The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-06-07
CHAPTER VII
-12--


the unfortunate Adolf Smucker, be
reft of job and soured by the dill
Guilty of finding another. Until he
was discharged he had not known
that his status among his neighbors
was wholly due to their mistaken es-
innate of the importance of his po-
sition in tile Office Of Hilton Handy,
OF Leonard street, wooden merchant.
The only jobs open to him were of
a sort that would have lowered him
in the eyes OF his friends. his fam
fly, and the young men paying court
to his daughters.
Nor was this all. Like many an.
other careful man, he had decided his
property to his wife. to find, too late,
that such beneficiary regards the
gift as entirely her own. He was
to learn that Mrs. Smucker had long
known of his inefficiencies as pro-
s.s1s5ts---- ba--A trss.s tatcaui scsatSs4Sx,
"Dolf, you've fired yourself" She
knew that the task Of looking after,
things was hers. She had long won.
dered at Mr.. HanBy's unusual for.
bearance.
Smucker was conscious that he had
fallen from the domestic pedestal.
He saw that he was no longer of
prime Importance. His meals were
now no better than those given these
many years to his old father; and
the old man dared to jeer at him, to
question his Interpretation of politi.
cal events. and to denounce him as a
BOlshevist!
The wild look In Smokers eye be,
came wilder. He was no longer com.
PEELED to shave every day. Mrs.
Smucker and the girls pressed his
pants no more. He freQuented more
intensely those little clubs of me!.
contents whose members spoke be-
hind locked doors of the time coming
when the land would be as red as
ever Russia was red They did not
especially welcome Smucker, since
they were mainly of foreign birth and
speech; but the chief organizers, who
knew men, marked him down as one
who could be worked upon if needed.
There must always be some first
man to huri bomb or throw phos-
phorus cakes among ripening crops.
The best were those like Smucker,
who had nursed grievances against
richer and more capable men until
hatred famed up at word of en-
cOuragement, and who had no exact
knowledge Of the details of the move.
ment, or of the names of the active
,cOnspiratOrs. Smucker came to de-
pend upon these haterS of rule, these
enemies to society. for the cheap Gig.
arettes he smoked. He posed as an
honest man whom capital had thrown,
broken. into life's gutter. They az
fected to believe him. He was tool
to be used at need.
One day the Smuckers. in family
council. decided that Adolph should
ask Mr.. Handy for some such letter
of recommendation as might enable
him to get clerical position in one
of the Weehawken factories. His
trousers were pressed. and his shoes
shined. and he turned cityward. He
did not like the prospect at all, but
the Smuckers n.councll had a massed
psychology which OVERRIDE all objec.
lions.
His family was against him. Those
who had listened to him respectfully
now turned and jeered. People pass.
ing him wondered why he talked to
himself so constantly. They could
not guess that he was again expert
encing vengeful visions of what he
would do when he got into power. In
these dreams he now included even
his old father, who made ten dollars
a week. his haunting children, and
the two young men who despised him
as a future father-in-law.
By this time Hilton Handy occu.
pied more prominent position than
ever in these schemes of punishment.
Handy was the prime cause of 1t all.
Handy was capital incarnate. Well
the Commune was coming sooni