The Conflict [4]
revolutionary chaps are. But I honestly think that he really doesn't care a rap for classes --or for money--or for any of the substantial things.''
``He sounds common,'' said Miss Hastings. ``I've lost interest in him.'' Then in the same breath: ``How does he live? Is he a carpenter?''
``He was--for several years. You see, he and his mother together brought up the Dorn family after the father was killed. They didn't get a cent of damages from the railroad. It was an outrage----''
``But my father was the largest owner of the railroad.''
Hull colored violently. ``You don't understand about business, Jen. The railroad is a corporation. It fought the case--and the Dorns had no money--and the railway owned the judge and bribed several jurors at each trial. Dorn says that was what started him to thinking --to being a revolutionist--though he doesn't call himself that.''
``I should think it would!'' cried Miss Hastings. ``If my father had known----'' She caught her breath. ``But he MUST have known! He was on the train that day.''
``You don't understand business, Jen. Your father wouldn't interfere with the management of the corporation .''
``He makes money out of it--doesn't he?''
``So do we all get money out of corporations that are compelled to do all sorts of queer things. But we can't abolish the system--we've got to reform it. That's why I'm in politics--and want you----''
``Something must be done about that,'' interrupted Jane. ``I shall talk to father----''
``For heaven's sake, Jen,'' cried David in alarm, ``don't tell your father I'VE been stirring you up. He's one of the powers in politics in this State, and----''
``I'll not give you away, Davy,'' said Miss Hastings a little contemptuously. ``I want to hear more about this Victor Dorn. I'll get that money for him and his mother. Is he very poor?''
``Well--you'd call him poor. But he says he has plenty. He runs a small paper. I think he makes about twenty-five dollars a week out of it--and a little more out of lecturing. Then--every once in a while he goes back to his trade--to keep his hand in and enjoy the luxury of earning honest money, as he puts it.''
``How queer!'' exclaimed Miss Hastings. ``I would like to meet him. Is he--very ignorant?''
``Oh, no--no, indeed. He's worked his way through college--and law school afterward. Supported the family all the time.''
``He must be tremendously clever.''
``I've given you an exaggerated idea of him,'' Davy hastened to say. ``He's really an ordinary sort of chap.''
``I should think he'd get rich,'' said Miss Hastings. ``Most of the men that do--so far as I've met them-- seem ordinary enough.''
``He says he could get rich, but that he wouldn't waste time that way. But he's fond of boasting.''
``You don't think he could make money--after all he did--going to college and everything?''
``Yes--I guess he could,'' reluctantly admitted Davy. Then in a burst of candor: ``Perhaps I'm a little jealous of him. If _I_ were thrown on my own resources, I'm afraid I'd make a pretty wretched showing. But--don't get an exaggerated idea of him. The things I've told you sound romantic and unusual. If you met him--saw him every day--you'd realize he's not at all--at least, not much--out of the ordinary.''
``Perhaps,'' said Miss Hastings shrewdly, ``perhaps I'm getting a better idea of him than you who see him so often.''
``Oh, you'll run across him sometime,'' said Davy, who was bearing up no better than would the next man under the strain of a woman's interest in and excitement about another man. ``When you do, you'll get enough in about five minutes. You see, he's not a gentleman .''
``I'm not sure that I'm wildly crazy about gentlemen-- AS gentlemen,'' replied the girl. ``Very few of the interesting people I've read about in history and biography have been gentlemen.''
``And very few of them would have been pleasant to associate with,'' rejoined Hull. ``You'll admire Victor as I do. But you'll feel--as I do--that there's small
``He sounds common,'' said Miss Hastings. ``I've lost interest in him.'' Then in the same breath: ``How does he live? Is he a carpenter?''
``He was--for several years. You see, he and his mother together brought up the Dorn family after the father was killed. They didn't get a cent of damages from the railroad. It was an outrage----''
``But my father was the largest owner of the railroad.''
Hull colored violently. ``You don't understand about business, Jen. The railroad is a corporation. It fought the case--and the Dorns had no money--and the railway owned the judge and bribed several jurors at each trial. Dorn says that was what started him to thinking --to being a revolutionist--though he doesn't call himself that.''
``I should think it would!'' cried Miss Hastings. ``If my father had known----'' She caught her breath. ``But he MUST have known! He was on the train that day.''
``You don't understand business, Jen. Your father wouldn't interfere with the management of the corporation .''
``He makes money out of it--doesn't he?''
``So do we all get money out of corporations that are compelled to do all sorts of queer things. But we can't abolish the system--we've got to reform it. That's why I'm in politics--and want you----''
``Something must be done about that,'' interrupted Jane. ``I shall talk to father----''
``For heaven's sake, Jen,'' cried David in alarm, ``don't tell your father I'VE been stirring you up. He's one of the powers in politics in this State, and----''
``I'll not give you away, Davy,'' said Miss Hastings a little contemptuously. ``I want to hear more about this Victor Dorn. I'll get that money for him and his mother. Is he very poor?''
``Well--you'd call him poor. But he says he has plenty. He runs a small paper. I think he makes about twenty-five dollars a week out of it--and a little more out of lecturing. Then--every once in a while he goes back to his trade--to keep his hand in and enjoy the luxury of earning honest money, as he puts it.''
``How queer!'' exclaimed Miss Hastings. ``I would like to meet him. Is he--very ignorant?''
``Oh, no--no, indeed. He's worked his way through college--and law school afterward. Supported the family all the time.''
``He must be tremendously clever.''
``I've given you an exaggerated idea of him,'' Davy hastened to say. ``He's really an ordinary sort of chap.''
``I should think he'd get rich,'' said Miss Hastings. ``Most of the men that do--so far as I've met them-- seem ordinary enough.''
``He says he could get rich, but that he wouldn't waste time that way. But he's fond of boasting.''
``You don't think he could make money--after all he did--going to college and everything?''
``Yes--I guess he could,'' reluctantly admitted Davy. Then in a burst of candor: ``Perhaps I'm a little jealous of him. If _I_ were thrown on my own resources, I'm afraid I'd make a pretty wretched showing. But--don't get an exaggerated idea of him. The things I've told you sound romantic and unusual. If you met him--saw him every day--you'd realize he's not at all--at least, not much--out of the ordinary.''
``Perhaps,'' said Miss Hastings shrewdly, ``perhaps I'm getting a better idea of him than you who see him so often.''
``Oh, you'll run across him sometime,'' said Davy, who was bearing up no better than would the next man under the strain of a woman's interest in and excitement about another man. ``When you do, you'll get enough in about five minutes. You see, he's not a gentleman .''
``I'm not sure that I'm wildly crazy about gentlemen-- AS gentlemen,'' replied the girl. ``Very few of the interesting people I've read about in history and biography have been gentlemen.''
``And very few of them would have been pleasant to associate with,'' rejoined Hull. ``You'll admire Victor as I do. But you'll feel--as I do--that there's small