The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16
CHAPTER XVII.
IS GOD oMNIPoTENT?

CASTOR awoke next morning at half past
ten o'clock with a dull headache, and a
sense of hopeless depression. His anger
had cooled and left him the pitiful con-
seriousness of his loss. He slowly and
mechanically dressed.
After breakfast he went to his office
and read over slowly the half dozen let
tiers he had received from Sallie, kissed
them one by one, tied them up and sent
them to her mother He took the ring
out of his pocket and locked it in one OF
his drawers.
Il can't work today. It's no use try
ing" he muttered, looking out of his
window. He locked his office and started
down town with no purpose except in the
walk to try to fight his pain. Instinct
lively he turned toward Tom Camps cot
tage.
He met as he crossed the square the
preacher, who was waiting for him.
"Ceme here and sit down a minute
I've heard of your trouble. You have my
sympathy, But you'll come out all right
The oak that's bent by the storm makes
fibre fit for ships rib You can't
make steel without white heat. Gods
just trying your temper, boy, to see if
there's anything in you. When he has
tried you in the fire, and the pure gold
shines, he will call you up to higher
things"
CASTOR nodded his assent to this say
ing, "And yet. doctor, none of us like
the touch of fire or the smell of the
smoke on our Clothes
"You are right But it's good for the
soul. You are learning now that we
must face things that we don't like in
this world. I am older than you I will
tell you something that you can't really
know until you have lived through this
Love seems to you at this time the only
| thing in the world. But it is not. My
deepest sympathy is with Sallie. She's
already pure gold. To such a woman
love is the centre of gravity of all life.
| This is not true of a strong normal man.
The centre of gravity of strong mans
| life as a whole is not in love and the
emotions but in justice and intellect and
their expression in the wider social re-
| lations"
"And that means that must brace up
for this political fight?"
Exactly so. And it's the best thing
you can do for your love. Become a
power and you can coerce even a man of
the generals character"
''You are right, doctor. l had my mind
about fixed on that course"
| "You will find the County Committee
in session in the Clerks office there now.
They want to see you. tell you to fight
this coalition of Mcleod and the farm
1 ers every inch up to the last hour it is
| formed, and if Mcleod wins them and
the alliance is made, then fight to break
1T every day and every hour and every
minute till the votes are counted out"
CASTOR went at once into the consulta-
ton with the Democratic county commit
| tee.
When he emerged from the court house
the preacher joined him and they walked
home to the hotel together.
i What did the two farmers on your
committee think of the chance to pre-
vent the Alliance from joining the ne
/ groes %
l. "Not much of them. They say we can't
do anything with them when the test
comes, unless we will endorse their
scheme Of issuing money on corn and
pumpkins and potatoes, stored in a gov
eminent barn. If it comes to that, / will
not prostitute my intellect by advocating
any such measure on the floor of our
convention. We stand for one thing at
| least, the supremacy of Anglo-Saxon civ
ilization. l had rather be beaten by the
negroes and their allies this time in such
an issue, and settle with the negro later"
But my boy, if Mcleod and his negroes
get control of this State for four years.
they can so corrupt it's laws and its cleo
torate they may hold it quarter of a
century. We must fight to the last
ditch
Il draw the line at pumpkin leaves for
money" insisted CASTOR.
1t was but ten days to the meeting of
the Democratic State Convention, and
they were coming together divided in
opinion. and at sea as to their policy.
with united militant Farmers Alliance
demanding the uprooting of the founda-
u Continued on Page sixteen.l