The Conflict [72]
to produce poisonous blood. He let the young man's superb vitality work the inevitable and speedy cure. Thus, wounds and shocks, that have often been mistreated by doctors into mortal, passed so quickly that only Selma Gordon and the doctor himself realized how grave Victor's case had been. The day he was indicted--just a week from the riot--he was sitting up and was talking freely.
``Won't it set him back if I tell him all that has occurred?'' said Selma.
``Talk to him as you would to me,'' replied Charlton. ``He is a sensible man. I've already told him pretty much everything. It has kept him from fretting, to be able to lie there quietly and make his plans.''
Had you looked in upon Victor and Selma, in Colman's little transformed parlor, you would rather have thought Selma the invalid. The man in the bed was pale and thin of face, but his eyes had the expression of health and of hope. Selma had great circles under her eyes and her expression was despair struggling to conceal itself. Those indictments, those injunctions-- how powerful the enemy were! How could such an enemy, aroused new and inflexibly resolved, be combatted?--especially when one had no money, no way of reaching the people, no chance to organize.
``Dr. Charlton has told you?'' said Selma.
``Day before yesterday,'' replied Victor. ``Why do you look so down-in-the-mouth, Selma?''
``It isn't easy to be cheerful, with you ill and the paper destroyed,'' replied she.
``But I'm not ill, and the paper isn't destroyed,'' said Victor. ``Never were either I or it doing such good work as now.'' His eyes were dancing. ``What more could one ask than to have such stupid enemies as we've got?''
Selma did not lift her eyes. To her those enemies seemed anything but stupid. Had they not ruined the League?
``I see you don't understand,'' pursued Victor. ``No matter. You'll wear a very different face two weeks from now.''
``But,'' said Selma, ``exactly what you said you were afraid of has occurred. And now you say you're glad of it.''
``I told you I was afraid Dick Kelly would make the one move that could destroy us.''
``But he has!'' cried Selma.
Victor smiled. ``No, indeed!'' replied he.
``What worse could he have done?''
``I'll not tell you,'' said Victor. ``I'd not venture to say aloud such a dangerous thing as what I'd have done if I had been in his place. Instead of doing that, he made us. We shall win this fall's election.''
Selma lifted her head with a sudden gesture of hope. She had unbounded confidence in Victor Dorn, and his tone was the tone of absolute confidence.
``I had calculated on winning in five years. I had left the brutal stupidity of our friend Kelly out of account.''
``Then you see how you can hold meetings and start up the paper?''
``I don't want to do either,'' said Victor. ``I want those injunctions to stand. Those fools have done at a stroke what we couldn't have done in years. They have united the working class.
They--the few--have forbidden us, the many, to unite or to speak.
If those injunctions hold for a month, nothing could stop our winning this fall. . . . I can't understand how Dick Kelly could be so stupid. Five years ago these moves of his would have been bad for us--yes, even three years ago. But we've got too strong--and he doesn't realize! Selma, when you want to win, always pray that your opponent will underestimate you.''
``I still don't understand,'' said Selma. ``None of us does. You must explain to me, so that I'll know what to do.''
``Do nothing,'' said Victor. ``I shall be out a week from to-day. I shall not go into the streets until I not only am well but look well.''
``They arrested Tom Colman to-day,'' said Selma. ``But they put the case over until you'd be able to plead at the same time.''
``That's right,'' said Victor. ``They are playing into our hands!'' And he laughed as heartily as his bandages would permit.
``Oh, I don't understand--I don't understand at all!'' cried Selma. ``Maybe you are all wrong about
``Won't it set him back if I tell him all that has occurred?'' said Selma.
``Talk to him as you would to me,'' replied Charlton. ``He is a sensible man. I've already told him pretty much everything. It has kept him from fretting, to be able to lie there quietly and make his plans.''
Had you looked in upon Victor and Selma, in Colman's little transformed parlor, you would rather have thought Selma the invalid. The man in the bed was pale and thin of face, but his eyes had the expression of health and of hope. Selma had great circles under her eyes and her expression was despair struggling to conceal itself. Those indictments, those injunctions-- how powerful the enemy were! How could such an enemy, aroused new and inflexibly resolved, be combatted?--especially when one had no money, no way of reaching the people, no chance to organize.
``Dr. Charlton has told you?'' said Selma.
``Day before yesterday,'' replied Victor. ``Why do you look so down-in-the-mouth, Selma?''
``It isn't easy to be cheerful, with you ill and the paper destroyed,'' replied she.
``But I'm not ill, and the paper isn't destroyed,'' said Victor. ``Never were either I or it doing such good work as now.'' His eyes were dancing. ``What more could one ask than to have such stupid enemies as we've got?''
Selma did not lift her eyes. To her those enemies seemed anything but stupid. Had they not ruined the League?
``I see you don't understand,'' pursued Victor. ``No matter. You'll wear a very different face two weeks from now.''
``But,'' said Selma, ``exactly what you said you were afraid of has occurred. And now you say you're glad of it.''
``I told you I was afraid Dick Kelly would make the one move that could destroy us.''
``But he has!'' cried Selma.
Victor smiled. ``No, indeed!'' replied he.
``What worse could he have done?''
``I'll not tell you,'' said Victor. ``I'd not venture to say aloud such a dangerous thing as what I'd have done if I had been in his place. Instead of doing that, he made us. We shall win this fall's election.''
Selma lifted her head with a sudden gesture of hope. She had unbounded confidence in Victor Dorn, and his tone was the tone of absolute confidence.
``I had calculated on winning in five years. I had left the brutal stupidity of our friend Kelly out of account.''
``Then you see how you can hold meetings and start up the paper?''
``I don't want to do either,'' said Victor. ``I want those injunctions to stand. Those fools have done at a stroke what we couldn't have done in years. They have united the working class.
They--the few--have forbidden us, the many, to unite or to speak.
If those injunctions hold for a month, nothing could stop our winning this fall. . . . I can't understand how Dick Kelly could be so stupid. Five years ago these moves of his would have been bad for us--yes, even three years ago. But we've got too strong--and he doesn't realize! Selma, when you want to win, always pray that your opponent will underestimate you.''
``I still don't understand,'' said Selma. ``None of us does. You must explain to me, so that I'll know what to do.''
``Do nothing,'' said Victor. ``I shall be out a week from to-day. I shall not go into the streets until I not only am well but look well.''
``They arrested Tom Colman to-day,'' said Selma. ``But they put the case over until you'd be able to plead at the same time.''
``That's right,'' said Victor. ``They are playing into our hands!'' And he laughed as heartily as his bandages would permit.
``Oh, I don't understand--I don't understand at all!'' cried Selma. ``Maybe you are all wrong about