's the first time Buck -Foley's ever been licked." - - - - -Chapter XXVI - -PETERSEN'S SIN - - -The first news of the committee's failing confidence that reached Tom's -ears he discredited as being one of the rumors that are always flying -about when large powers are vested in a small body of men. That the -strike could fail was too preposterous for his belief. But when the -committee was forced to admit in open meeting that its courage was -waning, Tom, astounded, had to accept what but yesterday he had -discredited. He thought immediately of treachery on Foley's part, but in -his hot remarks to the union he made no mention of his suspicions; he -knew the boomerang quality of an accusation he could not prove. Later, -when he went over the situation with cool brain, he saw that treachery -was impossible. Granting even that Foley could be bought, there was the -rest of the committee,--and Pete, on whose integrity he would have -staked his own, was one of its members. - -And yet, for all that reason told him, a vague and large suspicion -persisted in his mind. A few days after the meeting he had a talk with -Pete, during which his suspicion got into words. "Has it occurred to -you, Pete, that maybe Foley is up to some deep trick?" he asked. - -"You're away off, Tom!" was the answer, given with some heat. "I ain't -missed a single committee meetin', an' I know just where Foley stands. -It's the rest of us that're sorter peterin' out. Buck's the only one -that's standin' out for not givin' in. Mebbe he's not above dumpin' us -all if he had the chance. But he couldn't be crooked here even if he -wanted to. We're too many watchin' him." - -All this Tom had said to himself before, but his saying it had not -dispelled his suspicion, and no more did the saying of it now by Pete. -The negotiations seemed all open and above board; he could not lay his -finger on a single flaw in them. But yet the strike seemed to him to -have been on too solid a basis to have thus collapsed without apparent -cause. - -At the union meeting following the committee conference where Foley had -yielded, a broken man, the advisability of abandoning the strike came up -for discussion. Foley sat back in his chair, with overcast face, and -refused to speak. But his words to the committee had gone round, and now -his gloomy silence was more convincing in its discouragement than any -speech could have been. Tom, whose mind could not give up the suspicion -that there was trickery, even though he could not see it, had a -despairing thought that if action could be staved off time might make -the flaw apparent. He frantically opposed the desire of a portion of the -members that the strike be given up that very evening. Their defeat was -not difficult; the union was not yet ready for the step. It was decided -that the matter should come up for a vote at the following meeting. - -While Tom was at breakfast the next morning there was a knock at the -door. Maggie answered it, and he heard a thin yet resonant voice that -he seemed to have heard before, inquire: "Is Mr. Keating in?" - -He stepped to the door. In the dim hallway he saw indistinctly a small, -thin woman with a child in her arms. "Yes," he answered for himself. - -"Don't you remember me, Brother Keating?" she asked, with a glad note in -her voice, shifting the child higher on her breast and holding out a -hand. - -"Mrs. Petersen!" he cried. "Come right in." - -She entered, and Tom introduced her to Maggie, who drew a chair for her -up beside the breakfast table. - -"Thank you, sister." She sank exhausted into the chair, and turned -immediately on Tom. "Have you seen Nels lately?" she asked eagerly. - -"Not for more than two weeks." - -The excitement died out of her face; Tom now saw, by the light of the -gas that had to be burned in the dining-room even at midday, that the -face was drawn and that there were dark rings under the eyes. "Is -anything wrong?" he asked. - -"He ain't been home for two nights," she returned tremulously. "I said -to myself last night, if he don't come to-night I'll come over to see -you early this morning. Mebbe you'd know something about him." - -"Not a thing." He wanted to lighten that wan face, so he gave the best -cheer that he could. "But I guess nothing's wrong with him." - -"Yes, there is, or he'd never stay away like this," she returned -quickly. Her voice sank with resignation. "I suppose all I can do is to -pray." - -"And look," Tom added. "I'll look." - -She rose to go. Maggie pressed her to have breakfast, but she refused, a -faint returning hope in her eyes. "Mebbe the Lord's brung him home while -I've been here." - -A half minute after the door had closed upon her Tom opened it and -hurried down the three flights of stairs. He caught her just going into -the street. - -He fumbled awkwardly in his pocket. "Do you need anything?" - -"No. Bless you, Brother Keating. Nels left me plenty o' money. You know -he works reg'lar on the docks." - -Two causes for Petersen's absence occurred as possible to Tom--arrest -and death. He looked through the record of arrests for the last two days -at police headquarters. Petersen's name was not there, and to give a -false name would never have occurred to Petersen's slow mind. So Tom -knew he was not in a cell. He visited the public morgues and followed -attendants who turned back sheets from cold faces. But Petersen's face -he did not see. - -The end of the day brought also the end of Tom's search. He now had -three explanations for Petersen's absence: The Swede was dead, and his -body unrecovered; he had wandered off in a fit of mental aberration; he -had deserted his wife. The first he did not want to believe. The third, -remembering the looks that had passed between the two the night he had -visited their home, he could not believe. He clung to the second; and -that was the only one he mentioned to Mrs. Petersen when he called in -the evening to report. - -"He'll come to suddenly, and come back," he encouraged her. "That's the -way with such cases." - -"You think so?" She brightened visibly. - -A fourth explanation flashed upon him. "Perhaps he got caught by -accident on some boat he had been helping load, and got carried away." - -She brightened a little more at this. "Just so he's alive!" she cried. - -"He'll be certain to be back in a few days," Tom said positively. He -left her greatly comforted by his words, though he himself did not half -believe them. - -There was nothing more he could do toward discovering the missing man. -It must be admitted that, during the next few days, he thought of -Petersen much less frequently than was the due of such a friend as the -Swede had proved. The affairs of the union held his mind exclusively. -Opinion was turning overwhelmingly toward giving up the strike, and -giving it up immediately. Wherever there was a man who still held out, -there were three or four men pouring words upon him. "Foley may not be -so honest as to hurt him, but he's a fighter from 'way back, an' if he -thinks we ought to stop fightin' now, then we ought to 'a' stopped weeks -ago"--such was the substance of the reasoning in bar-room and street -that converted many a man to yielding. - -And also, Tom learned, a quick settlement was being urged at home. As -long as the men had stood firm for the strike, the women had skimped at -every point and supported that policy. But when they discovered that the -men's courage was going, the women, who feel most the fierce economy of -a strike, were for the straight resumption of work and income. Maggie, -Tom knew, was beginning to look forward in silent eagerness to a -settlement; he guessed that she hoped, the strike ended, he might go -back to work untroubled by Foley. - -Tom undertook to stand out against the proposal of submission, but he -might as well have tried to shoulder back a Fundy tide. Men remembered -it was he who had so hotly urged them into a strike that thus far had -cost them seven weeks' wages. "I suppose you'd have us lose seven more -weeks' money," they sneered at him. They said other things, and -stronger, for your ironworker has studied English in many places. - -Monday evening found Tom in a chair at one of the open windows of his -sitting-room, staring out at nothing at all, hardly conscious of Maggie, -who was reading, or of Ferdinand, who lay dozing on the couch. He was -completely discouraged--at the uttermost end of things. He had searched -his mind frantically for flaws in the negotiations and in Foley's -conduct, flaws which, if followed up, clue by clue, would reveal Foley's -suspected treachery. But he found none. There seemed nothing more he -could do. The vote would come on Wednesday evening, and its result was -as certain as if the count had already been made. - -And so he sat staring into the line of back yards with their rows and -rows of lighted windows. His mind moved over the past five months. They -had held nothing for him but failure and pain. He had fought for honor -in the management of the union's affairs, staking his place in his trade -on the result--and honor in the contest with dishonesty had gone down in -defeat. He had urged the union to strike for better wages, and now the -strike was on the eve of being lost. He would have to begin life over -anew, and he did not know where he could begin. Moreover, he had lost -all but a few friends; and he had lost all influence. This was what his -fight for right had brought him, and in five months. - -And this was not the sum of the bitterness the five months had brought -him--no, nor its greater part. He had learned how mighty real love can -be--and how hopeless! - -He had been sitting so, dreaming darkly, for an hour or more when Maggie -asked him if he had heard whether Petersen had come back. The question -brought to his mind that he had neglected Mrs. Petersen for four days. -He rose, conscience-smitten, told Maggie he would be back presently, and -set forth for the tenement in which the Petersens had their home. He -found Mrs. Petersen, her child asleep in her lap, reading the Bible. She -appeared to be even slighter and paler than when he had last seen her, -but her spirit seemed to burn even higher through the lessened -obscuration of her thinning flesh. - -No, Petersen had not yet come back. "But I fetched my trouble to God in -prayer," she said. "An' He helped me, glory to His name! He told me Nels -is comin' back." - -Tom had nothing to give to one so fired by hope, and he slipped away as -soon as he could and returned home. On entering his flat, his eyes going -straight through the dining-room into the sitting-room, he saw Maggie -gazing in uncomfortable silence at a man--a lean, brown man, with knobby -face, and wing-like mustache, who sat with bony hands in his lap and -eyes fastened on his knees. - -Tom crossed the dining-room with long strides. Maggie, glad of the -chance to escape, passed into the bedroom. - -"Petersen!" he cried. "Where on earth've you been?" - -Petersen rose with a glad light in his face and grasped the hand Tom -offered. Immediately he disengaged his hand to slip it into a trousers -pocket. Tom now noted that Petersen's face was slightly discolored,--dim -yellows, and greens, and blues--and that his left thumb was brown, as -though stained with arnica. - -"I come to pay vot I loan," Petersen mumbled. His hand came forth from -the pocket grasping a roll of bills as big as his wrist. He unwrapped -three tens and silently held them out. - -Tom, who had watched this action through with dumb amazement, now broke -out: "Where d'you get all that money? Where've you been?" - -The three tens were still in Petersen's outstretched hand. "For vot you -give de union, and vot you give me." - -"But where've you been?" Tom demanded, taking the money. - -Fear, shame, and contrition struggled for control of Petersen's face. -But he answered doggedly: "I vorked at de docks." - -"You know that's not so, Petersen. You haven't been home for a week. And -your wife's scared half to death." - -"Anna scared? Vy?" He started, and his brown face paled. - -"Why shouldn't she be?" Tom returned wrathfully. "You went off without a -word to her, and not a word from you for a week! Now see here, Petersen, -where've you been?" - -"Vorkin' at de docks," he repeated, but weakly. - -"And got that wad of money for it! Hardly." He pushed Petersen firmly -back into his chair. "Now you've got to tell me all about it." - -All the dogged resistance faded from Petersen's manner, and he sat -trembling, with face down. For a moment Tom was in consternation lest he -break into tears. But he controlled himself and in shame told his story, -aided by questions from Tom. Tom heard him without comment, breathing -rapidly and gulping at parts of the brokenly-told story. - -When the account was ended Tom gripped Petersen's hand. "You're all -right, Petersen!" he said huskily. - -Tears trickled down from Petersen's eyes, and his simple face twitched -with remorse. - -Tom fell into thought. He understood Petersen's fear to face his wife. -He, too, was uncertain how Mrs. Petersen, in her religious fervor, would -regard what Petersen had done. He had to tell her, of course, since -Petersen had shown he could not. But how should he tell her--how, so -that the woman, and not the religious enthusiast, would be reached? - -Presently Tom handed Petersen his hat, and picked up his own. "Come on," -he said; and to Maggie he called through the bedroom door: "I'll be back -in an hour." - -As they passed through the tunnel Tom, who had slipped his hand through -Petersen's arm for guidance, felt the Swede begin to tremble; and it was -so across the little stone-paved court, with the square of stars above, -and up the nervous stairway, whose February odors had been multiplied by -the June warmth. Before his own door Petersen held back. - -Tom understood. "Wait here for me, then," he said, and knocked upon the -door. - -"Who's there?" an eager voice questioned. - -"Keating." - -When she answered, the eagerness in the voice had turned to -disappointment. "All right, Brother Keating. In just a minute." - -Tom heard the sounds of rapid dressing, and then a hand upon the knob. -Petersen shrank back into the darkness of a corner. - -The door opened. "Come in, Brother Keating," she said, not quite able to -hide her surprise at this second visit in one evening. - -A coal oil lamp on the kitchen table revealed the utter barrenness and -the utter cleanness--so far as unmonied effort could make clean those -scaling walls and that foot-hollowed floor--which he had seen on his -first visit five months before. He was hardly within the door when her -quick eyes caught the strain in his manner. One thin hand seized his -arm excitedly. "What is it, brother? Have you heard from Nels?" - -"Ye-es," Tom