Part 88 (2/2)

”I suppose you are right,” sighed Ray, ”for you've thought of it, and I haven't. I don't want to, either. I thank the Lord I'm not as serious as you, Graveyard. But if you want to air your theory, I'll lend you my ears, for friends.h.i.+p's sake. I don't promise to remember.”

Peter puffed his cigar for a moment ”I sometimes conclude,” he said, ”that the people who are most in need of education, are the college-bred men. They seem to think they've done all the work and study of their life in their four years, and so can dissipate mentally ever after.” But Peter smiled as he said this and continued, more seriously: ”Society and personal freedom are only possible in conjunction, when law or public opinion interferes to the degree of repressing all individual acts that interfere with the freedom of others; thus securing the greatest individual freedom to all. So far as physical force is concerned, we have pretty well realized this condition. Because a man is strong he can no longer take advantage of the weak. But strength is not limited to muscle. To protect the weak mind from the strong mind is an equal duty, and a far more difficult task. So far we have only partially succeeded.

In this difficulty lies the whole problem. Socialism, so far as it attempts to repress individualism, and reduce mankind to an evenness opposed to all natural laws, is suicidal of the best in favor of mediocrity. But so far as it attempts to protect that mediocrity and weakness from the superior minds of the best, it is only in line with the laws which protect us from murder and robbery. You can't expect men of the Most variety, however, to draw such distinctions.”

”I do wish they would settle it, without troubling me,” groaned Ray.

”Lispenard's right. A man's a fool who votes, or serves on a jury, or joins a regiment. What's the good of being a good citizen, when the other fellow won't be? I'm sick of being good for nothing.”

”Have you just discovered that?” laughed Ogden. ”You're progressing.”

”No,” said Ray, ”I am good for one thing. Like a good many other men I furnish the raw material on which the dearest of women may lavish her affection. Heigh-ho! I wish I was before the fire with her now. It's rather rough to have visits to one's wife cut short in this way.”

Peter rose. ”I am going to get some sleep, for we don't know what's before us, and may not have much after to-night. But, Ray, there's a harder thing than leaving one's wife at such a time.”

”What's that, Peter?” asked Ray, looking at Peter with surprise.

”To know that there is no one to whom your going or return really matters.” Peter pa.s.sed out of the cabin.

”By George!” said Ray, ”if it wasn't Peter, I'd have sworn there was salt water in his eyes.”

”Anneke has always insisted that he was lonely. I wonder if she's right?” Ogden queried.

”If he is, why the deuce does he get off in those solitary quarters of his?”

”Ray,” said Ogden, ”I have a sovereign contempt for a man who answers one question with another.”

Peter reached the city at six the next morning, and, despite the hour, began his work at once. He made a number of calls in the district, holding whispered dialogues with men; who, as soon as Peter was gone, hurried about and held similar conversations with other men; who promptly went and did the same to still others. While they were doing this, Peter drove uptown, and went into d.i.c.kel's riding academy. As he pa.s.sed through the office, a man came out.

”Ah, Mr. Stirling. Good-morning.”

”Good-morning, Mr. Byrnes,” said Peter. ”How serious is it likely to be?”

”We can't say yet. But the force has all it can do now to handle the Anarchists and unemployed, and if this strike takes place we shall need you.”

Peter pa.s.sed into another room where were eight men.

”Good-morning, Colonel,” said one. ”You are prompt.”

”What is the trouble?”

”The Central has decided to make a general reduction. They put it in force at noon to-day, and are so certain that the men will go out, that they've six hundred new hands ready somewhere to put right in.”

”Byrnes tells me he has all he can do.”

”Yes. We've obtained the governor's consent to embody eight regiments.

It isn't only the strike that's serious, but this parade of the unemployed to-morrow, and the meeting which the Anarchists have called in the City Hall. Byrnes reports a very ugly feeling, and buying of arms.”

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