The advocate., 1894-05-16

NY pAAnClpACo' w udO 10 Gllc Dduh uOlIlR
for me? Merely owing me the money
till l call for it. / propose to make yott
my banker as to part of it. The bank
gives me no security; but your honesty,
your good sense and your friendship
will afford me the very best security
that l shall have something in case l
should become insolvent after awhile,
which is likely, you know. Now, here
is test-do you really believe in our
principles, or notP Put yourself in my
place and imagine me in yours, and tell
me how it would look to you. Come
now. Are we to practice our princi-
pies, or are we just plain hypocrites?"
"Marsh, you seem to be right; can't
think of any answer to what you say;
but, somehow, it looks like taking
charity"
"There you go! Am l a stranger? I?
And am | proposing to give you any
thingp Were some banker to make
you such a proposition, you would be
delighted; but you hesitate when I
make it. Your father lent me $40
once to send to my mother, for my sal
ary as teacher was not due as yet. Was
that charity? Your father could ill
spare his $40, while my money is in
constant danger of being lost if do
not lend it, and you would be doing
me an actual kindness by borrowing.
But put it on higher ground. If from
mere foolish pride you refuse this re-
quest and refuse to put yourself in
position to do some good to others
while befriending me, never call your
self a socialist again. And there is
another view Of it, too. You are offered
a chance to get your living directly by
your labor and as your own employer;
and if you refuse, and insist upon
working for wages, why, you simply
take a job from some poor fellow who
has no other way to earn his bread.
Your unkind hesitation pains me,
John. Act socialism, or do not preach
it."
81 believe you're right, Marsh, know
l wouldn't like it if l were in your
place, and you wouldn't let me be your
friend. And about taking some poor
cuss's job-that's so. 1t wouldn't be
right, and I'd feel mean about it. I'll
get in debt to you as you propose. I'll
see you tomorrow, and fix it up"
"No, you will not do anything Of the
kind. We will fix it up now, before
you have time to think up lot more
objections to allowing yourself to have
any friends"
And Mason went into his study and
soon returned with a check which he
handed John; then the two men walked
over to Sam COtterell's together.
A half hour later, Mason and Kate,
with his arm about her, were walking
in the yard, and Kate was pointing out
the trees and bushes she had planted
when she was a girl-"a long, long
time ago." as she remarked. Slick
Blackburn, who lived at OvertOn's
now, and was the happiest of Afro
Americans, was returning from town
with the mail just then, and as he drove
past he thought how the sight of Mason
and Kate would "please Cunnel," ," and
his grin got entirely beyond his control.
Striking his knee with his fist, and
doubling himself up in spasm Of
hilarity, he gave vent to a yell which
might have made Gabriels blast seem
like silence. The lovers looked around.
Kate got further away from Mason
and blushed, while he tried not to
notice anything in particular. This
further excited Sticks risibles, and he
gave such a whoop that his horse got
frightened and came near tumbling the
laughing Afro. American from his buck
board. Kate and Mason went into the
house-into the parlor, where, instead
of the thread-bare, rag carpet, there
was a new ingram now. Scattered
around was profusion of dry goods
quite unusual in Sam Cotterell's house;
and there were other suspicious indica-
tions of the approach of some import
ant event.