admitted hesitatingly. He had not planned to begin the -story so. - -"And he's alive? Quick! He's alive?" - -"Yes." - -She sank into a chair, clasped both hands over her heart, and turned her -eyes upward. "Praise the Lord! I thank Thee, Lord! I knew Thou wouldst -keep him." - -Immediately her wide, burning eyes were back on Tom. "Where is he?" - -"He's been very wicked," said Tom, shaking his head sadly, and lowering -himself into the only other chair. "So wicked he's afraid you can never -forgive him. And I don't see how you can. He's afraid to come home." - -"God forgives everything to the penitent, an' I try to follow after -God," she said, trembling. A sickening fear was on her face. "Tell me, -brother! What's he done? Don't try to spare me! God will help me to bear -it. Not--not--murder?" - -"No. He's fallen in another way," Tom returned, with the sad shake of -his head again. "Shall I tell you all?" - -"All, brother! An' quickly!" She leaned toward him, hands gripped in the -lap of her calico wrapper, with such a staring, fearing attention as -seemed to stand out from her gray face and be of itself a separate -presence. - -"I'll have to tell you some things you know already, and know better -than I do," Tom said, watching to see how his words worked upon her. -"After Petersen got in the union he held a job for two weeks. Then Foley -knocked him out, and then came the strike. It's been eleven weeks since -he earned a cent at his trade. The money he'd made in the two weeks he -worked soon gave out. He tried to find work and couldn't. Days passed, -and weeks. They had little to eat at home. I guess they had a pretty -hard time of it. He----" - -"We did, brother!" - -"He saw his wife and kid falling off--getting weaker and weaker," Tom -went on, not heeding the interruption. "He got desperate; he couldn't -see 'em starve. Now the devil always has temptation ready for a -desperate man. About four weeks ago when his wife was so weak she could -hardly move, and there wasn't a bite in the house, the devil tempted -Petersen. He happened to meet a man who had been his partner in his old -wicked days, his manager when he was a prize fighter. The manager said -it was too bad Petersen had left the ring; he was arranging a -heavy-weight bout to come off before a swell athletic club in -Philadelphia, a nice purse for the loser and a big fat one for the -winner. They walked along the street together for awhile, and all the -time the devil was tempting Petersen, saying to him: 'Go in and -fight--this once. It's right for a man to do anything rather than let -his wife and kid starve.' But Petersen held out, getting weaker all the -time, though. Then the devil said to him: 'He's a pretty poor sort of a -man that loves his promise not to fight more than he loves his wife and -kid.' Petersen fell. He decided to commit the sin." - -Tom paused an instant, then added in a hard voice: "But because a man -loves his wife so much he's willing to do anything for her, that don't -excuse the sin, does it?" - -"Go on!" she entreated, leaning yet further toward him. - -"Well, he said to the manager he'd fight. They settled it, and the man -advanced some money. Petersen went into training. But he was afraid to -tell us what an awful thing he was doing,--doing because he didn't want -his wife to starve,--and so he told us he was working at the docks. So -it was for three weeks, and his wife and kid had things to eat. The -fight came off last Wednesday night----" - -"And who won? Who?" - -"Well--Petersen." - -"Yes! Of course!" she cried, exultation for the moment possessing her -face. "He is a terrible fighter! He----" - -She broke off and bowed her head with sudden shame; when it came up the -next instant she wore again the tense look that seemed the focus of her -being. - -Tom had gone right on. "It was a hard fight. He was up against a fast -hard hitter. But he fought better than he ever did before. I suppose he -was thinking of his wife and kid. He won, and got the big purse. But -after the fight was over, he didn't dare come home. His face was so -bruised his wife would have known he'd been fighting,--and he knew it -would break her heart for her to know he'd been at it again. And so he -thought he'd stay away till his face got well. She needn't ever have the -pain then of knowing how he'd sinned. He never even thought how worried -she'd be at not hearing from him. So he stayed away till his face got -well, almost--till to-night. Then he came back, and slipped up to his -door. He wanted to come in, but he was still afraid. He listened at the -door. His wife was praying for him, and one thing he heard was, she -asked God to keep him wherever he was from wrong-doing. He knew then -he'd have to tell her all about it, and he knew how terrible his sin -would seem to her. He knew she could never forgive him. So he slipped -down the stairs, and went away. Of course he was right about what his -wife would think," Tom drove himself on with implacable voice. "I didn't -come here to plead for him. I don't blame you. It was a terrible sin, a -sin----" - -She rose tremblingly from her chair, and raised a thin authoritative -hand. "Stop right there, brother!" she cried, her voice sob-broken. "It -wasn't a sin. It--it was glorious!" - -Tom sprang toward the door. "Petersen!" he shouted. He flung it open, -and the next instant dragged Petersen, shrinking and eager, fearful, -shamefaced, and yet glowing, into the room. - -"Oh, Nels!" She rushed into his arms, and their mighty length tightened -about the frail body. "It--was--glorious--Nels! It----" - -But Tom heard no more. He closed the door and groped down the shivering -stairway. - - - - -Chapter XXVII - -THE THOUSANDTH CHANCE - - -Mr. Driscoll was the chairman of the building committee of a little -independent church whose membership was inclined to regard him somewhat -dubiously, notwithstanding the open liking of the pastor. The church was -planning a new home, and of late the committee had been holding frequent -meetings. In the afternoon of this same Monday there had been a session -of the committee; and on leaving the pastor's study Mr. Driscoll had -hurried to his office, but Ruth, whom he had pressed into service as the -committee's secretary, had stopped to perform a number of errands. When -she reached the office she walked through the open hall door--the -weather was warm, so it had been wide all day--over the noiseless rug to -her desk, and began to remove her hat. Voices came to her from Mr. -Driscoll's room, Mr. Driscoll's voice and Mr. Berman's; but their first -few sentences, on business matters, passed her ears unheeded, like the -thousand noises of the street. But presently, after a little pause, Mr. -Berman remarked upon a new topic: "Well, it's the same as settled that -the strike will be over in two days." - -Almost unconsciously Ruth's ears began to take in the words, though she -continued tearing the sheets of stamps, one of her purchases, into -strips, preparatory to putting them away. - -"Another case in which right prevails," said Mr. Driscoll, a touch of -sarcasm in his voice. - -"Why, yes. We are altogether in the right." - -"And so we win." Silence. Then, abruptly, and with more sarcasm: "But -how much are we paying Foley?" - -Ruth started, as when amid the street's thousand noises one's own name -is called out. She gazed intently at the door, which was slightly ajar. - -Silence. "What? You know that?" - -"Why do you suppose I left the committee?" - -"I believed what you said, that you were tired of it." - -"Um! So they never told you. Since you're a member of the committee I'm -breaking no pledge in telling you where I stand. I left when they -proposed buying Foley----" - -Mr. Berman made a hushing sound. - -"Nobody'll hear. Miss Arnold's out. Besides, I wouldn't mind much if -somebody did hear, and give the whole scheme away. How you men can stand -for it is more than I know." - -"Oh, it's all right," Mr. Berman returned easily. - -The talk went on, but Ruth listened for no more. She hastily pinned on -her hat, passed quietly into the hall, and caught a descending elevator. -After a walk about the block she came back to the office and moved -around with all the legitimate noise she could make. Mr. Driscoll's door -softly closed. - -In a few minutes Mr. Berman came out and, door knob in hand, regarded -her a moment as she sat at her desk making a pretense of being at work. -Then he crossed the room with a rare masculine grace and bent above her. - -"Miss Arnold," he said. - -Ruth rarely took dictation from Mr. Berman, but she now reached for her -note-book in instinctive defense against conversation. "Some work for -me?" She did not look up. - -"Something for you to make a note of, but no work," he returned in his -low, well-modulated voice that had seemed to her the very vocalization -of gentlemanliness. "I remember the promise you made me give--during -business hours, only business. But I have been looking for a chance all -day to break it. I want to remind you again that the six months are up -to-morrow night." - -"Yes. My answer will be ready." - -He waited for her to say something more, but she did not; and he passed -on to his own room. - -Ruth had two revelations to ponder; but it was to the sudden insight she -had been given into the real cause of the contractors' approaching -victory that she gave her first thought, and not to the sudden insight -into the character of Mr. Berman. From the first minute there was no -doubt as to what she should do, and yet there was a long debate in her -mind. If she were to give Tom the bare fact that had been revealed to -her, and, using it as a clue, he were to uncover the whole plan, there -would come a disgraceful exposure involving her uncle, her employers, -and, to a degree, all the steel contractors. And another sentiment threw -its influence against disclosing her information: her natural shrinking -from opening communication with Tom; and mixed with this was a remnant -of her resentment that he had treated her so. She had instinctively -placed him beside Mr. Berman, and had been compelled to admit with pain: -"Mr. Berman would never have done it." - -But her sense of right was of itself enough to have forced her to make -the one proper use of the information chance had given her; and besides -this sense of right there was her love, ready for any sacrifice. So she -covertly scribbled the following note to Tom: - - MY DEAR MR. KEATING: - - Are you sure Mr. Foley is not playing the union false? - - RUTH ARNOLD. - - He is. - -With curious femininity she had, at the last moment, tried to -compromise, suggesting enough by her question to furnish a clue to Tom, -and yet saying so little that she could tell herself she had really not -betrayed her friends; and then, in two words, she had impulsively flung -him all her knowledge. - -The note written, she thought of the second revelation; of the Mr. -Berman she had really liked so well for his æsthetic taste, for his -irreproachable gentlemanliness, for all the things Tom was not. "Oh, -it's all right," he had said easily. And she placed him beside Tom, and -admitted with pain-adulterated happiness: "Mr. Keating would never have -done that." - -When her work for the day was over she hurried to the postoffice in Park -Row and dropped the letter into the slot marked "Special Delivery." And -when Tom came back from his second call at the Petersen home Maggie was -awaiting him with it. At sight of the handwriting on the envelope the -color left his face. He tore open the envelope with an eagerness he -tried to conceal in an assumed carelessness, and read the score of -words. - -When he looked up from the note, Maggie's eyes were fastened on his -face. A special delivery letter had never come to their home before. -"What is it?" she asked. - -"Just a note about the strike," he answered, and put the letter into his -pocket. - -The explanation did not satisfy Maggie, but, as it was far past their -bedtime, she turned slowly and went into the bedroom. - -"I'm not coming to bed for a little while," he called to her. - -The next minute he was lost in the excitement begotten by the letter. It -was true, then, what he had suspected. Ruth, he knew, would never have -written the note unless she had been certain. His head filled with a -turmoil of thoughts--every third one about Ruth; but these he tried to -force aside, for he was face to face with a crisis and needed all his -brain. And some of his thoughts were appalling ones that the union was -so perilously near its betrayal; and some were exultant, that he was -right after all. But amid this mental turmoil one thought, larger than -any of the others, with wild steadfastness held the central place of his -brain: there was a chance that, even yet, he could circumvent Foley and -save the union--that, fallen as low as he was, he might yet triumph. - -But by what plan? He was more certain than ever of Foley's guilt, but he -could not base a denunciation of Foley upon mere certitude, unsupported -by a single fact. He had to have facts. And how to get them? One wild -plan after another acted itself out as a play in his excited brain, in -which he had such theatric parts as descending accusingly upon Mr. -Baxter and demanding a confession, or cunningly trapping Foley into an -admission of the truth, or gaining it at point of pistol. As the hours -passed his brain quieted somewhat, and he more quickly saw the absurdity -of schemes of this sort. But he could find no practicable plan, and a -frantic fear began to possess him: the meeting was less than two days -off, and as yet he saw no effective way of balking the sale of the -strike. - -He sat with head on the table, he lay on the couch, he softly paced the -floor; and when the coming day sent its first dingy light into the back -yards and into the little sitting-room he was still without a feasible -scheme. A little later he turned down the gas and went into the street. -He came back after two hours, still lacking a plan, but quieter and with -better control of his mind. - -"I suppose you settled the strike last night?" said Maggie, who was -preparing breakfast. - -"I can hardly say I did," he returned abstractedly. - -She did not immediately follow up her query, but in a few minutes she -came into the sitting-room where Tom sat. Determination had marked her -face with hard lines. "You're planning something," she began. "And it's -about the strike. It was that letter that kept you up all night. Now -you're scheming to put off settling the strike, ain't you?" - -"Well,--suppose I am?" he asked quietly. He avoided her eyes, and looked -across at the opposite windows that framed instant-long pictures of -hurrying women. - -"I know you are. I've been doing some thinking, too, while