the conflict-第59节

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y　one　who　asks？　　I　hate　fusses；　and　I'll　be　back　here　from　time　to　time。''

He　looked　at　her　curiously；　started　to　speak；　changed　his　mind　and　resumed　reading　the　letter　in　his　hand。　　She　turned　to　her　work；　sat　pretending　to　write。　　In　fact　she　was　simply　scribbling。　　Her　eyes　were　burning　and　she　was　fighting　against　the　sobs　that　came　surging。　　He　rose　and　began　to　walk　up　and　down　the　room。　　She　hastily　crumpled　and　flung　away　the　sheet　on　which　she　had　be　scrawling；　he　might　happen　to　glance　at　her　desk　and　see。　　She　bent　closer　to　the　paper　and　began　to　writeanything　that　came　into　her　head。　　Presently　the　sound　of　his　step　ceased。　　An　uncontrollable　impulse　to　fly　seized　her。　　She　would　get　upwould　not　put　on　her　hatwould　act　as　if　she　were　simply　going　to　the　street　door　for　a　moment。　　And　she　would　not　returnwould　escape　the　danger　of　a　silly　breakdown。　　She　summoned　all　her　courage；　suddenly　rose　and　moved　swiftly　toward　the　door。　　At　the　threshold　she　had　to　pause；　she　could　not　control　her　heart　from　a　last　look　at　him。

He　was　seated　at　his　table；　was　staring　at　its　litter　of　letters；　papers　and　manuscripts　with　an　expression　so　sad　that　it　completely　transformed　him。　　She　forgot　herself。　　She　said　softly：

‘‘Victor！''

He　did　not　hear。

‘‘Victor；''　she　repeated　a　little　more　loudly。

He　roused　himself；　glanced　at　her　with　an　attempt　at　his　usual　friendly　smile　of　the　eyes。

‘‘Is　there　something　wrong　that　you　haven't　told　me　about？''　she　asked。

‘‘It'll　pass；''　said　he。　　‘‘I'll　get　used　to　it。''　　With　an　attempt　at　the　manner　of　the　humorous　philosopher；　‘‘Man　is　the　most　adaptable　of　all　the　animals。　　That's　why　he　has　distanced　all　his　relations。　　I　didn't　realize　how　much　our　association　meant　to　me　until　you　set　me　to　thinking　about　it　by　telling　me　you　were　going。　　I　had　been　taking　you　for　granteda　habit　we　easily　fall　into　with　those　who　simply　work　with　and　for　us　and　don't　insist　upon　themselves。''

She　was　leaning　against　the　frame　of　the　open　door　into　the　hall；　her　hands　behind　her　back。　　She　was　gazing　out　of　the　window　across　the　room。

‘‘You；''　he　went　on；　‘‘are　as　I'd　like　to　beas　I　imagined　I　was。　　Your　sense　of　duty　to　the　cause　orders　you　elsewhere；　and　you　golike　a　good　soldier；　with　never　a　backward　glance。''

She　shook　her　head；　but　did　not　speak。

‘‘With　never　a　backward　glance；''　he　repeated。　　‘‘While　I''　　He　shut　his　lips　together　firmly　and　settled　himself　with　fierce　resolution　to　his　work。　　‘‘I　beg　your　pardon；''　he　said。　　‘‘This　iscowardly。　　As　I　said　before；　I　shall　get　myself　in　hand　again；　and　go　on。''

She　did　not　move。　　The　breeze　of　the　unseasonably　warm　and　brilliant　day　fluttered　her　thick；　loosely　gathered　hair　about　her　brow。　　Her　strange；　barbaric　little　face　suggested　that　the　wind　was　blowing　across　it　a　throng　of　emotions　like　the　clouds　of　a　driven　storm。

A　long　silence。　　He　suddenly　flung　out　his　arms　in　a　despairing　gesture　and　let　them　fall　to　the　table。　　At　the　crash　she　startled；　gazed　wildly　about。

‘‘Selma！''　he　cried。　　‘‘I　must　say　it。　　I　love　you。''

A　profound　silence　fell。　　After　a　while　she　went　softly　across　the　room　and　sat　down　at　her　desk。

‘‘I　think　I've　loved　you　from　the　first　months　of　your　coming　here　to　workto　the　old　office；　I　mean。　　But　we　were　always　togetherevery　dayall　day　long　working　togetherI　thinking　and　doing　nothing　without　your　sharing　in　it。　　So；　I　never　realized。　　Don't　misunderstand。　　I'm　not　trying　to　keep　you　here。

It's　simply　that　I've　got　the　habit　of　telling　you　everything　of　holding　back　nothing　from　you。''

‘‘I　was　going；''　she　said；　‘‘because　I　loved　you。''

