The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-12
CHAPTER XXX
The Dedication

Bunny was alone in the roaring
city of New York-six or seven
millions of people, and not many
known to him. There were repor-
tiers, Of course-it made human
interest" story, fate snatching one
Of the oil magnates away from the
Senate inquisitors. The country
was near the end of bitter presi-
Dental campaign, and the smallest
item about the oil scandal was of
Importance. Also Bunny had cable
grams and kilograms of sympathy
from Verne and Annabelle, from
Paul and Ruth, from Rachel and
her father and brothers; yes, and
one from the Princess Marescu,
signing herself, with old-time near
ness, "Vee-Vee."
He purchased his ticket home, by
way of Washington, and on the
train he read the back newspapers,
with the day by day account of
what happened to his boyhood
dream of great oil field; enor-
nous oceans of flame rolling over
the earth, turning night into day
with the glare, turning day into
night with thunder clouds of smoke;
rivers of blazing oil rushing down
the valleys, and a gale of wind
sweeping the fire from one hill to
the next. A dozen great storage
tanks had gone, and the whole re-
finery, with all its tanks, and some
three hundred derricks, licked up
and devoured in that roaring fur
mace. 1t was the worst oil fire in
California history, eight or ten mil
lion dollars loss.
In Washington was some one for
Bunny to tell his troubles to-Dan
Irving! They took long walk, and
the older man put his arm about
Bunny and told him that he had
done everything possible in diff
cult situation. Dan could assure
him that he didn't have to think of
his father as a bad man; Dan had
made it his business to know, and
could confirm Bunny's judgment,
American big business men all pur-
chased government, they all justi-
fled the purchase Of government.
1t was something that had shocked
Dan in the beginning, but he had
come to realize now that it was a
system; without the purchase Of
government, American big business
could not exist. You saw it writ
ten plain in the instructive reaction
of the whole business world to the
oil scandals, the determination to
damp them down, to make nothing
of them, to indict and prosecute,
not the criminals, but the exposers
of the crime.
So they got to talking politics,
which was the best thing for Bunny,
to divert his mind and get him back
to his job. Dan had been doing
what he could in this presidential
campaign, but he was sick with the
sense of impotence. The whole
capitalist publicity machine had
been set to work on a new job, to
glorify Cautious Cal" to the
American ,people-this pitiful little
man, fifyh-rate country politician,
a would-be store-keeper, he was
the great strong silent statesman
and the plain peoples hero! One
thing, and one only, the business
men expected of him, to cut down
their income taxes; in everything
else he would be a cipher. The
newspaper men were disguised by
their job, but all were helpless,
their papers at home would take
only one kind of news. And here
was poor Dan with his labor press
service, a score or two of obscure
papers, perhaps hundred thousand
circulation in all, and most of the
time not enough money for the Of
flee rent.
THAT'S what I want to talk to
you about" said Bunny, Before 1
left France, Dad gave me a million
dollars in Ross Consolidated stock.
. / don't know what it'll be worth
since the fire, but Verne says
there's full insurance. I'm not GO
ing to touch the principal till have
time to think things over, but I'll
put thousand dollars month Of
the income into your work, if that
will help"
"Help? My God, Bunny, that's
more money than we've ever
thought of! I've been trying to
raise an extra hundred month, so
as to mail free copies where they
would count"
Said Bunny, "I'll turn the money
over to you with only one provision
that you're to have two hundred
month salary. There's no reason
why you should run yourself into
debt financing the radical move
ment."
Dan laughed. "No reason, ex-
cept that there wouldn't be any
radical movement If some didn't do
that. You're the first really fat
angel that has appeared in my sky"
"Well, watt" said Bunny, "till
find out Just how fat I'm going to
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