you were out -this morning, and it was an easy guess for me to know that when you -thought all night you weren't thinking about anything else except how -you could put off ending up the strike." - -One thing that his love for Ruth had shown Tom was that mental -companionship could, and should, exist between man and wife; and one -phase of his gentleness with Maggie was that latterly he had striven to -talk to her of such matters as formerly he had spoken of only out of his -own home. - -"Yes, you're right; I am thinking what you say," he began, knowing he -could trust her with his precious information. "But you don't -understand, Maggie. I am thinking how I can defeat settling the strike -because I know Foley is selling the union out." - -Incredulity smoothed out a few of Maggie's hard lines. "You can prove -it?" - -"I am going to try to get the facts." - -"How?" - -"I don't know," he had to admit, after a pause. - -She gave a little laugh, and the hard lines came back. "Another crazy -plan. You lose the best job you ever had. You try to beat Foley out as -walking delegate, and get beat. You start a strike; it's the same as -lost. You push yourself into that Avon business--and you're only out on -bail, and we'll never live down the disgrace. You've ruined us, and -disgraced us, and yet you ain't satisfied. Here you are with another -scheme. And what are you going on? Just a guess, nothing else, that -Foley's selling out!" - -Tom took it all in silence. - -"Now you listen to me!" Her voice was fiercely mandatory, yet it lacked -something of its old-time harshness; Tom's gentleness had begun to rouse -its like in her. "Everything you've tried lately has been a failure. You -know that. Now don't make us any worse off than we are--and you will if -you try another fool scheme. For God's sake, let the strike be settled -and get back to work!" - -"I suppose you think you're right, Maggie. But--you don't understand," -he returned helplessly. - -"Yes, I do understand," she said grimly. "And I not only think I'm -right, but I know I'm right. Who's been right every time?" - -Tom did not answer her question, and after looking down on him a minute -longer, she said, "You remember what I've just told you," and returned -to the preparation of breakfast. - -As soon as he had eaten Tom escaped into the street and made for the -little park that had once been a burying-ground. Here his mind set to -work again. It was more orderly now, and soon he was proceeding -systematically in his search for a plan by the method of elimination. -Plan after plan was discarded as the morning hurried by, till he at -length had this left as the only possibility, to follow Baxter and Foley -every minute during this day and the next. But straightway he saw the -impossibility of this only possible plan: he and any of his friends were -too well known by Foley to be able to shadow him, even had they the -experience to fit them for such work. A few minutes later, however, this -impossibility was gone. He could hire detectives. - -He turned the plan over in his mind. There was, perhaps, but one chance -in a thousand the detectives would discover anything--perhaps hardly -that. But this fight was his fight for life, and this one chance was his -last chance. - -At noon a private detective agency had in its safe Petersen's thirty -dollars and a check for the greater part of Tom's balance at the bank. - - - - -Chapter XXVIII - -THE EXPOSURE - - -Tom's arrangement with the detective agency was that Baxter and Foley -were to be watched day and night, and that he was to have as frequent -reports as it was possible to give. Just before six o'clock that same -afternoon he called at the office for his first report. It was ready--a -minute account of the movements of the two men between one and five. -There was absolutely nothing in it of value to him, except that its -apparent completeness was a guarantee that if anything was to be found -the men on the case would find it. - -Never before in Tom's life had there been as many hours between an -evening and a morning. He dared not lessen his suspense and the hours by -discussing his present move with friends; they could not help him, and, -if he told them, there was the possibility that some word might slip to -Foley which would rouse suspicion and destroy the thousandth chance. But -at length morning came, and at ten o'clock Tom was at the detective -agency. Again there was a minute report, the sum of whose worth to him -was--nothing. - -He went into the street and walked, fear and suspense mounting higher -and higher. In ten hours the union would meet to decide, and as yet he -had no bit of evidence. At twelve o'clock he was at the office again. -There was nothing for him. Eight more hours. At two o'clock, dizzy and -shaking from suspense, he came into the office for the third time that -day. A report was waiting. - -He glanced it through, then trying to speak calmly, said to the manager: -"Send anything else to my house." - -Tom had said to himself that he had one chance in a thousand. But this -was a miscalculation. His chance had been better than that, and had been -made so by Mr. Baxter's shrewd arrangement for his dealings with Foley, -based upon his theory that one of the surest ways of avoiding suspicion -is to do naturally and openly the thing you would conceal. Mr. Baxter's -theory overlooked the possibility that suspicion might already be roused -and on watch. - -Tom did not look at the sheet of paper in the hallway or in the street; -with three thousand union men in the street, all of whom knew him, one -was likely to pounce upon him at any minute and gain his secret -prematurely. With elation hammering against his ribs, he hurried through -a cross street toward the little park, which in the last five months had -come to be his study. The sheet of paper was buttoned tightly in his -coat, but all the time his brain was reading a few jerky phrases in the -detail-packed report. - -In the park, and on a bench having the seclusion of a corner, he drew -the report from his pocket and read it eagerly, several times. Here was -as much as he had hoped for--evidence that what he had suspected was -true. With the few relevant facts of the report as a basis he began to -reconstruct the secret proceedings of the last three weeks. At each step -he tested conjectures till he found the only one that perfectly fitted -all the known circumstances. Progress from the known backward to the -unknown was not difficult, and by five o'clock the reconstruction was -complete. He then began to lay his plans for the evening. - -Tom preferred not to face Maggie, with her demands certain to be -repeated, so he had his dinner in a restaurant whose only virtue was its -cheapness. At half past seven he arrived at Potomac Hall, looking as -much his usual self as he could. He passed with short nods the groups of -men who stood before the building--some of whom had once been his -supporters, but who now nodded negligently--and entered the big -bar-room. There were perhaps a hundred men here, all talking loudly; but -comparatively few were drinking or smoking--money was too scarce. He -paused an instant just within the door and glanced about. The men he -looked for were not there, and he started rapidly across the room. - -"Hello, Keating! How's your strike?" called one of the crowd, a man -whom, two months before, he himself had convinced a strike should be -made. - -"Eat-'Em-Up Keating, who don't know when he's had enough!" shouted -another, with a jeer. - -"Three cheers for Keating!" cried a third, and led off with a groan. The -three groans were given heartily, and at their end the men broke into -laughter. - -Tom burned at these crude insults, but kept straight on his way. - -There were also friends in the crowd,--a few. When the laughter died -down one cried out: "What's the matter with Keating?" The set answer -came, "He's all right!"--but very weak. It was followed by an outburst -of groans and hisses. - -As Tom was almost at the door the stub of a cigar struck smartly beneath -his ear, and the warm ashes slipped down inside his collar. There was -another explosion of laughter. Tom whirled about, and with one blow sent -to the floor the man who had thrown the cigar. The laugh broke off, and -in the sudden quiet Tom passed out of the bar-room and joined the stream -of members going up the broad stairway and entering the hall. - -The hall was more than half filled with men--some sitting patiently in -their chairs, some standing with one foot on chair seats, some standing -in the aisles and leaning against the walls, all discussing the same -subject, the abandonment of the strike. The general mood of the men was -one of bitter eagerness, as it was also the mood of the men below, for -all their coarse jesting,--the bitterness of admitted defeat, the -eagerness to be back at their work without more delay. - -Tom glanced around, and immediately he saw Petersen coming toward him, -his lean brown face glowing. - -"Hello, Petersen. I was looking for you," he said in a whisper when the -Swede had gained his side. "I want you by me to-night." - -"Yah." - -Petersen's manner announced that he wanted to speak, and Tom now -remembered, what he had forgotten in his two days' absorption, the -circumstances under which he had last seen the Swede. "How are things at -home?" he asked. - -"Ve be goin' to move. A better house." After this bit of loquacity -Petersen smiled blissfully--and said no more. - -Tom told Petersen to join him later, and then hurried over to Barry and -Jackson, whom he saw talking with a couple other of his friends in the -front of the hall. "Boys, I want to tell you something in a minute," he -whispered. "Where's Pete?" - -"The committee's havin' a meetin' in Connelly's office," answered Barry. - -Tom hurried to Connelly's office and knocked. "Come in," a voice called, -and he opened the door. The five men were just leaving their chairs. - -"Hello, Pete. Can I see you as soon's you're through?" Tom asked. - -"Sure. Right now." - -Connelly improved the opportunity by offering Tom some advice, -emphasized in the customary manner, and ended with the request: "Now for -God's sake, keep your wind-hole plugged up to-night!" - -Tom did not reply, but as he was starting away with Pete he heard Foley -say to the secretary: "Youse can't blame him, Connelly. Some o' the rest -of us know it ain't so easy to give up a fight." - -Tom found Barry, Petersen and the three others waiting, and with them -was Johnson, who having noticed Tom whispering to them had carelessly -joined the group during his absence. "If you fellows'll step back here -I'll finish that little thing I was telling," he said, and led the way -to a rear corner, a dozen yards away from the nearest group. - -When he turned to face the six, he found there were seven. Johnson had -followed. Tom hesitated. He did not care to speak before Johnson; he had -always held that person in light esteem because of his variable -opinions. And he did not care to ask Johnson to leave; that course might -beget a scene which in turn would beget suspicion. It would be better to -speak before him, and then see that he remained with the group. - -"Don't show the least surprise while I'm talking; act like it was -nothing at all," he began in a whisper. And then he told them in a few -sentences what he had discovered, and what he planned to do. - -They stared at him in astonishment. "Don't look like that or you'll give -away that we've got a scheme up our sleeves," he warned them. "Now I -want you fellows to stand by me. There may be trouble. Come on, let's -get our seats. The meeting will open pretty soon." - -He had already picked out a spot, at the front end on the right side, -the corner formed by the wall and the grand piano. He now led the way -toward this. Half-way up the aisle he chanced to look behind him. There -were only six men. Johnson was gone. - -"Take the seats up there," he whispered, and hurried out of the hall, -with a fear that Johnson at that minute might be revealing what he had -heard to Foley. But when he reached the head of the stairway he saw at -its foot Foley, Hogan, and Brown starting slowly up. With sudden relief -he turned back and joined his party. A little later Connelly mounted -the platform and gave a few preliminary raps on his table, and Johnson -was forgotten. - -The men standing about the hall found seats. Word was sent to the -members loitering below that the meeting was beginning, and they came up -in a straggling body, two hundred strong. Every chair was filled; men -had to stand in the aisles, and along the walls, and in the rear where -there were no seats. It was the largest gathering of the union there had -been in three years. Tom noted this, and was glad. - -All the windows were open, but yet the hall was suffocatingly close. -Hundreds of cigars were momently making it closer, and giving the upper -stratum of the room's atmosphere more and more the appearance of a -solid. Few coats were on; they hung over the arms of those standing, and -lay in the laps of those who sat. Connelly, putting down his gavel, took -off his collar and tie and laid them on his table, an example that was -given the approval of general imitation. Everywhere faces were being -mopped. - -Connelly rapped again, and stood waiting till quiet had spread among the -fifteen hundred men. "I guess you all know what we're here for," he -began. "If there's no objection I guess we can drop the regular order o' -business and get right to the strike." - -There was a general cry of "consent." - -"Very well. Then first we'll hear from the strike committee." - -Foley, as chairman of the strike committee, should have spoken for it; -but the committee, being aware of the severe humiliation he was -suffering, and to save him what public pain it could, had -sympathetically decided that some other member should deliver its -report. And Foley, with his cunning that extended even to the smallest -details, had suggested Pete, and Pete had been selected. - -Pete now rose, and with hands on Tom's shoulders, calmly spoke what the -committee had ordered. The committee's report was that it had nothing -new to report. After carefully considering every circumstance it saw no -possible way of winning the strike. It strongly advised the union to -yield at once, as further fighting meant only further loss of wages. - -Pete was hardly back in his seat when it was moved and seconded that the -union give up the strike. A great stamping and cries of "That's right!" -"Give it up!" "Let's get back to work!" joined to give the motion a -tremendous uproar of approval. - -"You have heard the motion," said Connelly. "Any remarks?" - -Men sprang up in all parts of the crowd, and for over an hour there