按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
surfeited Scherer； the rapacious Grierson； the salacious Tallant。 I have
forgotten what Miller Gorse was called； nothing so classic as a Minotaur；
Judd Jason was a hairy spider who spread his net and lurked in darkness
for his victims。 Every adjective was called upon to do its duty。。。。
Even Theodore Watling did not escape； but it was intimated that he would
be dealt with in another connection in a future number。
The article had a crude and terrifying power； and the pain it aroused；
following almost immediately upon the suffering caused by my separation
from Nancy； was cumulative in character and effect； seeming actively to
reenforce the unwelcome conviction I had been striving to suppress； that
the world； which had long seemed so acquiescent in conforming itself to
my desires； was turning against me。
Though my hunger for Nancy was still gnawing； I had begun to fear that I
should never get her now； and the fact that she would not even write to
me seemed to confirm this。
Then there was MatthewI could not bear to think that he would ever read
that article。
In vain I tried that night to belittle to myself its contentions and
probable results； to summon up the heart to fight； in vain I sought to
reconstruct the point of view； to gain something of that renewed hope and
power； of devotion to a cause I had carried away from Washington after my
talk with Theodore Watling。 He； though stricken； had not wavered in his
faith。 Why should I？
Whether or not as the result of the article in Yardley's； which had been
read more or less widely in the city； the campaign of the Citizens Union
gained ground； and people began to fill the little halls to hear Krebs；
who was a candidate for district attorney。 Evidently he was entertaining
and rousing them； for his reputation spread； and some of the larger halls
were hired。 Dickinson and Gorse became alarmed； and one morning the
banker turned up at the Club while I was eating my breakfast。
〃Look here； Hugh；〃 he said； 〃we may as well face the fact that we've got
a fight ahead of us；we'll have to start some sort of a back…fire right
away。〃
〃You think Greenhalge has a chance of being elected？〃 I asked。
〃I'm not afraid of Greenhalge； but of this fellow Krebs。 We can't afford
to have him district attorney； to let a demagogue like him get a start。
The men the Republicans and Democrats have nominated are worse than
useless。 Parks is no good； and neither is MacGuire。 If only we could
have foreseen this thing we might have had better candidates put upbut
there's no use crying over spilt milk。 You'll have to go on the stump；
Hughthat's all there is to it。 You can answer him； and the newspapers
will print your speeches in full。 Besides it will help you when it comes
to the senatorship。〃
The mood of extreme dejection that had followed the appearance of the
article in Yardley's did not last。 I had acquired aggressiveness： an
aggressiveness； however； differing in quality from the feeling I once
would have had；for this arose from resentment； not from belief。 It was
impossible to live in the atmosphere created by the men with whom I
associatedespecially at such a timewithout imbibing something of the
emotions animating them；even though I had been free from these emotions
myself。 I； too； had begun to be filled with a desire for revenge； and
when this desire was upon me I did not have in my mind a pack of
reformers； or even the writer of the article in Yardley's。 I thought of
Hermann Krebs。 He was my persecutor； it seemed to me that he always had
been。。。。
〃Well； I'll make speeches if you like；〃 I said to Dickinson。
〃I'm glad；〃 he replied。 〃We're all agreed； Gorse and the rest of us；
that you ought to。 We've got to get some ginger into this fight； and a
good deal more money； I'm afraid。 Jason sends word we'll need more。 By
the way； Hugh； I wish you'd drop around and talk to Jason and get his
idea of how the land lies。〃
I went； this time in the company of Judah B。 Tallant。 Naturally we
didn't expect to see Mr。 Jason perturbed； nor was he。 He seemed to be in
an odd； rather exultant moodif he can be imagined as exultant。 We were
not long in finding out what pleased himnothing less than the fact that
Mr。 Krebs had proposed him for mayor！
〃Dd if I wouldn't make a good one； too；〃 he said。 〃Dd if I wouldn't
show 'em what a real mayor is！〃
〃I guess there's no danger of your ever being mayor； Judd；〃 Tallant
observed； with a somewhat uneasy jocularity。
〃I guess there isn't； Judah；〃 replied the boss； quickly； but with a