He　looked　at　her　in　amazement。

‘‘That　day　you　told　me　you　had　decided　to　get　married　and　asked　my　advice　about　the　girls　among　our　friendsthat　was　the　day　I　began　to　feel　I'd　have　to　go。　　It's　been　getting　worse　ever　since。''

Once　more　silence；　both　looking　uneasily　about；　their　glances　avoiding　each　other。　　The　door　of　the　printing　room　opened；　and　Holman；　the　printer；　came　in；　his　case　in　his　grimy　hand。　　Said　he：

‘‘Where's　the　rest　of　that　street　car　article？''

‘‘I　beg　your　pardon；''　said　Selma；　starting　up　and　taking　some　manuscript　from　her　desk　and　handing　it　to　him。

‘‘Louis；''　said　Victor；　as　Holmes　was　retreating；　‘‘Selma　and　I　are　going　to　be　married。''

Louis　paused；　but　did　not　look　round。　　‘‘That　ain't　what'd　be　called　news；''　said　he。　　‘‘I've　known　it　for　more　than　three　years。''

He　moved　on　toward　his　room。　　‘‘I'll　be　ready　for　that　leading　article　in　half　an　hour。　　So；　you'd　better　get　busy。''

He　went　out；　closing　the　door　behind　him。　　Selma　and　Victor　looked　at　each　other　and　burst　out　laughing。　　Thenstill　laughingthey　took　hold　of　hands　like　two　children。　　And　the　next　thing　they　knew　they　were　tight　in　each　other's　arms；　and　Selma　was　sobbing　wildly。



X


When　Jane　had　finished　her　apprenticeship；　Doctor　Charlton　asked　her　to　marry　him。　　Said　Jane：

‘‘I　never　knew　you　to　be　commonplace　before。　　I've　felt　this　coming　for　some　time；　but　I　expected　it　would　be　in　the　form　of　an　offer　to　marry　me。''

She　promptly　accepted　himand　she　has　not；　and　will　not　regret　it。　　So　far　as　a　single　case　can　prove　a　theory；　Jane's　case　has　proved　Charlton's　theory　that　environment　determines　character。　　His　alternations　of　tenderness　and　brusqueness；　of　devotion　to　her　and　devotion　to　his　work；　his　constant　offering　of　something　new　and　his　unremitting　insistence　upon　something　new　from　her　each　day　make　it　impossible　for　her　to　develop　the　slightest　tendency　toward　that　sleeping　sickness　wherewith　the　germ　of　conventionality　inflicts　any　mind　it　seizes　upon。

David　Hull；　now　temporarily　in　eclipse　through　over　caution　in　radical　utterance；　is　gathering　himself　for　a　fresh　spurt　that　will　doubtless　place　him　at　the　front　in　politics　again。　　He　has　never　married。　　The　belief　in　Remsen　City　is　that　he　is　a　victim　of　disappointed　love　for　Jane　Hastings。　　But　the　truth　is　that　he　is　unable　to　take　his　mind　off　himself　long　enough　to　be　come　sufficiently　interested　in　another　human　being。　　There　is　no　especial　reason　why　he　has　thus　far　escaped　the　many　snares　that　have　been　set　for　him　because　of　his　wealth　and　position。　　Who　can　account　for　the　vagaries　of　chance？

The　Workingmen's　League　now　controls　the　government　of　Remsen　City。　　It　gives　an　honest　and　efficient　administration；　and　keeps　the　public　service　corporations　as　respectful　of　the　people　as　the　laws　will　permit。　　But；　as　Victor　Dorn　always　warned　the　people；　little　can　be　done　until　the　State　government　is　conqueredand　even　then　there　will　be　the　national　government　to　see　that　all　the　wrongs　of　vested　rights　are　respected　and　that　the　people　shall　have　little　to　say；　in　the　management　of　their　own　affairs。　　As　all　sensible　people　know；　any　corrupt　politician；　or　any　greedy　plutocrat；　or　any　agent　of　either　is　a　safer　and　better　administrator　of　the　people's　affairs　than　the　people　themselves。

The　New　Day　is　a　daily　with　a　circulation　for　its　weekly　edition　that　is　national。　　And　Victor　and　Selma　are　still　its　editors；　though　they　have　two　little　boys　to　bring　up。

Jane　and　Selma　see　a　great　deal　of　each　other；　and　are　friendly；　and　try　hard　to　like　each　other。　　But　they　are　not　friends。

Dick　Kelly's　oldest　son；　graduated　from　Harvard；　is　the　leader　of　the　Remsen　City　fashionable　set。　　Joe　House's　only　son　is　a　professional　gambler　and　sets　the　pace　among　the　sports。




End