were -brief speeches, every one in favor of yielding. In substance they were -the same: "Since the strike's lost, let's get back to work and not lose -any more wages." Every speaker was applauded with hand-clapping, stamps, -and shouts; an enthusiasm for retreat had seized the crowd. Foley was -called for, but did not respond. Other speakers did, however, and the -enthusiasm developed to the spirit of a panic. Through speeches, shouts, -and stamping Tom sat quietly, biding his time. - -Several of the speakers made bitter flings at the leadership that had -involved them in this disastrous strike. Finally one man, spurred to -abandon by applause, ended his hoarse invective by moving the expulsion -of the members who had led the union into the present predicament. So -far Foley had sat with face down, without a word, in obvious dejection. -But when this last speaker was through he rose slowly to his feet. At -sight of him an eager quiet possessed the meeting. - -"I can't say's I blame youse very much for what youse've said," he -began, in a voice that was almost humble, looking toward the man who had -just sat down. "I helped get the union into the strike, yes, an' I want -youse boys"--his eyes moved over the crowd--"to give me all the blame -that's comin' to me." - -A pause. "But I ain't the only one. I didn't do as much to bring on the -strike as some others." His glance rested on Tom. "The fact is, I really -didn't go in for the strike till I saw all o' youse seemed to be in for -it. Then o' course I did, for I'm always with youse. An' I fought hard, -so long's there was a chance. Mebbe there's a few"--another glance at -Tom--"that'd like to have us keep on fightin'--an' starve. Blame me all -youse want to, boys--but Buck Foley don't want none o' youse to starve." - -He sank slowly back into his chair. "You did your best, Buck!" a voice -shouted, and a roar of cheers went up. To those near him he seemed to -brighten somewhat at this encouragement. - -"Three cheers for Keating!" cried the man who had raised this shout in -the bar-room, springing to his feet. And again he led off with three -groans, which the crowd swelled to a volume matching the cheers for -Foley. Connelly, in deference to his office, pounded with his gavel and -called for silence--but weakly. - -Tom flushed and his jaw tightened, but he kept his seat. - -The crowd began once more to demand Foley's views on the question before -the house. He shook his head at Connelly, as he had repeatedly done -before. But the meeting would not accept his negative. They added the -clapping of hands and the stamping of feet to their cries. Foley came up -a second time, with most obvious reluctance. - -"I feel sorter like the man that was run over by a train an' had his -tongue cut out," he began, making what the union saw was a hard effort -to smile. "I don't feel like sayin' much. - -"It seems to me that everything worth sayin' has been said already," he -went on in his previous humble, almost apologetic, tone. "What I've got -to say I'll say in the shadow of a minute. I size up the whole thing -like this: We went into this strike thinkin' we'd win, an' because we -needed more money. An' boys, we ought to have it! But we made a mistake -somewhere. I guess youse've found out that in a fight it ain't always -the man that's right that wins. It's the strongest man. The same in a -strike. We're right, and we've fought our best, but the other fellows -are settin' on our chests. I guess our mistake was, we wasn't as strong -when we went into the fight as we thought we was. - -"Now the question, as I see it, is: Do we want to keep the other fellow -on our chests, we all fagged out, with him mebbe punchin' our faces -whenever he feels like it?--keep us there till we're done up forever? Or -do we want to give in an' say we've had enough? He'll let us up, we'll -take a rest, we'll get back our wind an' strength, an' when we're good -an' ready, why, another fight, an' better luck! I know which is my -style, an' from what youse boys've said here to-night, I can make a -pretty good guess as to what's your style." - -He paused for a moment, and when he began again his voice was lower and -there was a deep sadness in it that he could not hide. "Boys, this is -the hardest hour o' my life. I ain't very used to losin' fights. I think -youse can count in a couple o' days all the fights I lost for youse. [A -cry, "Never a one, Buck!"] An' it comes mighty hard for me to begin to -lose now. If I was to do what I want to do, I'd say, 'Let's never give -in.' But I know what's best for the union, boys ... an' so I lose my -first strike." - -He sank back into his seat, and his head fell forward upon his breast. -There was a moment of sympathetic silence, then an outburst of shouts: -"It ain't your fault!" "You've done your best!" "You take your lickin' -like a man!" But these individual shouts were straightway lost in cries -of "Foley!" "Foley!" and in a mighty cheer that thundered through the -hall. Next to a game fighter men admire a game loser. - -This was Tom's moment. He had been waiting till Foley should place -himself on record before the entire union. He now stood up and raised -his right hand to gain Connelly's attention. "Mr. Chairman!" he called. - -"Question!" "Question!" shouted the crowd, few even noticing that Tom -was claiming right of speech. - -"Mr. Chairman!" Tom cried again. - -Connelly's attention was caught, and for an instant he looked -irresolutely at Tom. The crowd, following their president's eyes, saw -Tom and broke into a great hiss. - -"D'you want any more speeches?" Connelly put to the union. - -"No!" "No!" "Question!" "Question!" - -"All in favor of the motion----" - -The desperate strait demanded an eminence to speak from, but the way to -the platform was blocked. Tom vaulted to the top of the grand piano, and -his eyes blazed down upon the crowd. - -"You shall listen to me!" he shouted, breaking in on Connelly. His right -arm pointed across the hall to where Foley was bowed in humiliation. -"Buck Foley has sold you out!" - -In the great din his voice did not carry more than a dozen rows, but -upon those rows silence fell suddenly. "What was that?" men just behind -asked excitedly, their eyes on Tom standing on the piano, his arm -stretched toward Foley. A tide of explanation moved backward, and the -din sank before it. - -Tom shouted again: "Buck Foley has sold you out!" - -This time his words reached the farthest man in the hall. There was an -instant of stupefied quiet. Then Foley himself stood up. He seemed to -have paled a shade, but there was not a quaver in his voice when he -spoke. - -"This's a nice little stage play our friend's made up for the last -minute. He's been fightin' a settlement right along, an' this is his -last trick to get youse to put it off. He's sorter like a blind friend -o' mine who went fishin' one day. He got turned with his back to the -river, an' he fished all day in the grass. I think Keating's got turned -in the wrong direction, too." - -A few in the crowd laughed waveringly; some began to talk excitedly; but -most looked silently at Tom, still stunned by his blow-like declaration. - -Tom paid no attention to Foley's words. "Fifty thousand dollars was what -he got!" he said in his loudest voice. - -For the moment it was as if those fifteen hundred men had been struck -dumb and helpless. Again it was Foley who broke the silence. He reared -his long body above the bewildered crowd and spoke easily. "If youse -boys don't see through that lie youse're blind. If I was runnin' the -strike alone an' wanted to sell it out, what Keating's said might be -possible. But I ain't runnin' it. A committee is--five men. Now how -d'youse suppose I could sell out with four men watchin' me--an' one o' -them a friend o' Keating?" - -He did not wait for a response from his audience. He turned to Connelly -and went on with a provoked air: "Mr. Chairman, youse know, an' the rest -o' the committee knows, that it was youse who suggested we give up the -strike. An' youse know I held out again' givin' in. Now ain't we had -enough o' Keating's wind? S'pose youse put the question." - -What Foley had said was convincing; and, even at this instant, Tom -himself could but admire the self-control, the air of provoked -forbearance, with which he said it. The quiet, easy speech had given the -crowd time to recover. As Foley sat down there was a sudden tumult of -voices, and then loud cries of "Question!" "Question!" - -"Order, Mr. Chairman! I demand the right to speak!" Tom cried. - -"No one wants to hear you, and the question's called for." - -Tom turned to the crowd. "It's for you to say whether you'll hear me -or----" - -"Out of order!" shouted Connelly. - -"I've got facts, men! Facts! Will it hurt you to hear me? You can vote -as you please, then!" - -"Question!" went up a roar, and immediately after it a greater and -increasing roar of "Keating!" "Keating!" - -Connelly could but yield. He pounded for order, then nodded at Tom. -"Well, go on." - -Tom realized the theatricality of his position on the piano, but he also -realized its advantage, and did not get down. He waited a moment to gain -control of his mind, and his eyes moved over the rows and rows of faces -that gleamed dully from sweat and excitement through the haze of smoke. - -What he had to say first was pure conjecture, but he spoke with the -convincing decision of the man who has guessed at nothing. "You've heard -the other men speak. All I ask of you is to hear me out the same way. -And I have something far more important to say than anything that's been -said here to-night. I am going to tell you the story of the most -scoundrelly trick that was ever played on a trade union. For the union -has been sold out, and Buck Foley lies when he says it has not, and he -knows he lies!" - -Every man was listening intently. Tom went on: "About three weeks ago, -just when negotiations were opened again, Foley arranged with the bosses -to sell out the strike. Fifty thousand dollars was the price. The bosses -were to make a million or more out of the deal, Foley was to make fifty -thousand, and we boys were to pay for it all! Foley's work was to fool -the committee, make them lose confidence in the strike, and they of -course would make the union lose confidence and we'd give up. That was -his job, and for it he was to have fifty thousand dollars. - -"Well, he was the man for the job. He worked the committee, and worked -it so slick it never knew it was being worked. He even made the -committee think it was urging him to give up the strike. How he did it, -it's beyond me or any other honest man even to guess. No one could have -done it but Foley. He's the smoothest crook that ever happened. I give -you that credit, Buck Foley. You're the smoothest crook that ever -happened!" - -Foley had come to his feet with a look that was more of a glaring scowl -than anything else: eyebrows drawn down shaggily, a gully between -them--nose drawn up and nostrils flaring--jaws clenched--the whole face -clenched. "Mr. President, are youse goin' to let that man go on with his -lies?" he broke in fiercely. - -The crowd roused from its tension. "Go on, Keating! Go on!" - -"If he goes on with them lies, I for one ain't goin' to stay to listen -to 'em!" Foley grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and started -to edge through to the aisle. - -"If you leave, Buck Foley, it's the same as a confession of guilt!" -shouted Tom. "Stay here and defend yourself like a man, if you can!" - -"Against youse?" He laughed a dry cackling laugh, and his returning -self-mastery smoothed out his face. And then his inherent bravado showed -itself. On reaching the aisle, instead of turning toward the door, he -turned toward the platform and seated himself on its edge, directing a -look of insouciant calm upon the men. - -"Whatever lies there are, are all yours, Buck Foley," Tom went on. He -looked again at the crowd, bending toward him in attention. "The trick -worked. How well is shown by our being on the point of voting to give up -the strike. Little by little our confidence was destroyed by doubt, and -little by little Foley got nearer to his money--till to-day came. I'm -speaking facts now, boys. I've got evidence for everything I'm going to -tell you. I know every move Foley's made in the last thirty-six hours. - -"Well, this morning,--I'll only give the big facts, facts that -count,--this morning he went to get the price of us--fifty thousand -dollars. Where do you suppose he met Baxter? In some hotel, or some -secret place? Not much. Cunning! That word don't do justice to Foley. He -met Baxter in Baxter's own office!--and with the door open! Could -anything be more in harmony with the smooth scheme by which he fooled -the committee? He left the door wide open, so everyone outside could -hear that nothing crooked was going on. He swore at Baxter. He called -him every sort of name because he would not make us any concession. -After a minute or two he came out, still swearing mad. His coat was -buttoned up--tight. It was unbuttoned when he went in. And the people -that heard thought what an awful calling-down Baxter had got. - -"Foley went first to the Independence Bank. He left seventeen thousand -there. At the Jackson Bank he left fifteen thousand, and at the Third -National eighteen thousand. Fifty thousand dollars, boys--his price for -selling us out! And he comes here to-night and pretends to be -broken-hearted. 'This is the hardest hour of my life,' he says; 'and so -I lose my first strike.' Broken-hearted!