News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-01-14

! w III / uOIHe, anu III EolnS 10 take
up residence in Hope House"
NO! What! Live there"
David Barton seemed to pay no at
tention to the fact Of his friends Ieav.
ing home
i've been there tonight and made
definite arrangements with Miss An
Grews. ! must so there in order to ut
myself for my work"
Your WORK."
Yes; for the people" replied John
Gordon simply.
Pooh! The peoplew
David Barton shifted cOntemptuOusly.
"1Yho knows who the people areY lie
stopped suddenly, and his whole man
ner changed His sharp, abrupt. indif-
ferent alertness was sInothered out of
his face like magic He rose and
walked through the room while John
Gordon, who understood his moods
quite well, listened in establishment.
John, listen to me- believe I
know something of your plans and am
billions. You're the only man | know
who would do what you propose to do.
don't have much faith in it, at the
same time | believe in you, Join.
spoke contemptuously of the people,
but in my heart. John, love the peo-
IJe. am one of them. Tonight as |
stw children rotting in those holes |
could have died for them. But the
martyrs stuff is not in NE to die for
them except by proxy. Let me tell yOu,
John, you are going at the thing back
handed What do You want to so and
live in Hope House for? Miss Andrews
~ doing splendid work, but even her
ef orts don't accomplish anything Con
ditiOns are as bad there now as they
were twelve years ago. It's good flesh
and blood thrown to the lions while
the politicians and the gang look on
and laugh at the human helplessness.
Why, it is simply an outrage ON civili-
zation that city like this LET'S wom-
an like Miss Andrews die by MARTYR
dom in that Internal he'll on earth and
never gives her the financial and social
support she ought to have. And the
bounds that own the tenements and
saloons and vaudeville property live in
luxury and pose as leaders in society
and allow conditions to he created that
roll a stream Of desperate human prob
| lens over Miss Andrews that will kill
her in few years. Yes. kill herr
David Barton spoke with savage
energy that made John Gordon shud-
der. But when Barton had been silent
a moment he continued in cHlmer
tone to make Il proposition to John Ger
don that John was totally unprepared
| for
Instead of going into Hope House
why don't you come into the News? l
can speak for Harris that he will give
| you full swing Oh the reform page of
your own. You can have II all your
own way. I'll help you with special
stories and pictures that will make the
| property owners around Riverside
street squirm. Harris is savage with
! the mayor because of last years cam
| paign. He'll be glad to get even with
the administration by showing up the
rotten concern. tell you, John, there's
an earthquake going to rattle the city
I&lall this winter. and Harris and the
|
quake The old man is just in the
mood for pushing the reform business
in the name Of the people He will
| dgree to anything | say, The press is
the only real power left in the city any
how. Think of what You can do for
| the people with the News back OF you.
! We can make Il special business of the
| clI milo n or
esting for some of the old monPyhags
Of this God forSakpn metropolis Don't
answer at once At any rate. give me
time to cough
David Barton sat down close by John
Gordon and had II coughing spell that
| lasted a few minutes John GorGon 81
| lently watched him. steadily excited
by the offer just made to him Could
he accept it? Was it not one of those
| opportunities that men have come to
them but once? What might he uE do
for the people If Il Whole page Of II
great, powerful, practically bou0d'pSS.
wealthy paper were at his d'SpoS"lt
| The material he could put before the
public! The conditions he could eX
| pose! lit WIOuSS lt NONIlh L. Nv
| lives he might save! The possibilities
grew larger every moment he thought
| of it.
David Barton finally ceased cough
ing and spoke again.
"Well, will you come into the News?
| What do you sayT
But John Gordon did not answer at
once Suddenly he had thought of Lu-
| ella Marsh. If she would not marry
MIN as a resident of Hope House, would
she not be proud to be the wife of a
writer on one Of the most powerful
dailies Of the world? And the same
object would be gained for the people
But how about his declaration that he
must know tie people by direct knowl.
| edge gained by living among themi
Yet could he, not do that in some
way and still put this modern lever OF
thc press under the problem?
He faced his friend with strong feel
ing. The day had been full OF events
for him, but this closing event affected
him III some ways deeper than all the
rest.
/ T.