peculiar violet flash in his eyes。 〃They won't ever make you mayor；
either； if I can help it。 And I've a notion I can。 I'd rather see Krebs
mayor。〃
〃You don't think he meant to propose you seriously；〃 Tallant exclaimed。
〃I'm not a dd fool；〃 said the boss。 〃But I'll say this； that he half
meant it。 Krebs has a head…piece on him； and I tell you if any of this
reform dope is worth anything his is。 There's some sense in what he's
talking； and if all the voters was like him you might get a man like me
for mayor。 But they're not； and I guess they never will be。〃
〃Sure；〃 said Mr。 Jason。 〃The people are dottythere ain't one in ten
thousand understands what he's driving at when he gets off things like
that。 They take it on the level。〃
Tallant reflected。
〃By gum； I believe you're right；〃 he said。 〃You think they will blow
up？〃 he added。
〃Krebs is the whole show； I tell you。 They wouldn't be anywhere without
him。 The yaps that listen to him don't understand him； but somehow he
gets under their skins。 Have you seen him lately？〃
〃Never saw him；〃 replied Tallant。
〃Well； if you had； you'd know he was a sick man。〃
〃Sick！〃 I exclaimed。 〃How do you know？〃
〃It's my business to know things；〃 said Judd Jason； and added to Tallant；
〃that your reporters don't find out。〃
〃What's the matter with him？〃 Tallant demanded。 A slight exultation in
his tone did not escape me。
〃You've got me there；〃 said Jason； 〃but I have it pretty straight。 Any
one of your reporters will tell you that he looks sick。〃。。。。
The Era took Mr。 Jason's advice and began to publish those portions of
Krebs's speeches that were seemingly detrimental to his own cause。 Other
conservative newspapers followed suit。。。。
Both Tallant and I were surprised to hear these sentiments out of the
mouth of Mr。 Jason。
〃You don't think that crowd's going to win； do you？〃 asked the owner of
the Era； a trifle uneasily。
〃Win！〃 exclaimed the boss contemptuously。 〃They'll blow up； and you'll
never hear of 'em。 I'm not saying we won't need a littlepowder；〃 he
addedwhich was one of the matters we had come to talk about。 He gave
us likewise a very accurate idea of the state of the campaign； mentioning
certain things that ought to be done。 〃You ought to print some of
Krebs's speeches； Judah； like what he said about me。 They're talking it
all around that you're afraid to。〃
〃Print things like his proposal to make you mayor！〃
The information that I was to enter the lists against Krebs was received
with satisfaction and approval by those of our friends who were called in
to assist at a council of war in the directors' room of the Corn National
Bank。 I was flattered by the confidence these men seemed to have in my
ability。 All were in a state of anger against the reformers； none of
them seriously alarmed as to the actual outcome of the campaign；
especially when I had given them the opinion of Mr。 Jason。 What
disturbed them was the possible effect upon the future of the spread of
heretical； socialistic doctrines； and it was decided to organize a
publicity bureau； independently of the two dominant political parties； to
be in charge of a certain New York journalist who made a business of such
affairs； who was to be paid a sum commensurate with the emergency。 He
was to have carte blanche； even in the editorial columns of our
newspapers。 He was also to flood the city with 〃literature。〃 We had
fought many wars before this； and we planned our campaign precisely as
though we were dealing with one of those rebellions in the realm of
finance of which I have given an instance。 But now the war chest of our
opponents was negligible； and we were comforted by the thought that；
however disagreeable the affair might be while it lasted； in the long run
capital was invincible。
Before setting to work to prepare my speeches it was necessary to make an
attempt to familiarize myself with the seemingly unprecedented line of
argument Krebs had evolvedapparently as disconcerting to his friends as
to his opponents。 It occurred to me； since I did not care to attend
Krebs's meetings； to ask my confidential stenographer； Miss McCoy； to go
to Turner's Hall and take down one of his speeches verbatim。 Miss McCoy
had never intruded on me her own views； and I took for granted that they
coincided with my own。
〃I'd like to get an accurate record of what he is saying；〃 I told her。
〃Do you mind going？〃
〃No； I'll be glad to go； Mr。 Paret；〃 she said quietly。
〃He's doing more harm than we thought；〃 I remarked； after a moment。
〃I've known him for a good many years。 He's clever。 He's so