--with fifty thousand put in the -bank in one day!" - -There was a tense immobility through all the crowd, and a profound -stillness, quickly broken by Foley before anyone else could forestall -him. There was a chance that Tom's words had not caught hold--his -thousandth chance. - -"If that fool is through ravin', better put the motion, Connelly," he -remarked the instant Tom ended, in an even tone that reached the -farthest edge of the hall. No one looking at him at this instant, still -sitting on the edge of the platform, would have guessed his show of -calmness was calling from him the supreme effort of his life. - -Voices buzzed, then there rose a dull roar of anger. - -It had been Foley's last chance, and he had lost. He threw off his -control, and leaped to his feet, his face twisted with vengeful rage. He -tossed his hat and coat on the platform, and without a word made a rush -through the men toward Tom. - -"Let him through, boys!" Tom shouted, and sprang from the piano. -Petersen stepped quickly to his side, but Tom pushed him away and waited -in burning eagerness in the little open space. And the crowd, still -dazed by the revelations of the last scene, looked fascinated upon this -new one. - -But at this moment an interruption came from the rear of the hall. -"Letter for Foley!" shouted a voice. "Letter for Foley!" - -Foley paused in his rush, and turned his livid face toward the cry. The -sergeant-at-arms was pushing his way through the center aisle, repeating -his shout, his right hand holding an envelope aloft. He gained Foley's -side and laid the letter in the walking delegate's hand. "Messenger just -brought it! Very important!" he cried. - -Foley glared at Tom, looked at the letter, hesitated, then ripped open -the envelope with a bony forefinger. The crowd looked on, hardly -breathing, while he read. - - - - -Chapter XXIX - -IN WHICH MR. BAXTER SHOWS HIMSELF A MAN OF RESOURCES - - -It was just eight o'clock when Johnson gave three excited raps with the -heavy iron knocker on the door of Mr. Baxter's house in Madison Avenue. -A personage in purple evening clothes drew the door wide open, but on -seeing the sartorial character of the caller he filled the doorway with -his own immaculate figure. - -"Is Mr. Baxter at home?" asked Johnson eagerly. - -"He is just going out," the other condescended to reply. - -That should have been enough to dispose of this common fellow. But -Johnson kept his place. "I want to see him, for just a minute. Tell him -my name. He'll see me. It's Johnson." - -The personage considered a space, then disappeared to search for Mr. -Baxter; first showing his discretion by closing the door--with Johnson -outside of it. He quickly reappeared and led Johnson across a hall that -was as large as Johnson's flat, up a broad stairway, and through a wide -doorway into the library, where he left him, standing, to gain what he -could from sight of the rows and rows of leather-backed volumes. - -Almost at once Mr. Baxter entered, dressed in a dinner coat. - -"You have something to tell me?" he asked quickly. - -"Yes." - -"This way." Mr. Baxter led Johnson into a smaller room, opening upon the -library, furnished with little else besides a flat-top walnut desk, a -telephone, and a typewriter on a low table. Here Mr. Baxter sometimes -attended to his correspondence, with the assistance of a stenographer -sent from the office, when he did not feel like going downtown; and in -here, when the mood was on him, he sometimes slipped to write bits of -verse, a few of which he had published in magazines under a pseudonym. - -Mr. Baxter closed the door, took the chair at the desk and waved Johnson -to the stenographer's. "I have only a minute. What is it?" - -For all his previous calls on Mr. Baxter, this refined presence made -Johnson dumb with embarrassment. He would have been more at his ease had -he had the comfort of fumbling his hat, but the purple personage had -gingerly taken his battered derby from him at the door. - -"Well?" said Mr. Baxter, a bit impatiently. - -Johnson found his voice and rapidly told of Tom's discovery, as he had -heard it from Tom twenty minutes before, and of the exposure that was -going to be made that evening. At first Mr. Baxter seemed to start; the -hand on the desk did certainly tighten. But that was all. - -"Did Mr. Keating say, in this story he proposes to tell, whether we -offered Mr. Foley money to sell out, or whether Mr. Foley demanded it?" -he asked, when Johnson had ended. - -"He didn't say. He didn't seem to know." - -Mr. Baxter did not speak for a little while; then he said, with a quiet -carelessness: "What you have told me is of no great importance, though -it probably seems so to you. It might, however, have been of great -value. So I want to say to you that I thoroughly appreciate the -promptness with which you have brought me this intelligence. If I can -still depend upon your faithfulness, and your secrecy----" Mr. Baxter -paused. - -"Always," said Johnson eagerly. - -"And your secrecy--" this with a slight emphasis, the gray eyes looking -right through Johnson; "you can count upon an early token of -appreciation, in excess of what regularly comes to you." - -"You've always found you could count on me, ain't you?" - -"Yes." - -"And you always can!" - -Mr. Baxter touched a button beneath his desk. "Have Mitchell show Mr. -Johnson out," he said to the maid who answered the ring. "Do you know -where Mrs. Baxter is?" - -"In her room, sir." - -Johnson bowed awkwardly, and backed away after the maid. - -"Good-night," Mr. Baxter said shortly, and followed the two out. He -crossed the library with the intention of going to the room of his -wife, who had come to town to be with him during the crisis of the -expected victory, but he met her in the hall ready to go out. - -"My dear, some important business has just come up," he said. "I'm -afraid there's nothing for me to do but to attend to it to-night." - -"That's too bad! I don't care for myself, for it's only one of those -stupid musical comedies. I only cared to go because I thought it would -help you through the suspense of the evening." - -After the exchange of a few more words he kissed her and she went -quietly back to her room. He watched her a moment, wondering if she -would bear herself with such calm grace if she knew what awaited him in -to-morrow's papers. - -He passed quickly back into the little office, and locked the door -behind him. Then the composure he had worn before Johnson and his wife -swiftly vanished; and he sat at the desk with interlocked hands, facing -the most critical situation of his life. There was no doubting what -Johnson had told him. - -When to-morrow's papers appeared with their certain stories--first page, -big headlines--of how he and other members of the Executive Committee, -all gentlemen of reputation, had bribed a walking delegate, and a -notoriously corrupt walking delegate, to sell out the Iron Workers' -strike--the members of the committee would be dishonored forever, and he -dishonored more than all. And his wife, how could she bear this? How -could he explain to her, who believed him nothing but honor, once this -story was out? - -He forced these sickening thoughts from his brain. He had no time for -them. Disgrace must be avoided, if possible, and every minute was of -honor's consequence. He strained his mind upon the crisis. The strike -was now nothing; of first importance, of only importance, was how to -escape disgrace. - -It was the peculiar quality of Mr. Baxter's trained mind that he saw, -with almost instant directness, the best chance in a business situation. -Two days before it had taken Tom from eleven to eleven, twelve hours, to -see his only chance. Mr. Baxter now saw his only chance in less than -twelve minutes. - -His only chance was to forestall exposure, by being the first to tell -the story publicly. He saw his course clearly--to rush straight to the -District Attorney, to tell a story almost identical with Tom's, and that -varied from the facts on only two points. First of these two points, the -District Attorney was to be told that Foley had come to them demanding -fifty thousand dollars as the price of settlement. Second, that they had -seen in this demand a chance to get the hands of the law upon this -notorious walking delegate; that they had gone into the plan with the -sole purpose of gaining evidence against him and bringing him to -justice; that they had been able to secure a strong case of extortion -against him, and now demanded his arrest. This same story was to go to -the newspapers before they could possibly get Tom's. The committee would -then appear to the world in no worse light than having stooped to the -use of somewhat doubtful means to rid themselves and the union of a -piratical blackmailer. - -Mr. Baxter glanced at his watch. It was half-past eight. He stepped to -the telephone, found the number of the home telephone of the District -Attorney, and rang him up. He was in, luckily, and soon had the receiver -at his ear. Could Mr. Baxter see him in half an hour on a matter of -importance--of great public importance? Mr. Baxter could. - -He next rang up Mr. Murphy, who had been with him in his office that -morning when the money had been handed to Foley. Mr. Murphy was also at -home, and answered the telephone himself. Could Mr. Baxter meet him in -fifteen minutes in the lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria? Very important. Mr. -Murphy could. - -As he left the telephone it struck him that while the committee must -seemingly make every effort to secure Foley's arrest, it would be far -better for them if Foley escaped. If arrested, he would naturally turn -upon them and tell his side of the affair. Nobody would believe him, for -he was one against five, but all the same he could start a most -unpleasant story. - -One instant the danger flashed upon Mr. Baxter. The next instant his -plan for its avoidance was ready. He seated himself at the typewriter, -drew off its black sole-leather case, ran in a sheet of plain white -paper, and, picking at the keys, slowly wrote a message to Foley. That -finished, he ran in a plain envelope, which he addressed to Foley at -Potomac Hall. This letter he would leave at the nearest messenger -office. - -Five minutes later Mr. Baxter, in a business suit, passed calmly through -his front door, opened for him by the purple personage, and out into the -street. - - - - -Chapter XXX - -THE LAST OF BUCK FOLEY - - -The letter which Foley read, while the union looked on, hardly -breathing, was as follows: - - All is over. The District Attorney will be told to-night you held - them up, forcing them to give you the amount you received. They have - all the evidence; you have none. Their hands are clean. Against you - it is a perfect case of extortion. - -Though the note was unsigned, Foley knew instantly from whom it came. -The contractors, then, were going to try to clear themselves, and he was -to be made the scapegoat. He was to be arrested; perhaps at once. Foley -had thought over his situation before, its possibilities and its -dangers. His mind worked quickly now. If he came to trial, they had the -witnesses as the note said--and he had none. As they would be able to -make it out, it would be a plain case of extortion against him. He could -not escape conviction, and conviction meant years in Sing Sing. Truly, -all was over. He saw his only chance in an instant--to escape. - -The reading of the note, and this train of thought, used less than a -minute. Foley crushed the sheet of paper and envelope into a ball and -thrust them into a trousers pocket, and looked up with the -determination to try his only chance. His eyes fell upon what in the -tense absorption of the minute he had almost forgotten--fifteen hundred -men staring at him with fixed waiting faces, and one man staring at him -with clenched fists in vengeful readiness. - -At sight of Tom his decision to escape was swept out of him by an -overmastering fury. He rushed toward Tom through the alleyway the men -had automatically opened at Tom's command. But Petersen stepped quickly -out, a couple of paces ahead of Tom, to meet him. - -"Out o' the way, youse!" he snarled. - -But Petersen did not get out of the way, and before Tom could interfere -to save the fight for himself, Foley struck out savagely. Petersen gave -back a blow, just one, the blow that had gained the fight for him a week -ago. Foley went to the floor, and lay there. - -This flash of action released the crowd from the spell that held them. -They were roused from statues to a mob. "Kill him! Kill him!" someone -shouted, and instantly the single cry swelled to a tremendous roar. - -Had it not been for Tom, Foley would have come to his end then and -there. The fifteen hundred men started forward, crushing through aisles, -upsetting the folding chairs and tramping over their collapsed frames, -pushing and tearing at each other to get to where Foley lay. Tom saw -that in an instant the front of that vindictive mob would be stamping -the limp body of the walking delegate into pulp. He sprang to Foley's -side, seized him by his collar and dragged him forward into the space -between the piano and the end wall, so that the heavy instrument was a -breastwork against the union's fury. - -"Here Petersen, Pete, the rest of you!" he cried. The little group that -had stood round him during the meeting rushed forward. "In there!" He -pushed them, as a guard, into the gap before Foley's body. - -Then he faced about. The fore of that great tumult of wrath was already -pressing upon him and the little guard, and the men behind were fighting -forward over chairs, over each other, swearing and crying for Foley's -death. - -"Stop!" shouted Tom. Connelly, stricken with helplessness, completely -lost, pounded weakly with his gavel. - -"Kill him!" roared the mob. "Kill the traitor!" - -"Disgrace the union by murder?" Tom shouted. "Kill him?--what punishment -is that? Nothing at all! Let the law give him justice!" - -The cries from the rear of the hall still went up, but the half dozen -men who had crowded, and been crowded, upon the little guard now drew -back, and Tom thought his words were having their effect. But a quick -glance over his shoulder showed him Petersen, in fighting posture--and -he knew why the front men had hesitated; and also showed him Foley -leaning dizzily against the piano. - -The hesitation on the part of the front rank lasted for but an instant. -They were swept forward by the hundreds behind them, and Foley's line of -defenders was crushed against the wall. It was all up with Foley, Tom -thought; this onslaught would be the last of him. And as his own body -went against the wall under the mob's terrific pressure, he had a -gasping wish that he had not interfered two minutes before. The breath -was all out of him, he thought his ribs were going to crack, he was -growing faint and dizzy--when the pressure suddenly released and the -furious uproar hushed almost to stillness. He regained his balance and -his breath and glanced dazedly about. - -There, calmly standing on the piano and leaning against the wall, was -Foley, his left hand in his trousers pocket, his right uplifted to -command attention. - -"Boys, I feel it sorter embarrassin' to interrupt your little -entertainment like this," he began blandly, but breathing very heavily. -"But I suppose I won't have many more chances to make speeches before -youse, an' I want to make about a remark an' a half. What's past--well, -youse know. But what I got to say about the future is all on the level. -Go in an' beat the contractors! Youse can beat 'em. An' beat 'em like -hell!" - -He paused, and gave an almost imperceptible glance toward an open window -a few feet away, and moved a step nearer it. A look of baiting defiance -came over his face, and he went on: "As for youse fellows. The whole -crowd o' youse just tried to do me up--a thousand or two again' one. I -fooled the whole bunch o' youse once. An' I can lick the whole bunch o' -youse, too!