the dwelling place of ligh-第57节

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〃Why　didn't　you　telephone　me？　　In　Boston？〃　he　repeated。

She　nodded。　　He　started　forward　again；　but　she　avoided　him。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　cried。　　〃I've　been　worried　about　you　all　day
until　this　damned　strike　broke　loose。　　I　was　afraid　something　had
happened。〃

〃You　might　have　asked　my　father；〃　she　said。

〃For　God's　sake；　tell　me　what's　the　matter！〃

His　desire　for　her　mounted　as　his　conviction　grew　more　acute　that
something　had　happened　to　disturb　a　relationship　which；　he　had
congratulated　himself；　after　many　vicissitudes　and　anxieties　had　at　last
been　established。　　He　was　conscious；　however；　of　irritation　because　this
whimsical　and　unanticipated　grievance　of　hers　should　have　developed　at
the　moment　when　the　caprice　of　his　operatives　threatened　to　interfere
with　his　cherished　plansfor　Ditmar　measured　the　inconsistencies　of
humanity　by　the　yardstick　of　his　desires。　　Her　question　as　to　why　he　had
not　made　inquiries　of　her　father　added　a　new　element　to　his　disquietude。
As　he　stood　thus；　worried；　exasperated；　and　perplexed；　the　fact　that
there　was　in　her　attitude　something　ominous；　dangerous；　was　slow　to　dawn
on　him。　　His　faculties　were　wholly　unprepared　for　the　blow　she　struck
him。

〃I　hate　you！〃　she　said。　　She　did　not　raise　her　voice；　but　the　deliberate；
concentrated　conviction　she　put　into　the　sentence　gave　it　the　dynamic
quality　of　a　bullet。　　And　save　for　the　impact　of　itbefore　which　he
physically　recoiledits　import　was　momentarily　without　meaning。

〃What？〃　he　exclaimed；　stupidly。

〃I　might　have　known　you　never　meant　to　marry　me；〃　she　went　on。　　Her　hands
were　busy　with　the　buttons　of　her　coat。

〃All　you　want　is　to　use　me；　to　enjoy　me　and　turn　me　out　when　you　get
tired　of　methe　way　you've　done　with　other　women。　　It's　just　the　same
with　these　mill　hands；　they're　not　human　beings　to　you；　they'rethey're
cattle。　　If　they　don't　do　as　you　like；　you　turn　them　out；　you　say　they
can　starve　for　all　you　care。〃

〃For　God's　sake；　what　do　you　mean？〃　he　demanded。　　〃What　have　I　done　to
you；　Janet？　　I　love　you；　I　need　you！〃

〃Love　me！〃　she　repeated。　　〃I　know　how　men　of　your　sort　loveI've　seen
itI　know。　　As　long　as　I　give　you　what　you　want　and　don't　bother　you；
you　love　me。　　And　I　know　how　these　workers　feel；〃　she　cried；　with　sudden；
passionate　vehemence。　　〃I　never　knew　before；　but　I　know　now。　　I've　been
with　them；　I　marched　up　here　with　them　from　the　Clarendon　when　they
battered　in　the　gates　and　smashed　your　windowsand　I　wanted　to　smash
your　windows；　too；　to　blow　up　your　mill。〃

〃What　are　you　saying？　　You　came　here　with　the　strikers？　　you　were　with
that　mob？〃　asked　Ditmar；　astoundedly。

〃Yes；　I　was　in　that　mob。　　I　belong　there；　with　them；　I　tell　youI　don't
belong　here；　with　you。　　But　I　was　a　fool　even　then；　I　was　afraid　they'd
hurt　you；　I　came　into　the　mill　to　find　you；　and　youand　you　you　acted　as
if　you'd　never　seen　me　before。　　I　was　a　fool；　but　I'm　glad　I　cameI'm
glad　I　had　a　chance　to　tell　you　this。〃

〃My　Godwon't　you　trust　me？〃　he　begged；　with　a　tremendous　effort　to
collect　himself。　　〃You　trusted　me　yesterday。　　What's　happened　to　change
you？　　Won't　you　tell　me？　　It's　nothing　I've　doneI　swear。　　And　what　do
you　mean　when　you　say　you　were　in　that　mob？　　I　was　almost　crazy　when　I
came　back　and　found　they'd　been　here　in　this　millcan't　you　understand？
It　wasn't　that　I　didn't　think　of　you。　　I'd　been　worrying　about　you　all
day。　　Look　at　this　thing　sensibly。　　I　love　you；　I　can't　get　along　without
youI'll　marry　you。　　I　said　I　would；　I　meant　it　I'll　marry　you　just　as
soon　as　I　can　clean　up　this　mess　of　a　strike。　　It　won't　take　long。〃

〃Don't　touch　me！〃　she　commanded；　and　he　recoiled　again。　　〃I'll　tell　you
where　I've　been；　if　you　want　to　know；I've　been　to　see　my　sister　inin
a　house；　in　Boston。　　I　guess　you　know　what　kind　of　a　house　I　mean；　you've
been　in　them；　you've　brought　women　to　them；just　like　the　man　that
brought　her　there。　　Would　you　marry　me　nowwith　my　sister　there？　　And　am
I　any　different　from　her？　　You　you've　made　me　just　like　her。〃　　Her　voice
had　broken；　now；　into　furious；　uncontrolled　weepingto　which　she　paid　no
heed。

Ditmar　was　stunned；　he　could　only　stare　at　her。

〃If　I　have　a　child；〃　she　said；　〃I'llI'll　kill　youI'll　kill　myself。〃

And　before　he　could　replyif　indeed　he　had　been　able　to　replyshe　had
left　the　office　and　was　running　down　the　stairs。。。。




