VII

THE BEGINNING

EFORE he had been in Apsleigh a month Craigin wrote a conservative editorial on the liquor question. One evening shortly afterward there was a knock at the door

of his sanctum.

"Come in," he said.

A big, burly man entered.

"Be you the new editor?" he inquired. "Yes, sir. What can I do for you?"

The tone was so hearty and the face so pleasant that the stranger immediately extended a huge, toilhardened palm, and exclaimed, "N-you kin let me shake yer hand! 'nd you kin print this 'ere in yer paper!" producing a business card.

"Mr. Jones?" said Craigin, glancing at the card, and cordially taking the proffered hand.

"N-yaas; John Rogers Jones, blacksmith, 52 Garland street-that 's me; n-I expec' I wos named fer the man which died with his feet warm. N-I read that piece o' yourn, 'nd I sez ter my ole woman, 'Maria,' sez I, 'I'd oughter put my sign inter that 'ere "Tocsin " newspaper.' 'Nd here I be a-purpus. Haow much?"

"Usual space for a year? Twenty dollars."

"N-I'm presedunt of the Temp'rance Reform Club," continued Jones, taking a twenty-dollar bill from a fat pocket-book, "'nd I thaot p'r'aps you'd make us er leetle speech."

"A little speech?"

"N-yaas. N-I hain't a-goin' ter tease yer, 'cos I know you 'll gin us a lift anyhaow. N-I tole Maria, 'Maria,' sez I, 'he 'll make us er darn good speech et the public meetin', 'nd good speeches is scurce es hen's teeth.""

"I've heard of the club," said Craigin, filling out a receipt, "but I don't know as much about it as I'd like to."

"N-I'll tell you," said Jones, pocketing the receipt and fishing out a brier-wood pipe. "D' you mind smokin'?"

"Smoke all you want to," replied Craigin, handing him some matches.

"N-it makes it kinder easier ter talk. N-eight er ten year back, afore I cum ter taown, one o' the parsons, he 'nd three er four more hot-headed fellers, they went ter prosecutin', 'nd some o' the rummies they sot the meetin'-haouse a-fire. N-that made folks pooty r'arin'. But Denman he drawed his check fer five thousan', 'nd went raound 'mongst the likker men 'nd sez, sez he, "F you don't help undo what some cussid fools 've bin doin', 't will be laid ter the trade, the whole on 't.' 'Nd so he got five thousan' outer 'm. N-he got fifteen thousan' in all, 'nd it built a new meetin'haouse, 'nd took the cuss all off, 'nd thare was n't er yap till Jorden 'nd Phelps cum two year ago. N-they

stuck ter what they called morel suashun, 'nd kep' the pot a-b'ilin' two or three weeks. N-I'd jus' cum ter taown, 'cos I could n't git trusted no more whare I wos known; n-we wos awful poor. N-I chawed on 't er consid'able spell, 'nd then I sez, 'Maria,' sez I, ‘I hain't goin' ter drink no more, never'-n-I hain't, nuther; n-thare hain't no children cryin' fer bread ter our house naow, 'nd I've got er good business, 'nd my debts is paid 'nd munny in the bank. N-well, 's I wos sayin', Jorden 'nd Phelps they got up er reform club, 'nd raised er pile o' munny, 'nd put Dekin Follett et the head on 't. N-dekin he would n't spen' er cent, 'nd wanted ter have six prayer-meetin's er week,nothin' he likes s' well 's prayer-meetin's, 'cep' figgerin' int'res','nd the club it most petered out. N-wall, the riffraff, 's you might call 'em, they put up er job on the ole man 'nd 'lected Jake Barrus, 'nd Jake he wos er blasphemin', Tom Paine critter,-wus 'n the dekin, only t' other way,-'nd he got 'em all sick on 't, 'nd fooled away the munny, 'nd run the club inter debt. 'Nd then they put in me. N-I did n't want it, 'cos I growed up 'n the backwoods 'nd did n't know enough; but I've kinder split the diff'rence betwixt dekin 'nd Jake. N-anyhaow, the debts is paid 'nd the terbarkerjuice is cleaned up. Naow we 're goin' ter have public meetin's once 'n er while, 'nd I've kinder sot on you fer the fust one."

"I can't promise without thinking it over," said Craigin.

When his visitor departed, he paced the floor a long time thinking it over. He was beginning to realize that, for happiness or misery, Isabel Denman was all

the world to him. It was plain that she liked him. Where was the impassable barrier? He could not honestly escape voicing the principles of his papereven Denman would expect it; but to make public speeches was beyond his professional duty and the beginning of more aggressive work. Besides, his ideas in regard to methods were not settled. Why not pause to think and study? Why hastily antagonize the Denmans? Was it a sacrifice of principle to withhold his feet from this first step? Love cried, "No, no, no!" He tried to reason, and in the agony of his spirit reason seemed to mock him. Then, above the conflict in his soul, he thought he heard a still, small voice saying, "Yes." Kneeling on the office floor, he swore: "I'll live and die doing what I believe is right, no matter what it costs, so help me God!" Instantly there streamed into his soul a flood of light that seemed to come from heaven. "It is my only chance!" he exclaimed. "She reads hearts, and if I sacrifice my sense of duty for her, she 'll know it and despise me."

When it was known that Craigin was to speak, people-one at a time, fifteen or twenty in all-gave him hints as to what he should n't say. Last of all came Deacon Follett also.

"I hope you won't say anything about the law," he remarked, rubbing his lean chin. "It was kind of understood when the club was organized. Most of the liquor-dealers gave something. Mr. Denman gave five hundred dollars."

"As a sop?"

"N-no-not that-exactly; but, you see, our people are-conservative. It-won't do."

"Won't do!" exclaimed Craigin, with a feeling that savored of contempt. "Won't do in free New England to speak of existing laws! Deacon Follett, we don't live in Russia."

"No; but, you see, our people are conservativeand Mr. Denman gave five hundred dollars."

"The law makes liquor-selling a crime, and provides heavy penalties for officials who do not enforce it," said Craigin, at the close of the interview. "Whisky is sold as openly as flour is. No Republican can advocate a repeal of the law without sacrificing his political future; no man of any party can try to have it enforced without being regarded as a common nuisance, a disturber of the public peace. It's a queer state of things. I won't say a word about it to-night, Deacon Follett. I want time to study it out."

"Young blood 's so hot," muttered the old usurer, as he walked away. "I was afraid he'd make a mess of it; but he takes good advice like plum-puddin'."

Craigin's boating record was well known, his adventure with the horse made him noted, and his editorials had attracted much attention. It was already recognized that a strong man had come to Apsleigh. Most of all, however, he was talked about in connection with the Denmans. Everybody was curious to hear him. The hall was filled to overflowing. His stage-fright disappeared after the first sentences. Words came as water flows when the fountains of the great deep are broken up. Back of words were ideas, facts, figures, arguments, conclusions. The lesson pressed home was eradication of drinking tastes by cultivating higher tastes and a nobler life, making