--one at a time. But not just now!" - -With his last word he sprang across to the sill of the open window, five -feet away. Tom had noted Foley's glance and his edging toward the -window, and guessing that Foley contemplated some new move, he had held -himself in readiness for anything. He sprang after Foley, thinking the -walking delegate meant to leap to his death on the stone-paved court -below, and threw his arms about the other's knees. In the instant of -embracing he noticed a fire-escape landing across the narrow court, an -easy jump--and he knew that Foley had had no thought of death. - -As Tom jerked Foley from the window sill he tripped over a chair and -fell backward to the floor, the walking delegate's body upon him. Foley -was on his feet in an instant, but Tom lay where he was with the breath -knocked out of him. He dimly heard the union break again into cries; -feet trampled him; he felt a keen shooting pain. Then he was conscious -that some force was turning the edge of the mob from its path; then he -was lifted up and placed at the window out of which he had just dragged -Foley; and then, Petersen's arm supporting him, he stood weakly on one -foot holding to the sill. - -For an instant he had a glimpse of Foley, on the platform, his back to -the wall. During the minute Tom had been on the floor a group of Foley's -roughs, moved by some strange reawakening of loyalty, had rushed to his -aid, but they had gone down; and now Foley stood alone, behind a table, -sneering at the crowd. - -"Come on!" he shouted, with something between a snarl and a laugh, -shaking his clenched fist. "Come on, one at a time, an' I'll do up every -one o' youse!" - -The next instant he went down, and at the spot where he sank the crowd -swayed and writhed as the vortex of a whirlpool. Tom, sickened, turned -his eyes away. - -Turned them to see three policemen and two men in plain clothes with -badges on their lapels enter the hall, stand an instant taking in the -scene, and then with drawn clubs plunge forward into the crowd. The cry -of "Police!" swept from the rear to the front of the hall. - -"We're after Foley!" shouted the foremost officer, a huge fellow with a -huge voice, by way of explanation. "Get out o' the way!" - -The last cry he repeated at every step. The crowd pressed to either -side, and the five men shouldered slowly toward the vortex of the -whirlpool. At length they gained this fiercely swaying tangle of men. - -"If youse kill that man, we'll arrest every one o' youse for murder!" -boomed the voice of the big policeman. - -The vortex became suddenly less violent. The five officers pulled man -after man back, and reached Foley's body. He was lying on his side, -almost against the wall, eyes closed, mouth slightly gaping. He did not -move. - -"Too late!" said the big policeman. "He's dead!" - -His words ran back through the crowd which had so lusted for this very -event. Stillness fell upon it. - -The big policeman stooped and gently turned the long figure over and -placed his hand above the heart. The inner circle of the crowd looked -on, waiting. After a moment the policeman's head nodded. - -"Beatin'?" asked one of the plain clothes men. - -"Yes. But mighty weak." - -"I'll be all right in a minute," said a faint voice. - -The big policeman started and glanced at Foley's face. The eyes were -open, and looking at him. - -"I s'pose youse're from Baxter?" the faint voice continued. - -"From the District Attorney." - -"Yes." A whimsical lightness appeared in the voice. "I been waitin' for -youse. Lucky youse come when youse did. A few minutes later an' youse -might not 'a' found me still waitin'." - -He placed his hands beside him and weakly tried to rise, but fell back -with a little groan. The big policeman and another officer helped him to -his feet. The big policeman tried to keep an arm round him for support, -but Foley pushed it away and leaned against the wall, where he stood a -moment gazing down on the hundreds of faces. His shirt was ripped open -at the neck and down to the waist; one sleeve was almost torn off; his -vest was open and hung in two halves from the back of his neck; coat he -had not had on. His face was beginning to swell, his lips were bloody, -and there was a dripping cut on his forehead. - -One of the plain clothes men drew out a pair of handcuffs. - -"Youse needn't put them on me," Foley said. "I'll go with youse. -Anyhow----" - -He glanced down at his right hand. It was swollen, and was turning -purple. - -The plain clothes man hesitated. - -"Oh, he can't give us no trouble," said the big policeman. - -The handcuffs were pocketed. - -"I'm ready," said Foley. - -It was arranged that two of the uniformed men were to lead the way out, -the big policeman was to come next with Foley, and the two plain clothes -men were to be the rearguard. - -The big policeman placed an arm round Foley's waist. "I better give -youse a lift," he said. - -"Oh, I ain't that weak!" returned Foley. "Come on." He started off -steadily. Certainly he had regained strength in the last few minutes. - -As the six men started a passage opened before them. The little group of -roughs who had come to Foley's defense a few minutes before now fell in -behind. - -Half-way to the door Foley stopped, and addressed the crowd at large: - -"Where's Keating?" - -"Up by the piano," came the answer. - -"Take me to him for a minute, won't youse?" he asked of his guard. - -They consulted, then turned back. Again a passage opened and they -marched to where Tom sat, very pale, leaning against the piano. The -crowd pressed up, eager to get a glimpse of these two enemies, now face -to face for the last time. - -"Look out, Tom!" a voice warned, as Foley, with the policeman at his -side, stepped forth from his guard. - -"Oh, our fight's all over," said Foley. He paused and gazed steadily -down at Tom. None of those looking on could have said there was any -softness in his face, yet few had ever before seen so little harshness -there. - -"I don't know of a man that, an hour ago, I'd 'a' rather put out o' -business than youse, Keating," he at length said quietly. "I don't love -youse now. But the real article is scarce, an' when I meet it--well, I -like to shake hands." - -He held out his left hand. Tom looked hesitantly up into the face of the -man who had brought him to fortune's lowest ebb--and who was now yet -lower himself. Then he laid his left hand in Foley's left. - -Suddenly Foley leaned over and whispered in Tom's ear. Then he -straightened up. "Luck with youse!" he said shortly and turned to his -guards. "Come on." - -Again the crowd made way. Foley marched through the passage, his head -erect, meeting every gaze unshrinkingly. The greater part of the crowd -looked on silently at the passing of their old leader, now torn and -bruised and bleeding, but as defiant as in his best days. A few laughed -and jeered and flung toward him contemptuous words, but Foley heeded -them not, marching steadily on, looking into every face. - -At the door he paused, and with a lean, blood-trickled smile of mockery, -and of an indefinite something else--perhaps regret?--gazed back for a -moment on the men he had led for seven years. Then he called out, -"So-long, boys!" and waved his left hand with an air that was both -jaunty and sardonic. - -He turned about, and wiping the red drops from his face with his bare -left hand, passed out of Potomac Hall. Just behind him and his guard -came the little group of roughs, slipping covert glances among -themselves. And behind them the rest of the union fell in; and the head -of the procession led down the broad stairway and forth into the street. - -Then, without warning, there was a charge of the roughs. The five -officers were in an instant overwhelmed--tripped, or overpowered and -hurled to the pavement--and the roughs swept on. The men behind rushed -forward, and without any such purpose entangled the policemen among -their numbers. It was a minute or more before the five officers were -free and had their bearings, and could begin pursuit and search. - -But Buck Foley was not to be found. - - - - -Chapter XXXI - -TOM'S LEVEE - - -It was seven o'clock the next morning. Tom lay propped up on the couch -in his sitting-room, his foot on a pillow, waiting for Maggie to come -back with the morning papers. A minute before he had asked Ferdinand to -run down and get them for him, but Maggie, who just then had been -starting out for a loaf of bread, had said shortly to the boy that she -would get them herself. - -When Maggie had opened the door the night before, while Petersen was -clumsily trying to fit Tom's key into the keyhole, the sight of Tom -standing against the wall on one foot, his clothes in disorder, had been -to her imagination a full explanation of what had happened. Her face had -hardened and she had flung up her clenched hands in fierce helplessness. -"Oh, my God! So you've been at Foley again!" she had burst out. "More -trouble! My God, my God! I can't stand it any longer!" She would have -gone on, but the presence of a third person had suddenly checked her. -She had stood unmoving in the doorway, her eyes flashing, her breast -rising and falling. For an instant Tom, remembering a former -declaration, had expected her to close the door in his face, but with a -gesture of infinite, rageful despair she had stepped back from the door -without a word, and Petersen had supported him to the couch. Almost -immediately a doctor had appeared, for whom Tom and Petersen had left a -message on their way home; and by the time the doctor and Petersen had -gone, leaving Tom in bed, her fury had solidified into that obdurate, -resentful silence which was the characteristic second stage of her -wrath. Her injustice had roused Tom's antagonism, and thus far not a -word had passed between them. - -The nearest newsstand was only a dozen steps from the tenement's door, -but minute after minute passed and still Maggie did not return. After a -quarter hour's waiting Tom heard the hall door open and close, and then -Maggie came into the sitting-room. He was startled at the change fifteen -minutes had made in her expression. The look of set hardness was gone; -the face was white and drawn, almost staring. She dropped the papers on -a chair beside the couch. The top one, crumpled, explained the length of -her absence and her altered look. - -Tom's heart began to beat wildly; she knew it then! She paused beside -him, and with his eyes down-turned he waited for her to speak. Seconds -passed. He could see her hands straining, and hear her deep breath -coming and going. Suddenly she turned about abruptly and went into the -kitchen. - -Tom looked wonderingly after her a moment; then his eyes were caught by -a black line half across the top of the crumpled paper: "Contractors -Trap Foley." He seized the paper and his eyes took in the rest of the -headline at a glance. "Arrested, But Makes Spectacular Escape"; a dozen -words about the contractors' plan; and then at the very end, in smallest -display type: "Also Exposed in Union." He quickly glanced through the -headlines of the other papers. In substance they were the same. - -Utterly astounded, he raced through the several accounts of Foley's -exposure. They were practically alike. They told of Mr. Baxter's visit -to the District Attorney, and then recited the events of the past three -weeks just as Mr. Baxter had given them to the official prosecutor: How -Foley had tried to hold the Executive Committee up for fifty thousand -dollars; how the committee had seen in his demand a chance to get him -into the hands of the law, and so rid labor and capital of a common -enemy; how, after much deliberation, they had decided to make the -attempt; how the sham negotiations had proceeded; how yesterday, to make -the evidence perfect, Foley had been given the fifty thousand dollars he -had demanded as the price of settlement--altogether a most complete and -plausible story. "A perfect case," the District Attorney had called it. -Tom's part in the affair was told in a couple of paragraphs under a -subhead. - -One of the papers had managed to get in a hurried editorial on Mr. -Baxter's story. "Perhaps their way of trapping Foley smacks strongly of -gum-shoe detective methods," the editorial concluded; "but their end, -the exposure of a notorious labor brigand, will in the mind of the -public entirely justify their means. They have earned the right to be -called public benefactors." Such in tone was the whole editorial. It -was a prophecy of the editorial praise that was to be heaped upon the -contractors in the afternoon papers and those of the next morning. - -Tom flung the papers from him in sickened, bewildered wrath. He had -expected a personal triumph before the public. He felt there was -something wrong; he felt Mr. Baxter had robbed him of his glory, just as -Foley had robbed him of his strike. But in the first dazedness of his -disappointment he could not understand. He hardly touched the breakfast -Maggie had quietly put upon the chair while he had been reading, but -sank back and, his eyes on the ceiling with its circle of clustered -grapes, began to go over the situation. - -At the end of a few minutes he was interrupted by Ferdinand, whom Maggie -had sent in with a letter that had just been delivered by a messenger. -Tom took it mechanically, then eagerly tore open the envelope. The -letter was from the detective agency, and its greater part was the -report of the observations made the previous evening by the detectives -detailed to watch Mr. Baxter. Tom read it through repeatedly. It brought -Foley's whispered words flashing back upon him: "I give it to youse for -what it's worth; Baxter started this trick." He began slowly to -understand. - -But before he had fully mastered the situation there was a loud knock at -the hall door. Maggie opened it, and Tom heard a hearty voice sound out: -"Good-mornin', Mrs. Keating. How's your husband?" - -"You'll find him in the front room, Mrs. Barry," Maggie answered. "All -of you go right in." - -There was the sound of several feet, and then Mrs. Barry came in and -after her Barry and Pete. "Say, Tom, I'm just tickled to death!" she -cried, with a smile of ruddy delight. She held out a stubby, pillowy -hand and shook Tom's till her black straw hat, that the two preceding -summers had done their best to turn brown, was bobbing over one ear. -"Every rib I've got is laughin'. How're you feelin'?" - -"First rate, except for my ankle. How're you, boys?" He shook hands with -Barry and Pete. - -"Well, you want to lay still as a bed-slat for a week or two. A sprain -ain't nothin' to monkey with, I tell you what. Mrs. Keating, you see't -your