CHAPTER　XIV

What　was　happening　to　Hampton？　　Some　hundreds　of　ignorant　foreigners；
dissatisfied　with　the　money　in　their　pay　envelopes；　had　marched　out　of
the　Clarendon　Mill　and　attacked　the　Chippering　and　behold；　the　revered
structure　of　American　Government　had　quivered　and　tumbled　down　like　a
pack　of　cards！　　Despite　the　feverish　assurances　in　the　Banner　〃extra〃
that　the　disturbance　was　merely　local　and　temporary；　solid　citizens
became　panicky；　vaguely　apprehending　the　release　of　elemental　forces
hitherto　unrecognized　and　unknown。　　Who　was　to　tell　these　solid；　educated
business　men　that　the　crazy　industrial　Babel　they　had　helped　to　rear；　and
in　which　they　unconsciously　dwelt；　was　no　longer　the　simple　edifice　they
thought　it？　that　Authority；　spelled　with　a　capital；　was　a　thing　of　the
past？　that　human　instincts　suppressed　become　explosives　to　displace　the
strata　of　civilization　and　change　the　face　of　the　world？　that　conventions
and　institutions；　laws　and　decrees　crumble　before　the　whirlwind　of　human
passions？　　that　their　city　was　not　of　special；　but　of　universal
significance？　　And　how　were　these；　who　still　believed　themselves　to　be
dwelling　under　the　old　dispensation；　to　comprehend　that　environments
change；　and　changing　demand　new　and　terrible　Philosophies？　　When　night
fell　on　that　fateful　Tuesday　the　voice　of　Syndicalism　had　been　raised　in
a　temple　dedicated　to　ordered；　Anglo…Saxon　libertythe　Hampton　City
Hall。

Only　for　a　night　and　a　day　did　the　rebellion　lack　both　a　leader　and　a
philosophy。　　Meanwhile；　in　obedience　to　the　unerring　instinct　for　drama
peculiar　to　great　metropolitan　dailies；　newspaper　correspondents　were
alighting　from　every　train；　interviewing　officials　and　members　of　labour
unions　and　mill　agents：　interviewing　Claude　Ditmar；　the　strongest　man　in
Hampton　that　day。　　He　at　least　knew　what　ought　to　be　done；　and　even
before　his　siren　broke　the　silence　of　the　morning　hours　in　vigorous　and
emphatic　terms　he　had　informed　the　Mayor　and　Council　of　their　obvious
duty。　　These　strikers　were　helots；　unorganized　scum；　the　regular　unions
by　comparison　respectableheld　aloof　from　them。　　Here；　in　effect；　was
his　argument：　a　strong　show　of　force　was　imperative；　if　the　police　and
deputies　were　inadequate；　request　the　Governor　to　call　out　the　local
militia；　but　above　all；　waste　no　time；　arrest　the　ringleaders；　the
plotters；　break　up　all　gatherings；　keep　the　streets　clear。　　He　demanded
from　the　law　protection　of　his　property；　protection　for　those　whose　right
to　continue　at　work　was　inalienable。　　He　was　listened　to　with　sympathy
and　respectbut　nothing　was　done！　　The　world　had　turned　upside　down
indeed　if　the　City　Government　of　Hampton　refused　to　take　the　advice　of
the　agent　of　the　Chippering　Mill！　　American　institutions　were　a　failure！
But　such　was　the　fact。　　Some　unnamed　fear；　outweighing　their　dread　of　the
retributions　of　Capital；　possessed　these　men；　made　them　supine；　derelict
in　the　face　of　their　obvious　duty。

By　the　faint　grey　light　of　that　bitter　January　morning　Ditmar　made　his
way　to　the　mill。　　In　Faber　Street　dark　figures　flitted　silently　across
the　ghostly　whiteness　of　the　snow；　and　gathered　in　groups　on　the　corners；
seeking　to　avoid　these；　other　figures　hurried　along　the　sidewalks　close
to　the　buildings；　to　be　halted；　accosted；　pleaded　withthreatened；
perhaps。　　Picketing　had　already　begun！　　The　effect　of　this　pantomime　of
the　eternal　struggle　for　survivals　which　he　at　first　beheld　from　a
distance；　was　to　exaggerate　appallingly　the　emptiness　of　the　wide　street；
to　emphasize　the　absence　of　shoppers　and　vehicles；　and　a　bluish　darkness
lurked　in　the　stores；　whose　plate　glass　windows　were　frosted　in　quaint
designs。　　Where　were　the　police？　　It　was　not　fear　that　Ditmar　felt；　he
was　galvanized　and　dominated　by　anger；　by　an　overwhelming　desire　for
action；　physical　combat　would　have　brought　him　relief；　and　as　he
quickened　his　steps　he　itched　to　seize　with　his　own　hands　these
foreigners　who　had　dared　to　interfere　with　his　cherished　plans；　who　had
had　the　audacity　to　challenge　the　principles　of　his　government　which
welcomed　them　to　its　shores。　　He　would　have　liked　to　wring　their　necks。
His　philosophy；　too；　was　environmental。　　And　beneath　this　wrath；
stimulating　and　energizing　it　the　more；　was　the　ache　in　his　soul　from　the
loss　for　which　he　held　these　enemies　responsible。　　Two　days　ago　happiness
and　achievement　had　both　been　within　his　grasp。　　The　only　womanso　now
it　seemedhe　had　ever　really　wanted！　　What　had　become　of　her？　　What
obscure　and　passionate　impulse　had　led　her　suddenly　to　defy　and　desert
him；　to　cast　in　her　lot　with　these　insensate　aliens？　　A　hundred　times
during　the　restless；　inactive　hours　of　a　sleepless　night　this　question
had　intruded　itself　in　the　midst　of　his　scheming　to　break　the　strike；　as
he　reviewed；　word　by　word；　act　by