El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-26


And you neutrality-suspicious.
about Mrs. Glbert?'
YES"
Even what a cOwardly brute was
10 her at the Dunmeades' ?" A faint
flush came to his sunken cheeks.
Yes, even that" she answered
His next question came after a long
pause.
"a woman couldn't forgive that
could she. Kathleen?"
Not many women. I think"
Bis voice became husky. I've been
thinking Of that a good deal. I'D
ike to make that up to her if could,
Kathleen"
''You may have the chance some
day" Long afterward, thinking over
this scene. he seemed to remember
that her voice was very tired; ne sup
posed it was because the strain Of the
watching had been too much for her.
And he thought Of many things be
sides his relation to Eleanor Gilbert.
When Tom Haggin, in his rough way,
told him Of the sorrow the people had
shown for his sickness Bob felt his
heart suddenly expand in a deep,
strong affection for them. They were
his people-hfs not because his ma
chine had whipped them into submis-
sion, but because he, though unworthy,
lived in their hearts.
He knew that over the land were a
hundred million others like those Of
his city-aH struggling always, pro6ue-
ing always, giving to humanity the
equivalent for the right and means to
live, giving more than the equivalent
giving more and better than they re-
ceived from the world A brave. pa
tent, Woodworking, faithful. deserving
people thesei Pity the man who could
not feel a thrill Of pride that he was
one Of them! Bob suddenly knew that
love Of ones people is a distinct. def
mite, overmastering emotion which ex-
ats a man and dwarfs his petty self.
He knew Of the great common
people Of the land, whose lives are be
ing worn out IN the effort to produce
far more than they consume, at the
end having nothing but the necessity
for increased, harder effort, looking
about them in dazed wonder and
demanding: "Why is It that
we cannot rest? Why have we moth
ing? Whittier has it gone-that which
we have createdg'
Whittier had It gomez He knew the
answer. It gloomed solemnly down at
him from million dollar palaces, hOnk-
ed hoarsely through the streets from
costly imported automobiles, flashed
brilliantly from bejeweled fingers, kept
cleaning necks and shoulders warm
In the face Of shivering poverty, CUR
gled in goblets Of precious vintages,
raced painting under the wire. Above
all, be read the answer in the terrific
power Of the modern feudal system,
wealth, whose machinery
was slowly erunching, crunching,
his people into helpless
subsection.
How had such things come to pass2
All, that question he could answer,
since he himself had once been a part
Of the system! He knew far better
than did his patient, blinded. people
the enormous sums Of money needed
to fire the engines that run the ma
TONS political machinery and whence
that corruption fund came.
A nation. q great people. was being
bought, was being sold into slavery.
And all this was wrong. in denial Of
the ideals Of the commonwealth, in
iisobedience Of the natural law which
says, Let a mans reward be meas
lred by his value to humanity" He
eould do nothing to disturb the just
balance Of the state. To his executive /
brain organization and equilibrium
we're prime essentials. But there was
there must be-some means by
which the injustice could be corrected. !
he worlds happiness and the reward 1
If effort more eQuitably distributed.
5e could not then PROFOUND the rem
sdy. But one thing he knew-the rem /
sdy when found could never be ap- /
Piled so long as the machinery Of gov
eminent remained in the power Of !
hose against whom the remedy was
% apply.
What was to be his part? That ques- !
ion had been answered when Haggin |
old him Of his city's sorrowing in his
These people-his peoplel /
ae was humbled to the dust. And /
hen, even in his humility, be was 1
'aised again by the inspiration that |
vas never to fOrsake him.
'I have been a failure" thought this /
nan whose brilliant success a nation I
vas considering wonderingly. ''since ] !
AVE missed the real meaning Of life. /
These are my people; they need me.
let me server
Let me serve! Kathleen repeated /
lowly.
It was easy to lay ones heart bare
o Kathleen.
Kathleen and his voice was
lusky, as it had been when he had
poken the same words Of a woman