husband keeps still." - -"Yes," said Maggie, setting chairs for the three about the couch, and -herself slipping into one at the couch's foot. - -Mrs. Barry sank back, breathing heavily, and wiped her moist face. "I -said to the men this mornin' that I'd give 'em their breakfast, but I -wouldn't wash a dish till I'd been over to see you. Tom, you've come out -on top, all right! An' nobody's gladder'n me. Unless, o' course, your -wife." - -Maggie gave a little nod, and her hands clasped each other in her lap. - -"It's easy to guess how proud you must be o' your man!" Mrs. Barry's red -face beamed with sympathetic exultation. - -Maggie gulped; her strained lips parted: "Of course I'm proud." - -"I wish you could 'a' heard the boys last night, Tom," cried Pete. "Are -they for you? Well, I should say! You'll be made walkin' delegate at the -very next meetin', sure." - -"Well, I'd like to know what else they could do?" Mrs. Barry demanded -indignantly. "With him havin' fought an' sacrificed as he has for 'em!" - -"He can have anything he wants now. Tokens of appreciation? They'll be -givin' you a gold watch an' chain for every pocket." - -"But what'll they think after they've read the papers?" asked Tom. - -"I saw how the bosses' fairy story goes. But the boys ain't kids, an' -they ain't goin' to swallow all that down. They'll think about the same -as me, an' I think them bosses ain't such holy guys as they say they -are. I think there was somethin' else we don't know nothin' about, or -else the bosses'd 'a' gone right through with the game. An' the boys'll -not give credit to a boss when they can give credit to a union man. You -can bet your false teeth on that. Anyhow, Tom, you could fall a big -bunch o' miles an' still be in heaven." - -"Now, the strike, Tom; what d'you think about the strike?" Mrs. Barry -asked. - -Before Tom could answer there was another knock. Maggie slipped away and -ushered in Petersen, who hung back abashed at this gathering. - -"Hello, Petersen," Tom called out. "Come in. How are you?" - -Petersen advanced into the room, took a chair and sat holding his derby -hat on his knees with both hands. "I be purty good,--oh, yah," he -answered, smiling happily. "I be movin' to-day." - -"Where?" Tom asked. "But you haven't met Mrs. Barry, have you?" - -"Glad to know you, Mr. Petersen." Mrs. Barry held out her hand, and -Petersen, without getting up, took it in his great embarrassed fist. - -She turned quickly about on Tom. "What d'you think about the strike?" -she repeated. - -"Yes, what about it?" echoed Barry and Pete. - -"We're going to win it," Tom answered, with quiet confidence. - -"You think so?" - -"I do. We're going to win--certain!" - -"If you do, we women'll all take turns kissin' your shoes." - -"You'll be, all in a jump, the biggest labor leader in New York City!" -cried Pete. "What, to put Buck Foley out o' business, an' to win a -strike after the union had give it up!" - -Within Tom responded to this by a wild exultation, but he maintained an -outward calm. "Don't lay it on so thick, Pete." - -He stole a glance at Maggie. She was very pale. Her eyes, coming up from -her lap, met his. She rose abruptly. - -"I must see to my work," she said, and hurried into the kitchen. - -Tom's eyes came back to his friends. "Have you boys heard anything about -Foley?" - -"He ain't been caught yet," answered Pete. - -"He'll never be," Tom declared. Then after a moment's thought he went -on with conviction: "Boys, if Foley had had a fair start and had been -honest, he'd have been the biggest thing that ever happened in the labor -world." - -Their loyalty prompted the others to take strong exception to this. - -"No, I wouldn't have been in his class," Tom said decidedly, and led the -talk to the probabilities of the next few days. They chatted on for half -an hour longer, then all four departed. Pete, however, turned at the -door and came back. - -"I almost forgot, Tom. There was something else. O' course you didn't -hear about Johnson. You know there's been someone in the union--more'n -one, I bet--that's been keepin' the bosses posted on all we do. Well, -Johnson got himself outside o' more'n a few last night, an' began to get -in some lively jaw-work. The boys got on from what he said that he'd -been doin' the spy business for a long time--that he'd seen Baxter just -before the meetin'. Well, a few things happened right then an' there. I -won't tell you what, but I got an idea Johnson sorter thinks this ain't -just the health resort for his kind o' disease." - -Tom said nothing. Here was confirmation of, and addition to, one -sentence in the detectives' report. - -Pete had been gone hardly more than a minute when he was back for the -third time. "Say, Tom, guess where Petersen's movin'?" he called out -from the dining-room door. - -"I never can." - -"On the floor above! A wagon load o' new furniture just pulled up down -in front. I met Petersen an' his wife comin' in. Petersen was carryin' -a bran' new baby carriage." - -Pete's news had immediate corroboration. As he was going out Tom heard a -thin voice ask, "Is Mr. Keating in?" and heard Maggie answer, "Go right -through the next door;" and there was Mrs. Petersen, her child in her -arms, coming radiantly toward him. - -"Bless you, brother!" she said. "I've heard all about your glorious -victory. I could hardly wait to come over an' tell you how glad I am. -I'd 'a' come with Nels, but I wasn't ready an' he had to hurry here to -be ready to look after the furniture when it come. I'm so glad! But -things had to come out that way. The Lord never lets sin -prevail!--praise His name!" - -"Won't you sit down, Mrs. Petersen?" Tom said, in some embarrassment, -relinquishing the slight hand she had given him. - -"I can't stop a minute, we're so busy. You must come up an' see us. I -pray God'll prosper you in your new work, an' make you a power for -right. Good-by." - -As she passed through the dining-room Tom heard her thin vibrant voice -sound out again: "You ought to be the proudest an' happiest woman in -America, Mrs. Keating." There was no answer, and Tom heard the door -close. - -In a few minutes Maggie came in and stood leaning against the back of -one of the chairs. "Tom," she said; and her voice was forced and -unnatural. - -Tom knew that the scene he had been expecting so long was now at hand. -"Yes," he answered, in a kind of triumphant dread. - -She did not speak at once, but stood looking down on him, her throat -pulsing, her face puckered in its effort to be immobile. "Well, it was -about time something of this sort was happening. You know what I've had -to put up with in the last five months. I suppose you think I ought to -beg your pardon. But you know what I said, I said because I thought it -was to our interest to do that. And you know if we'd done what I said -we'd never have seen the hard times we have." - -"I suppose not," Tom admitted, with a dull sinking of his heart. - -She stood looking down on him for a moment longer, then turned abruptly -about and went into the kitchen. These five sentences were her only -verbal acknowledgment that she had been wrong, and her only verbal -apology. She felt much more than this--grudgingly, she was proud that he -had succeeded, she was proud that others praised him, she was pleased at -the prospect of better times--but more than this she could not bend to -admit. - -While Tom lay on the couch reasoning himself into a fuller and fuller -understanding of Mr. Baxter's part in last night's events, out in the -kitchen Maggie's resentment over having been proved wrong was slowly -disappearing under the genial influence of thoughts of the better days -ahead. Her mind ran with eagerness over the many things that could be -done with the thirty-five dollars a week Tom would get as walking -delegate--new dresses, better than she had ever had before; new things -for the house; a better table. And she thought of the social elevation -Tom's new importance in the union would give her. She forgot her -bitterness. She became satisfied; then exultant; then, unconsciously, -she began humming. - -Presently her new pride had an unexpected gratification. In the midst of -her dreams there was a rapping at the hall door. Opening it she found -before her a man she had seen only once--Tom had pointed him out to her -one Sunday when they had walked on Fifth Avenue--but she recognized him -immediately. - -"Is Mr. Keating at home?" the man asked. - -"Yes." Maggie, awed and embarrassed, led the way into the sitting-room. - -"Mr. Keating," said the man, in a quiet, even voice. - -"Mr. Baxter!" Tom ejaculated. - -"I saw in the papers this morning that you were hurt. Thank you very -much, Mrs. Keating." He closed the door after Maggie had withdrawn, as -though paying her a courtesy by the act, and sat down in the chair she -had pushed beside the couch for him. "Your injury is not serious, I -hope." - -Tom regarded the contractor with open amazement. "No," he managed to -say. "It will keep me in the house for a while, though." - -"I thought so, and that's why I came. I saw from the papers that you -would doubtless be the next leader of the union. As you know, it is -highly important to both sides that we come to an agreement about the -strike as early as possible. It seemed to me desirable that you and I -have a chat first and arrange for a meeting of our respective -committees. And since I knew you could not come to see me, I have come -to see you." - -Mr. Baxter delivered these prepared sentences smoothly, showing his -white teeth in a slight smile. This was the most plausible reason his -brain had been able to lay hold of to explain his coming. And come he -must, for he had a terrifying dread that Tom knew the facts he was -trying to keep from the public. It had taxed his ingenuity frightfully -that morning to make an explanation to his wife that would clear -himself. If Tom did know, and were to speak--there would be public -disgrace, and no explaining to his wife. - -Tom's control came back to him, and he was filled with a sudden exultant -sense of mastery over this keen, powerful man. "It is of course -desirable that we settle the strike as soon as possible," he agreed -calmly, not revealing that he recognized Mr. Baxter's explanation to be -a fraud. - -"It certainly will be a relief to us to deal with a man of integrity. I -think we have both had not very agreeable experiences with one whose -strong point was not his honor." - -"Yes." - -There was that in Mr. Baxter's manner which was very near frank -cordiality. "Has it not occurred to you as somewhat remarkable, Mr. -Keating, that both of us, acting independently, have been working to -expose Mr. Foley?" - -Tom had never had the patience necessary to beat long about the bush. He -was master, and he swept Mr. Baxter's method aside. "The sad feature of -both our efforts," he said calmly, but with fierce joy, "has been that -we have failed, so far, to expose the chief villain." - -The corners of Mr. Baxter's mouth twitched the least trifle, but when he -spoke he showed the proper surprise. "Have we, indeed! Whom do you -mean?" - -Tom looked him straight in the eyes. "I wonder if you'd care to know -what I think of you?" - -"That's an unusual question. But--it might be interesting." - -"I think you are an infernal hypocrite!--and a villain to boot!" - -"What?" Mr. Baxter sprang to his feet, trying to look angry and amazed. - -"Sit down, Mr. Baxter," Tom said quietly. "That don't work with me. I'm -on to you. We got Foley, but you're the man we've failed to expose--so -far." - -Mr. Baxter resumed his chair, and for an instant looked with piercing -steadiness at Tom's square face. - -"What do you know?--think you know?" - -"I'll tell you, be glad to, for I want you to know I'm thoroughly on to -you. You suggested this scheme to Foley, and it wasn't a scheme to catch -Foley, but to cheat the union." And Tom went on to outline the parts of -the story Mr. Baxter had withheld from the newspapers. - -"That sounds very interesting, Mr. Keating," Mr. Baxter said, his lips -trembling back from his teeth. "But even supposing that were true, it -isn't evidence." - -"I didn't say it was--though part of it is. But suppose I gave to the -papers what I've said to you? Suppose I made this point: if Baxter had -really intended to trap Foley, wouldn't he have had him arrested the -minute after the money had been turned over, so that he would have stood -in no danger of losing the money, and so Foley would have been caught -with the goods on? And suppose I presented these facts: Mr. Baxter had -tickets bought for 'The Maid of Mexico,' and was on the point of leaving -for the theater with his wife when a union man, his spy, who had learned -of my plan to expose the scheme, came to his house and told him I was on -to the game and was going to expose it. Mr. Baxter suddenly decides not -to go to the theater, and rushes off to the District Attorney with his -story of having trapped Foley. Suppose I said these things to the -papers--they'd be glad to get 'em, for it's as good a story as the one -this morning--what'd people be saying about you to-morrow? They'd say -this: Up to the time he heard from his spy Baxter had no idea of going -to the District Attorney. He was in the game for all it was worth, and -only went to the District Attorney when he saw it was his only chance to -save himself. They'd size you up for what you are--a briber and a liar!" - -A faint tinge of color showed in Mr. Baxter's white cheeks. "I see -you're a grafter, too!" he said, yielding to an uncontrollable desire to -strike back. "Well--what's _your_ price?" - -Tom sat bolt upright and glared at the contractor. - -"Damn you!" he burst out. "If it wasn't for this ankle, I'd kick you out -of the room, and down to the street, a kick to every step! Now you get -out of here!