The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-25
BY iona Gale.


pie at coffee on the verandas of this world
about as competent to handle the real problems OF
the mills as they to direct the SUM-
Then what did you mean to ask them to do-up
there the veranda?" Eve asked reasonably.
I'm always thinking they could help" he said.
Twelve only to talk with you to see that they
cannot"
Certainly this was no proper fattery from lord
OF the manor. within a toy palace.
II beg your pardon" he said quickly. II am
ogre. 1 see. But won't you understand what 1
mean? The very''-he hesitated, then he went on
simply as II it were coaching he was discussing
1.-The very charm and perfection of defeats you.
You the aristocrat to your finger tips. They
can pick you out before you can pick out one an
other. One look at you yourself-at your face,
your hands. the sound of your voice, your way Of
falkland they would distrust you. You
from them another life. You of
solving the problem of the age than spirit
would be. The artstocrat in you conquers you. You
just helpless in your way these mill peo-
pie are. You are bound like them. 80 is most of
your class"
Eve looked at him wonderingly. $50 is most of
your class" That hardly sounded like the lord of
the manor! But whoever he was he was splendidly
in earnest and, somehow, he was near to the world
IN the making. But he CHASING her with the
other side!
1T isn't that" she said eagerly "it's only that
there is to tell us-so that understand
II understood could help those people. But
there good many Of us-oh. most of never
know anything about such things. ="
She broke off for he stood shaking his head with
his luminous and singularly incorporating smile.
Its bigger than that" he said We've got to
know about such things-we can't help it, you
know. And it needs more than being told about
them. 1t needs going out after them 1t needs
something to make the two classes clear to each
other. And there isn't any way until every last
one of us does something matter how little it is,
for some poor devil or other. I don't mean give
'em soup-or even soap. I mean give 'em your
hand. Give 'em their own self-respect''
Eva looked at him quickly.
But you of my class" she said quietly "and
yet think that both classes seem clear to YOU"
He drew himself erect and folded his arms across
his brown flannel shirt
Pardon" he said II am not Of your class.
the superintendent at the lumber MILL"
Eve rose suddenly, and with her rising the deli
cate wall Of water that had shut them in ceased
abruptly, and revealed the darkness all about them.
And when he marked the unmistakable change in
her manner-involuntary and yelled 1t was-he
laughed little softly, but with something of sad
ness and more of unmistakable bitterness.
My point proves ITSELF" he said simply. surely
you will that my advice is WISE 1t is this:
When the committee comes to the house there, with
the veranda 1t will be wise II you Will all be we'll
within it--you and your coffee. Nothing that you
do will mend matters in the very least. You
see, do you not?-that we do not know the way. you
and II"
Then he was gone, striding away across the
grounds, and Eve stood angry and ashamed. How
had she let him her annoyance? But she
not annoyed as he had supposed. she told herself.
She stood still for moment her heart beating
to new measure. How splendidly in earnest he
had been. How near, some way, to the world in
the making!
When, after a time, she went up the steps of the
veranda Mrs. Winkler called to her from her hang
ing porch chair.
"Eve-oh Eve! We've an excursion planned for
tomorrow. We're going to visit the lumber camp
and see the boards round We're going in the
drag and do it Observation-Disclosures conditions
and that kind OF thing. Oh, think it will please
Alex sou
ing Mrs Winkler's intention
SO all Eve, who frankly begged Off and
young Hartley, who insisted on staying with her.
did leave Just after luncheon. They were to visit
the MILL have tea in the woods, and dine at the ho-
tel four miles on, returning by moonlight. And
they were looking very gay in Alex Loverdges
drag, which with its magnificent gray horses. was
known for miles about. There nine of them
the women charmingly conspicuous with those eff
fects of the inconspicuous contrived by pink and
white, by soft-colored plumes and shoes, and by
fugitive wells, huttering out inconsequential and
wavy, like laughter.
On the lumber camp-that bleak stretch of open
where the wounded earth showed distorted members
of and the great mill burrowed into the Wild
wood like giant worm at the heart Of the green
fever had laid hold, the unrest of soul which is
counted unrest of body because the body is suffer
ing. And that noon, because Of the fever that was
in them. the men had met in the schoolhouse to
cast their die. When the drag emerged from the
pines 1t had been known for two hours that the
strike would be declared that night at quitting
time.
Matters therefore would doubtless have pro-
crossed logically to the official document to Lover
idge had 1t not been for that un1ucky drag The
1t from within the mill that afternoon. and
looked at each other grimly, and more than ever
doubted the efficacy Of the document. They felt the
charming conspicuousness Of pink and white, the