Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-25
toppri0ht. 1918. bv Public Ledger Co.
CHAPTER XV-(Continuedy
tSDUT You have seen him since,
H - belieyeq"


t1tned that he was being made the
Victim of petty police persecution In
s order 70 make him change his affiliation
IN the political fight that is on over the
ltadershp in the Fifth Ward"
Then the intimation that you are
under some sort of personal obligation
Il 10 Rosenscweig is untrue"
Are they saying that?' inquired
Jerry, suddenly serious.
( 'worse than that" said Doulton
8SnrHvely.
4 i ''worse?'
They say that Rosenscweig's living
room was your meeting place with a
very beautiful Jewish girl of the neigh
borhood" I"
swhat silly lie" exclaimed Jerry
hotiy.
"And that Mrs. Rosenscweig was a
very complaisant sort Of a chaperone."
'.The fools The liars The wooden
headed idiots," exploded Jerry, But
but you're not printing anything like
that he demanded sharply.
'The newspapers are a little bit care
fuL" smiled Doulton, exchanging glanceS
with his fellow-craftsman, but cigar
I store and lamp-post gossip-you know
what that is. They start with the
+ known fact that you were in the living
room back of Rosenscweig store on
Wednesday,"
well, what of that?" demanded the
4 young manufacturer Indignantly.
"Nothing of It, of course, Mr.. Archer,
ftexcept what people make of it: but
there's a class of people down there
! just as there is everywhere else for
I that matter--who are unable to appre-
ciafe any motive but a selfish one They
say. This young Mr.. Archers coming
down here. What's he coming for?'
That sort of thing, with the worst pos
ins II" ,.,,,,,,.
lips, but struck by the interested friend
Z nness of these observations. he stopped
4 10 look young Doulton over again.
Smooth intelligent. fairly refined and
earnest, he had revealed in the manner
of this speech considerably more than
4 the mere reporter in quest of his story {;
he appeared not as a mere sponge for
the sucking up of popular sensations,
but as man with point of view and
+ q character.
When Jerry turned a glance upon the
/ other men he read the same expression
In their faces, and he realized with
satisfaction that there was a group of
I men whose enthusiasm and faith had
been enlisted and who stood ready to be
valuable aid to his enterprise.
Il see, you are warning me, he
4 Exclaimed frankly, with an air of ap-
preciation and of hearty welcoming Of
{ them TO his friendship
THANK you. OF course, | suppose they
would seek to take some sort of ad-
vantage of man in my position
n "The favorite weapon of a crowd like
the one you're fighting is the defama-
tion of character" replied Doulton, and
= tAen, as II in manifestation of still
greater friendliness and further de-
sire to help, the reporter put, another
puestion. "Mr. Archer" he asked seri-
ously ,,.'just what is your political am
/ sPoiiticaI ambition" Jerry broke into
( hearty laughter. why, have no such
n 'They say it is your ambition to make
I q name for yourself in politics"
rs that another of the things they
say? How very interesting" Jerry was
satirical. quite ridiculous, Mr.. Doul-
ton, ! assure you. Everything concern
{ ing me which has engaged the attention
( OF the newspapers in the last few days
8 has been the result of an accident, A
policeman clubbed a wretched little man
and ] struck him. The Councils refused
US our franchise. and we are fighting
for il. Open diplomacy, that's all. My
only political ambition Is to put a crimp
in the machine and the system that is
plundering Philadelphia. Say that for
me. will you, and say 1t loud?"
The reporters smiled approval, then
sIcrry smiled again and shook hands with
them all around.
As the newspapermen went away Mr.
s Archer came back from his interview
with Buckingham. Jerry noted him first
coming along the corridor his hat in his
hand. his eyes unseeing, his features
pale and determined, with indeed such a
set to his jaw as the young man had
II B<lu3Ifi seer upon IL ne SpOht W
neither of his sons nor looked in their
ulrection, but went straight to his desk
and took up his usual round Of work.
DO you get that, Paul? Not word
Epoken, and did you catch the look on his
'x1ce3 Jerry inquired.
"Yes. and l read the meaning of It.
Jerry, We're in for an awful fight. Father
, is ztanding pat, but he must have seen
scn1ething. grave ahead or he wouldn't
i1ok like that
The two brothers went through the
NIT n tp1af ,NY,it into hat
& souls by this grim silence of the father,
< put were freshly cheered and excited to
; hope by the afternoon papers, which
: ehcwed that the incident of the fire had
: brought the matter of their spIr-track
petition back into the news columns
t48Gatn. The true explanation of Jerrys
e,'broilment with the policeman over
Rosenscweig was also told for the first
e time. The fact that the incident had
been first suppressed, then misrepre-
zented and finally and reluctantly set
: actor in II. whose narrative was care
4 fully stripped of all heroics, not only
: added Significance to the occurrence, but
4 Increased respect for Jerry.
TO the close of the days work rather
contented with themselves than other
wise The attitude of the papers en-
cpdraged them TO believe that they were
about TO get their franchise. But, as be-
fore. nothing new developed to feed the
story. -Four days went by. The news
. papers nau ceased 10 mention tne matter
They had headlined and editorialized and
4forEotten. The charred frame of the old
sign still stood, however. and in the
midst Of II beaconed out that saucy in:
( tferrogation point as to who had burned
It and why. The people Of the neighbor-
hood were not long in deciding both who
and why, and they began. industriously
= ara In ways that plain folks have. Of
azkIng their decision known.
X Hunors of such protest in the ward
began now TO reach Jerry also, coming
fist through the workingmen in the fac
tory and then from other channels, for
l. Il appeared that a sort of grapevine sys-
tenn OF gathering up news of what was
xoinE on In the city was growing up of
HEelf. with the trunk line of II running
10 young Archer's desk
But Jerry did not yet sufficiently ap-
Dreciate how the currents of power are
I Efrned on In a republic. He still re-
E&rded a newspaper headline as more
( I51porfant than what Bridget O'Malley
+ HHE to Angelina Pedroni as they bent
41@1<r neighboring washtubs- He did not
1now how great, how tremendous Is the
~ 'f1in exerted on the crusted surface of
*|Uxs when those great lower and mid
<fess layers Of society begin to heaye
<oss aud turn over.
1&re were others in the city who did
F<<Iate this. however-men whose en-
. ~ p1siness In life II was TO hear what
I1xet said TO Angelina and to echo II.
Raw stun. burning down that sign -
fE1of4 Division Leader Danny when he
f III (opnciiman Beverly
e. ~ f<e~bst ever" agreed Beverly
+ fI11't work at all People sore"
&roee when you burn up that sign
1<<of think vOusre htfrufn' mn the trad q