--and quick!" - -"I'm always glad to leave the presence of a blackmailer, my dear sir." -Mr. Baxter turned with a bow and went out. - -Tom, in a fury, swung his feet off the couch and started to rise, only -to sink back with a groan. - -At the door of the flat Mr. Baxter thought of the morrow, of what the -public would say, of what his wife would say. He came back, closed the -door, and stood looking steadily down on Tom. "Well--what are you going -to do about it?" - -"Give it to the papers, that's what!" - -"Suppose you do, and suppose a few persons believe it. Suppose, even, -people say what you think they will. What then? You will have given -your--ah--your information away, and how much better off are you for -it?" - -"Blackmailer, did you call me!" - -Mr. Baxter did not heed the exclamation, but continued to look steadily -downward, waiting. - -A little while before Tom had been thinking vaguely of the possible use -he could make of his power over Mr. Baxter. With lowered gaze, he now -thought clearly, rapidly. The moral element of the situation did not -appeal to him as strongly at that moment as did the practical. If he -exposed Mr. Baxter it would bring himself great credit and prominence, -but what material benefit would that exposure bring the union? Very -little. Would it be right then for him, the actual head of the union, -to use an advantage for his self-glorification that could be turned to -the profit of the whole union? - -After a minute Tom looked up. "No, I shall not give this to the -newspapers. I'm going to use it otherwise--as a lever to get from you -bosses what belongs to us. I hate to dirty my hands by using such means; -but in fighting men of your sort we've got to take every advantage we -get. If I had a thief by the throat I'd hardly let go so we could fight -fair. I wouldn't be doing the square thing by the union if I refused to -use an advantage of this sort." - -He paused an instant and looked squarely into Mr. Baxter's eyes. "Yes, I -have a price, and here it is. We're going to win this strike. You -understand?" - -"I think I do." - -"Well?" - -"You are very modest in your demands,"--sarcastically. Tom did not heed -the remark. - -Mr. Baxter half closed his eyes and thought a moment. "What guarantee -have I of your silence?" - -"My word." - -"Nothing else?" - -"Nothing else." - -Mr. Baxter was again silent for a thoughtful moment. - -"Well?" Tom demanded. - -Mr. Baxter's face gave a faint suggestion that a struggle was going on -within. Then his little smile came out, and he said: - -"Permit me to be the first to congratulate you, Mr. Keating, on having -won the strike." - - - - -Chapter XXXII - -THE THORN OF THE ROSE - - -Shortly after lunch Mr. Driscoll called Ruth into his office. "Dr. Hall -has just sent me word that he wants to meet the building committee on -important business this afternoon, so if you'll get ready we'll start -right off." - -A few minutes later the two were on a north-bound Broadway car. -Presently Mr. Driscoll blinked his bulging eyes thoughtfully at his -watch. "I want to run in and see Keating a minute sometime this -afternoon," he remarked. "He's just been doing some great work, Miss -Arnold. If we hurry we've got time to crowd it in now." A pudgy -forefinger went up into the air. "Oh, conductor--let us off here!" - -Before Ruth had recovered the power to object they were out of the car -and walking westward through a narrow cross street. Her first frantic -impulse was to make some hurried excuse and turn back. She could not -face him again!--and in his own home!--never! But a sudden fear -restrained this impulse: to follow it might reveal to Mr. Driscoll the -real state of affairs, or at least rouse his suspicions. She had to go; -there was nothing else she could do. And so she walked on beside her -employer, all her soul pulsing and throbbing. - -Soon a change began to work within her--the reassertion of her love. She -would have avoided the meeting if she could, but now fate was forcing -her into it. She abandoned herself to fate's irresistible arrangement. A -wild, excruciating joy began to possess her. She was going to see him -again! - -But in the last minute there came a choking revulsion of feeling. She -could not go up--she could not face him. Her mind, as though it had been -working all the time beneath her consciousness, presented her instantly -with a natural plan of avoiding the meeting. She paused at the stoop of -Tom's tenement. "I'll wait here till you come down, or walk about the -block," she said. - -"All right; I'll be gone only a few minutes," returned the unobservant -Mr. Driscoll. He mounted the stoop, but drew aside at the door to let a -woman with a boy come out, then entered. Ruth's glance rested upon the -woman and child, and she instinctively guessed who they were, and her -conjecture was instantly made certain knowledge by a voice from a window -addressing the woman as Mrs. Keating. She gripped the iron hand-rail -and, swaying, stared at Maggie as she stood chatting on the top step. -Her fixed eyes photographed the cheap beauty of Maggie's face, and her -supreme insight, the gift of the moment, took the likeness of Maggie's -soul. She gazed at Maggie with tense, white face, lips parted, hardly -breathing, all wildness within, till Maggie started to turn from her -neighbor. Then she herself turned about and walked dizzily away. - -In the meantime Mr. Driscoll had gained Tom's flat and was knocking on -the door. When Maggie had gone out--the silent accusation of Tom's -presence irked her so, she was glad to escape it for an hour or two--she -had left the door unlocked that Tom might have no trouble in admitting -possible callers. Mr. Driscoll entered in response to Tom's "Come in," -and crossed heavily into the sitting-room. "Hello there! How are you?" -he called out, taking Tom's hand in a hearty grasp. - -"Why, Mr. Driscoll!" Tom exclaimed, with a smile of pleasure. - -Mr. Driscoll sank with a gasp into a chair beside the couch. "Well, I -suppose you think you're about everybody," he said with a genial glare. -"Of course you think I ought to congratulate you. Well, I might as well, -since that's one thing I came here for. I do congratulate you, and I -mean it." - -He again grasped Tom's hand. "I've been thinking of the time, about five -months ago, when you stood in my office and called me a coward and a few -other nice things, and said you were going to put Foley out of business. -I didn't think you could do it. But you have! You've done a mighty big -thing." - -He checked himself, but his discretion was not strong enough to force -him to complete silence, nor to keep a faint suggestion of mystery out -of his manner. "And you deserve a lot more credit than you're getting. -You've done a lot more than people think you have--than you yourself -think you have. If you knew what I know----!" - -He nodded his head, with one eye closed. "There's some people I'd back -any day to beat the devil. Well, well! And so you're to be walking -delegate, hey? That's what I hear." - -"I understand the boys are talking about electing me." - -"Well, if you come around trying to graft off me, or calling strikes on -my jobs, there'll be trouble--I tell you that." - -"I'll make you an exception. I'll not graft off you, and I'll let you -work scabs and work 'em twenty-four hours a day, if you want to." - -"I know how!" Mr. Driscoll mopped his face again. "I came around here, -Keating, to say about three things to you. I wanted to congratulate you, -and that I've done. And I wanted to tell you the latest in the Avon -affair. I heard just before I left the office that those thugs of -Foley's, hearing that he'd skipped and left 'em in the lurch, had -confessed that you didn't have a thing to do with the Avon -explosion--that Foley'd put them up to it, and so on. It'll be in the -papers this afternoon. Even if your case comes to trial, you'll be -discharged in a minute. The other thing----" - -"Mr. Driscoll----" Tom began gratefully. - -Mr. Driscoll saw what was coming, and rushed on at full speed. "The -other thing is this: I'm speaking serious now, and just as your father -might, and it's for your own good, and nothing else. What I've got to -say is, get out of the union. You're too good for it. A man's got to do -the best he can for himself in this world; it's his duty to make a place -for himself. And what are you doing for yourself in the union? Nothing. -They've turned you down, and turned you down hard, in the last few -months. It's all hip-hip-hurrah for you to-day, but they'll turn you -down again just as soon as they get a chance. Mark what I say! Now -here's the thing for you to do. You can get out of the union now with -glory. Get out, and take the job I offered you five months ago. Or a -better one, if you want it." - -"I can't tell you how much I thank you, Mr. Driscoll," said Tom. "But -that's all been settled before. I can't." - -"Now you see here!"--and Mr. Driscoll leaned forward and with the help -of a gesticulating fist launched into an emphatic presentation of "an -old man's advice" on the subject of looking out for number one. - -While he had been talking Ruth had walked about the block in dazing -pain, and now she had been brought back to the tenement door by the -combined strength of love and duty. During the last two weeks she had -often wished that she might speak a moment with Tom, to efface the -impression she had given him on that tragic evening when they had been -last together, that knowing him could mean to her only great pain. That -she should tell him otherwise, that she should yield him the forgiveness -she had withheld, had assumed to her the seriousness of a great debt she -must discharge. The present was her best chance--perhaps she could see -him for a moment alone. And so, duty justifying love, she entered the -tenement and mounted the stairs. - -Tom's "Come in!" answered her knock. Clutching her self-control in both -her hands, she entered. At sight of her Tom rose upon his elbow, then -sank back, as pale as she, his fingers turned into his palms. - -"Mr. Keating," she said, with the slightest of bows, and lowered herself -into a chair by the door. - -He could merely incline his head. - -"You got tired waiting, did you," said Mr. Driscoll, who had turned his -short-sighted eyes about at her entrance. "I'll be through in just a -minute." He looked back at Tom, and could but notice the latter's white, -set face. "Why, what's the matter?" - -"I twisted my ankle a bit; it's nothing," Tom answered. - -Mr. Driscoll went on with his discourse, to ears that now heard not a -word. Ruth glanced about the room. The high-colored sentimental -pictures, the cheap showy furniture, the ornaments on the -mantelpiece--all that she saw corroborated the revelation she had had of -Maggie's character. Inspiration in neither wife nor home. Thus he had to -live, who needed inspiration--whom inspiration and sympathy would help -develop to a fitness for great ends. Thus he had to live!--dwarfed! - -She filled with frantic rebellion in his behalf. Surely it did not have -to be so, always. Surely the home could be changed, the wife roused to -sympathy--a little--at least a little!... There must be a way! Yes, yes; -surely. There must be a way!... Later, somehow, she would find it.... - -In this moment of upheaving ideas and emotions she had the first vague -stirring of a new purpose--the very earliest conception of the part she -was to play in the future, the part of an unseen and unrecognized -influence. She was brought out of her chaotic thoughts by Mr. Driscoll -rising from his chair and saying: "There's no turning a fool from his -folly, I suppose. Well, we'd better be going, Miss Arnold." - -She rose, too. Her eyes and Tom's met. He wondered, choking, if she -would speak to him. - -"Good-by, Mr. Keating," she said--and that was all. - -"Good-by, Miss Arnold." - -With a great sinking, as though all were going from beneath him, he -watched her go out ... heard the outer door close ... and lay exhausted, -gazing wide-eyed at the door frame in which he had last seen her. - -A minute passed so, and then his eyes, falling, saw a pair of gray silk -gloves on the table just before him. They were hers. He had risen upon -his elbow with the purpose of getting to the table, by help of a chair -back, and securing them, when he heard the hall door open gently and -close. He sank back upon the couch. - -The next minute he saw her in the doorway again, pale and with a -composure that was the balance between paroxysm and supreme repression. -She paused there, one hand against the frame, and then walked up to the -little table. "I came back for my gloves," she said, picking them up. - -"Yes," his lips whispered, his eyes fastened on her white face. - -But she did not go. She stood looking down upon him, one hand resting on -the table, the other on a chair back. "I left my gloves on purpose; -there is something I want to say to you," she said, with her tense calm. -"You remember--when I saw you last--I practically said that knowing you -could in the future mean nothing to me but pain. I do not feel so now. -Knowing you has given me inspiration. There is nothing for me to -forgive--but if it means anything to you ... I forgive you." - -Tom could only hold his eyes on her pale face. - -"And I want to congratulate you," she went on. "I know how another is -getting the praise that belongs to you. I know how much more you deserve -than is being given you." - -"Chance helped me much--at the end." - -"It is the man who is always striving that is ready for the chance when -it comes," she returned. - -Tom, lying back, gazing fixedly up into her dark eyes, could not gather -hold of a word. The gilded clock counted off several seconds. - -"Mr. Driscoll is waiting for me," she said, in a voice that was weaker -and less forcedly steady. She had not changed her position all the time -she had spoken. Her arms now dropped to her side, and she moved back -ever so little. - -"I hope ... you'll be happy ... always," she said. - -"Yes ... and I hope you...." - -"Good-by." - -"Good-by." - -Their eyes held steadfastly to each other for a moment; she seemed to -waver, and she caught the back of a chair; then she turned and went -out.... - -For long he watched the door out of which she had gone; then, heedless -of the pain, he rolled over and stared at one great poppy in the back of -the couch. - -THE END - - - - -TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: - - -Obvious typographical and printer errors have been corrected without -comment. - -In addition to obvious errors, the following changes have been made: - - Page 26: "virture" changed to "virtue" in the phrase, "... had - the virtue of being terse...." - - Page 53: The word "you" was added to the phrase, "How do you - propose...." - - Page 178: "disppeared" changed to "disappeared" in the phrase, - "... they had disappeared...." - - Page 209: "filliped" changed to "flipped" in the phrase, "... - contemptuously flipped his half-smoked cigar...." - - Page 320: "tremenduous" changed to "tremendous" in the phrase, - "... a tremendous uproar...." - -Other than the above, no effort has been made to standardize internal -inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, etc. -The author's usage is preserved as found in the original publication. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Walking Delegate, by Leroy Scott - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WALKING DELEGATE *** - -***** This file should be named 41154-8.txt or 41154-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/1/5/41154/ - -Produced by D Alexander, Cathy Maxam, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |