``The Kellys and the Houses give general orders to their lieutenants.The lieutenants pass the orders along --and down.
And so on, until all sorts of men are engaged in doing all sorts of work.Dirty, clean, criminal--all sorts.Some of these men, baffled in what they are trying to do to earn their pay--baffled by Victor Dorn--plot against him.'' Again that sad, bitter laugh.``My dear Miss Hastings, to kill a cat there are a thousand ways besides skinning it alive.''
``You are prejudiced,'' said Jane, in the manner of one who could not be convinced.
Selma made an impatient gesture.``Again I say, no matter.
Victor laughs at our fears----''
``I knew it,'' said Jane triumphantly.``He is less foolish than his followers.''
``He simply does not think about himself,'' replied Selma.``And he is right.But it is our business to think about him, because we need him.Where could we find another like him?''
"Yes, I suppose your movement WOULD die out, if he were not behind it.''
Selma smiled peculiarly.``I think you don't quite understand what we are about,'' said she.``You've accepted the ignorant notion of your class that we are a lot of silly roosters trying to crow one sun out of the heavens and another into it.The facts are somewhat different.Your class is saying, `To-day will last forever,' while we are saying, `No, to-day will run its course--will be succeeded by to-morrow.Let us not live like the fool who thinks only of the day.Let us be sensible, intelligent, let us realize that there will be to-morrow and that it, too, must be lived.Let us get ready to live it sensibly.
Let us build our social system so that it will stand the wear and tear of another day and will not fall in ruins about our heads.'
''
``I am terribly ignorant about all these things,'' said Jane.
``What a ridiculous thing my education has been!''
``But it hasn't spoiled your heart,'' cried Selma.And all at once her eyes were wonderfully soft and tender, and into her voice came a tone so sweet that Jane's eyes filled with tears.
``It was to your heart that I came to appeal,'' she went on.
``Oh, Miss Hastings--we will do all we can to protect Victor Dorn --and we guard him day and night without his knowing it.But Iam afraid--afraid! And I want you to help.Will you?''
``I'll do anything I can,'' said Jane--a Jane very different from the various Janes Miss Hastings knew --a Jane who seemed to be conjuring of Selma Gordon's enchantments.
``I want you to ask your father to give him a fair show.We don't ask any favors--for ourselves--for him.But we don't want to see him--'' Selma shuddered and covered her eyes with her hands ``--lying dead in some alley, shot or stabbed by some unknown thug!''
Selma made it so vivid that Jane saw the whole tragedy before her very eyes.
``The real reason why they hate him,'' Selma went on, ``is because he preaches up education and preaches down violence--and is building his party on intelligence instead of on force.The masters want the workingman who burns and kills and riots.They can shoot him down.They can make people accept any tyranny in preference to the danger of fire and murder let loose.But Victor is teaching the workingmen to stop playing the masters'
game for them.No wonder they hate him! He makes them afraid of the day when the united workingmen will have their way by organizing and voting.And they know that if Victor Dorn lives, that day will come in this city very, very soon.'' Selma saw Davy Hull, impatient at his long wait, advancing toward them.
She said: ``You will talk to your father?''
``Yes,'' said Jane.``And I assure you he will do what he can.
You don't know him, Miss Gordon.''
``I know he loves you--I know he MUST love you,'' said Selma.
``Now, I must go.Good-by.I knew you would be glad of the chance to do something worth while.''
Jane had been rather expecting to be thanked for her generosity and goodness.Selma's remark seemed at first blush an irritating attempt to shift a favor asked into a favor given.But it was impossible for her to fail to see Selma's sensible statement of the actual truth.So, she said honestly:
``Thank you for coming, Miss Gordon.I am glad of the chance.''
They shook hands.Selma, holding her hand, looked up at her, suddenly kissed her.Jane returned the kiss.David Hull, advancing with his gaze upon them, stopped short.Selma, without a glance--because without a thought--in his direction, hastened away.
When David rejoined Jane, she was gazing tenderly after the small, graceful figure moving toward the distant entrance gates.
Said David:
``I think that girl has got you hypnotized.''
Jane laughed and sent him home.``I'm busy,'' she said.``I've got something to do, at last.''
