The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-11
I'd
a New
NOVEL,
fo. sn.l.ir
Copyright. 1925, by Upton Sinclair,

Copyright, 1925. by Upton sinclair.)
These were all ranch fellows, out.
door men, that had worked in the
sun all their lives, and grown big
and bronzed and sturdy; but now
they were bleached white or yellow,
dirty and unshaven, with sunken
cheeks and hollow eyes. Jick Dug
gan was coughing, just as his wife
had said, and there was not one
healthy-looking man in the bunch.
If Bunny had been able to say to
himself that these men had done
some vile deed, and this was their
atonement, he might have justified
it, even while he questioned what
good it would do; but they were
there because they had dared to
dream of justice for their fellows,
and to talk about it, in defiance of
the open shop" crowd of big busl-
ness men!
Bunny had sent them some books
they were allowed to have books
that didn't look radical to very ig-
norant jailers, and provided the
books came direct from the publish
ers, so that they would not have to
be searched too carefully for con
cealed objects such as saws and
dope. Now they wanted to tell him
how much these books had helped,
and to ask for more. And what did
Bunny know about their prospects
of getting trial? Had he seen
Paul, and what did Paul think? And
what about the union-was there
anything left of it? They were not
allowed any sort of radical" paper,
SO they were. six or seven months
behind the news of their own world.
II.
Bunny came out into the sun
shine with fresh impulse of des-
peration. His father was half sick,
but even so, his father must have
this burden of pain dumped onto
him. The last time they had dis
cussed the matter Dad had said to
wait, Vernon Roscoe would "see
what he could do" But now Bunny
would wait no longer; Dad must
compel Verne to act, or Bunny
would take up the job himself.
He drove his father back to Angel
City, and learned that radicals had
organized a defense committee"
and there was to be mass meeting
Of protest, at which funds would be
raised for the approaching trial.
Paul was to be the principal speaker
despite the fact that it might
cause his bail privilege to be can
celled. When Bunny got that news,
he served an ultimatum on his
father; the meeting was to take
place the following week, and I'M
less Verne had acted in the mean
time, Bunny was going to be one of
the speakers, and say his full say
about the case.
Dad of course protested. But il
was one of those times when his
son surprised him by failing to be
soft" Bunny went farther than
ever in his desperation. Maybe
you feel l haven't any right to
behave like this while I'm living off
your money, and perhaps l ought to
quit college and go to work for
myself"
"Son, I've never said anything like
that"
mo, but I'm putting you in a hole
with Verne, and it would be easier
if you could say I'm not living on
you"
''Son, l don't want to say any
such thing. But l do think you
ought to consider my position"
'T've considered everything, Dad
considered till I'm sick at heart.
just can't let my love for any one
person in the world take the place
of my sense of justice. We're com
hitting a crime to keep those men
in Jail, and / say Verne has got to
let them out, and If he don't, then
I'm going to make it hot for him."
Verne was on his way back from
the east, and Bunny demanded that
he should phone the district attor-
ney his wishes; he might phone the
judge, too, if he thought necessary
lit wouldn't be the first time,
Bunny would wager. If he didn't
do it, then Bunny's name would be
announced as one of the speakers
at that mass meeting. Upon Dad
flashed the memory of that terrible
meeting of Harry Seager's; he saw
his beloved son publicly adopting
that same ferocious mob, clasping
that sea of angry faces and uplifted
hands and lungs of leather!
Continued tomorrow.)