The Conflict [117]
or executors; why go to that expense? So, the bickering and wrangling, the insults and tears and sneers went on from day to day. At last they settled the whole matter by lot--and by a series of easily arranged exchanges where the results of the drawings were unsatisfactory. Peace was restored, but not liking. Each of the three groups--Hugo and Martha, Will and Irene, Jane in a group by herself--detested the other two. They felt that they had found each other out. As Martha said to Hugo, ``It takes a thing of this kind to show people up in their true colors.'' Or, as Jane said to Doctor Charlton, ``What beasts human beings are!''
Said he: ``What beasts circumstance makes of some o them sometimes.''
``You are charitable,'' said Jane.
``I am scientific,'' replied he. ``It's very intelligent to go about distributing praise and blame. To do that is to obey a slightly higher development of the instinct that leads one to scowl at and curse the stone he stumps his toe on. The sensible thing to do is to look at the causes of things--of brutishness in human beings, for example--and to remove those causes.''
``It was wonderful, the way you dragged father back to life and almost saved him. That reminds me. Wait a second, please.''
She went up to her room and got the envelope addressed to Charlton which she had found in the drawer, as her father directed. Charlton opened it, took out five bank notes each of a thousand dollars. She glanced at the money, then at his face. It did not express the emotion she was expecting. On the contrary, its look was of pleased curiosity.
``Five thousand dollars,'' he said, reflectively. ``Your father certainly was a queer mixture of surprises and contradictions. Now, who would have suspected him of a piece of sentiment like this? Pure sentiment. He must have felt that I'd not be able to save him, and he knew my bill wouldn't be one-tenth this sum.''
``He liked you, and admired you,'' said Jane.
``He was very generous where he liked and admired.''
Charlton put the money back in the envelope, put the envelope in his pocket. ``I'll give the money to the Children's Hospital,'' said he. ``About six months ago I completed the sum I had fixed on as necessary to my independence; so, I've no further use for money--except to use it up as it comes in.''
``You may marry some day,'' suggested Jane.
``Not a woman who wishes to be left richer than independent,'' replied he. ``As for the children, they'll be brought up to earn their own independence. I'll leave only incubators and keepsakes when I die. But no estate. I'm not that foolish and inconsiderate.''
``What a queer idea!'' exclaimed Jane.
``On the contrary, it's simplest common sense. The idea of giving people something they haven't earned-- that's the queer idea.''
``You are SO like Victor Dorn!''
``That reminds me!'' exclaimed Charlton. ``It was very negligent of me to forget. The day your father died I dropped in on Victor and told him--him and Selma Gordon--about it. And both asked me to take you their sympathy. They said a great deal about your love for your father, and how sad it was to lose him. They were really distressed.''
Jane's face almost brightened. ``I've been rather hurt because I hadn't received a word of sympathy from-- them,'' she said.
``They'd have come, themselves, except that politics has made a very ugly feeling against them--and Galland's your brother-in-law.''
``I understand,'' said Jane. ``But I'm not Galland-- and not of that party.''
``Oh, yes, you are of that party,'' replied Charlton. ``You draw your income from it, and one belongs to whatever he draws his income from. Civilization means property--as yet. And it doesn't mean men and women --as yet. So, to know the man or the woman we look at the property.''
``That's hideously unjust,'' cried Jane.
``Don't be utterly egotistical,'' said Charlton. ``Don't attach so much importance to your little, mortal, WEAK personality. Try to realize that you're a mere chip in the great game
Said he: ``What beasts circumstance makes of some o them sometimes.''
``You are charitable,'' said Jane.
``I am scientific,'' replied he. ``It's very intelligent to go about distributing praise and blame. To do that is to obey a slightly higher development of the instinct that leads one to scowl at and curse the stone he stumps his toe on. The sensible thing to do is to look at the causes of things--of brutishness in human beings, for example--and to remove those causes.''
``It was wonderful, the way you dragged father back to life and almost saved him. That reminds me. Wait a second, please.''
She went up to her room and got the envelope addressed to Charlton which she had found in the drawer, as her father directed. Charlton opened it, took out five bank notes each of a thousand dollars. She glanced at the money, then at his face. It did not express the emotion she was expecting. On the contrary, its look was of pleased curiosity.
``Five thousand dollars,'' he said, reflectively. ``Your father certainly was a queer mixture of surprises and contradictions. Now, who would have suspected him of a piece of sentiment like this? Pure sentiment. He must have felt that I'd not be able to save him, and he knew my bill wouldn't be one-tenth this sum.''
``He liked you, and admired you,'' said Jane.
``He was very generous where he liked and admired.''
Charlton put the money back in the envelope, put the envelope in his pocket. ``I'll give the money to the Children's Hospital,'' said he. ``About six months ago I completed the sum I had fixed on as necessary to my independence; so, I've no further use for money--except to use it up as it comes in.''
``You may marry some day,'' suggested Jane.
``Not a woman who wishes to be left richer than independent,'' replied he. ``As for the children, they'll be brought up to earn their own independence. I'll leave only incubators and keepsakes when I die. But no estate. I'm not that foolish and inconsiderate.''
``What a queer idea!'' exclaimed Jane.
``On the contrary, it's simplest common sense. The idea of giving people something they haven't earned-- that's the queer idea.''
``You are SO like Victor Dorn!''
``That reminds me!'' exclaimed Charlton. ``It was very negligent of me to forget. The day your father died I dropped in on Victor and told him--him and Selma Gordon--about it. And both asked me to take you their sympathy. They said a great deal about your love for your father, and how sad it was to lose him. They were really distressed.''
Jane's face almost brightened. ``I've been rather hurt because I hadn't received a word of sympathy from-- them,'' she said.
``They'd have come, themselves, except that politics has made a very ugly feeling against them--and Galland's your brother-in-law.''
``I understand,'' said Jane. ``But I'm not Galland-- and not of that party.''
``Oh, yes, you are of that party,'' replied Charlton. ``You draw your income from it, and one belongs to whatever he draws his income from. Civilization means property--as yet. And it doesn't mean men and women --as yet. So, to know the man or the woman we look at the property.''
``That's hideously unjust,'' cried Jane.
``Don't be utterly egotistical,'' said Charlton. ``Don't attach so much importance to your little, mortal, WEAK personality. Try to realize that you're a mere chip in the great game