the conflict-第29部分

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When　Ellen　Clearwater　and　Joe　Wetherbethe　second　son　of　the　chief　owner　of　the　First　National　reached　the　curb；　Selma　said　to　Wetherbe：

‘‘Please　stand　aside。　　I've　something　to　say　to　this　lady。''

When　Wetherbe　had　withdrawn；　she　said：　　‘‘Miss　Hastings　isnot　quite　herself。　　You　had　better　take　her　home　alone。''

Jane　leaned　from　the　open　carriage　window。　　‘‘Ellen；''　said　she；　‘‘I　am　going　to　stay　here　until　Victor　recovers　consciousness；　and　I　am　SURE。''

‘‘He　has　just　come　around；''　said　Ellen。　　‘‘He　is　certain　to　get　well。　　His　mind　is　clear。''

‘‘I　must　see　for　myself；''　cried　Jane。

Selma　was　preventing　her　leaving　the　carriage　when　Ellen　quietly　interfered　with　a　significant　look　for　Selma。　　‘‘Jane；''　she　said；　‘‘you　can't　go　in。　　The　doctor　has　just　put　every　one　out　but　his　assistant　and　a　nurse　that　has　come。''

Jane　hesitated；　drew　back　into　the　corner　of　the　carriage。　　‘‘Tell　Mr。　Wetherbe　to　go　his　own　way；''　said　Ellen　aside　to　Selma；　and　she　got　in　beside　Jane。

‘‘To　Mr。　Hastings'；''　said　Selma　to　the　driver。　　The　carriage　drove　away。

She　gave　Ellen's　message　to　Wetherbe　and　returned　to　the　house。　　Victor　was　still　unconscious；　he　did　not　come　to　himself　until　toward　daylight。　　And　then　it　was　clear　to　them　all　that　Dr。　Charlton's　encouraging　diagnosis　was　correct。

Public　opinion　in　Remsen　City　was　publicly　articulate　by　means　of　three　daily　newspapersthe　Pioneer；　the　Star；　and　the　Free　Press。　　The　Star　and　the　Free　Press　were　owned　by　the　same　group　of　capitalists　who　controlled　the　gas　company　and　the　water　works。　　The　Pioneer　was　owned　by　the　traction　interests。　　Both　groups　of　capitalists　were　jointly　interested　in　the　railways；　the　banks　and　in　the　principal　factories。　　The　Pioneer　was　Republican；　was　regarded　as　the　organ　of　Dick　Kelly。　　The　Star　was　Democratic；　spoke　less　cordially　of　Kelly　and　always　called　for　House；　Mr。　House；　or　Joseph　House；　Esquire。　　The　Free　Press　posed　as　independent　with　Democratic　leanings。　　It　indulged　in　admirable　essays　against　corruption；　gang　rule　and　bossism。　　But　it　was　never　specific　and　during　campaigns　was　meek　and　mild。　　For　nearly　a　dozen　years　there　had　not　been　a　word　of　truth　upon　any　subject　important　to　the　people　of　Remsen　City　in　the　columns　of　any　of　the　three。　　During　wars　between　rival　groups　of　capitalists　a　half…truth　was　now　and　then　timidly　uttered；　but　never　a　word　of　‘‘loose　talk；''　of　‘‘anarchy；''　of　anything　but　the　entirely　‘‘safe；　sane　and　conservative。''

Thus；　any　one　who　might　have　witnessed　the　scenes　in　Market　Square　on　Thursday　evening　would　have　been　not　a　little　astonished　to　read　the　accounts　presented　the　next　day　by　the　three　newspapers。　　According　to　all　three　the　Workingmen's　League；　long　a　menace　to　the　public　peace；　had　at　last　brought　upon　Remsen　City　the　shame　of　a　riot　in　which　two　men；　a　woman　and　four　children　had　lost　their　lives　and　more　than　a　hundred；　‘‘including　the　notorious　Victor　Dorn；''　had　been　injured。　　And　after　the　riot　the　part　of　the　mob　that　was　hostile　to　‘‘the　Dorn　gang''　had　swept　down　upon　the　office　of　the　New　Day；　had　wrecked　it；　and　had　set　fire　to　the　building；　with　the　result　that　five　houses　were　burned　before　the　flames　could　be　put　out。　　The　Free　Press　published；　as　a　mere　rumor；　that　the　　immediate　cause　of　the　outbreak　had　been　an　impending　‘‘scurrilous　attack''　in　the　New　Day　upon　one　of　the　political　gangs　of　the　slums　and　its　leader。　　The　Associated　Press；　sending　forth　an　account　of　the　riot　to　the　entire　country；　represented　it　as　a　fight　between　rival　gangs　of　workmen　precipitated　by　the　insults　and　menaces　of　a　‘‘socialistic　party　led　by　a　young　operator　named　Dorn。''　　Dorn's　faction　had　aroused　in　the　mass　of　the　workingmen　a　fear　that　this　spread　of　‘‘socialistic　and　anarchistic　ideas''　would　cause　a　general　shut　down　of　factories　and　a　flight　of　the　capital　that　was　‘‘giving　employment　to　labor。''

A　version　of　the　causes　and　the　events；　somewhat　nearer　the　truth；　was　talked　about　Remsen　City。　　But　all　the　respectable　classes　were　well　content　with　what　their　newspapers　printed。　　And；　while　some　broad…　minded　respectabilities　spoke　of　the　affair　as　an　outrage；　none　of　them　was　disposed　to　think　that　any　real　wrong　had　been　done。　　Victor　Dorn　and　his　crowd　of　revolutionists　had　got；　after　all；　only　their　deserts。

After　forty…eight　hours　of　careful　study　of　public　opinion；　Dick　Kelly　decided　that　Remsen　City　was　taking　the　dose　as　he　had　anticipated。　　He　felt　emboldened　to　proceed　to　his　final　move　in　the　campaign　against　‘‘anarchy''　in　his　beloved　city。　　On　the　second　morning　after　the　riot；　all　three　newspapers　published　double…　headed　editorials　calling　upon　the　authorities　to　safeguard　the　community　against　another　such　degrading　and　dangerous　upheaval。　　‘‘It　is　time　that　the　distinction　　between　liberty　and　license　be　sharply　drawn。''　　After　editorials　in　this　vein　had　been　repeated　for　several　days；　after　sundry　bodies　of　eminently　respectable　citizensthe　Merchants'　Association；　the　Taxpayers'　League；　the　Chamber　of　Commercehad　passed　indignant　and　appealing　resolutions；　after　two　priests；　a　clergyman　and　four　preachers　had　sermonized　against　‘‘the　leniency　of　constituted　authority　with　criminal　anarchy；''　Mr。　Kelly　had　the　City　Attorney　go　before　Judge　Lansing　and　ask　for　an　injunction。

Judge　Lansing　promptly　granted　the　injunction。　　The　New　Day　was　enjoined　from　appearing。　　The　Workingmen's　League　was　enjoined　from　holding　meetings。

Then　the　County　Prosecutor；　also　a　henchman　of　Kelly's；　secured　from　the　Grand　Jurycomposed　of　farmers；　merchants　and　owners　of　factoriesindictments　against　Thomas　Colman　and　Victor　Dorn　for　inciting　a　riot。

Meanwhile　Victor　Dorn　was　rapidly　recovering。　　With　rare　restraint　young　Dr。　Charlton　did　not　fuss　and　fret　and　meddle；　did　not　hamper　nature　with　his　blundering　efforts　to　assist；　did　not　stuff　‘‘nourishment''　into　his　patient　to　decay　and　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　indictedjust　a　week　from　the　riothe　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。

Theythe　fewhave　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　usyes；　even　three　years　ago。　　But　we've　got　too　strongand　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　understandI　don't　understand　at　all！''　cried　Selma。　　‘‘Maybe　you　are　all　wrong　about　it。''

‘‘I　was　never　more　certain　in　my　life；''　replied　Victor。　　‘‘Stop　worrying　about　it；　my　dear。''　　And　he　patted　her　hands　gently　as　they　lay　folded　in　her　lap。　　‘‘I　want　youall　our　peopleto　go　round　looking　sad　these　next　few　days。　　I　want　Dick　Kelly　to　feel　that　he　is　on　the　right　tr