It was all so very obvious that Samuel found himself in a state of
exasperation with the people who did not yet understand it, and spent
his time wrestling in imagination with all those he had ever known:
with his brothers, and with Finnegan, and with Charlie Swift, with
Master Albert and Mr. Wygant, with Professor Stewart and Dr. Vince.
Most of all he labored with Miss Gladys; and he pictured how it would
be after the Revolution, when he would be famous and she
would be poor, and he might magnanimously forgive her!
And when Sophie came home, he explained it all to her. It did not take
much to make a revolutionist out of Sophie. She had become quite
thoroughly what the Socialists called "class-conscious."
The members of the local had been anxious about Samuel all day.
Everley had come in twice in the afternoon, to make sure that he was
safe; and he came over again after supper, and said that Beggs and
Lippman and the Bartons and himself were coming to act as a body guard
to take Samuel to the meeting. The circulars had created a tremendous
sensation--the whole town was talking about it, and the police were
furious at the way they had been outwitted.
So the hour of the meeting drew near. It was as if a great shadow were
gathering over them. They were nervous and restless--Samuel pacing the
room, wandering about here and there.
His speech was seething within him.
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