the　more　formidable　because　it　was　not　infatuated。　　He　caught　her　eye　and　said：
  ‘‘Things　are　in　such　good　shape　for　us　that　it　frightens　me。　　I　spend　most　of　my　time　in　studying　the　horizon　in　the　hope　that　I　can　foresee　which　way　the　storm's　coming　from　and　what　it　will　be。''
  ‘‘What　a　pessimist　you　are！''　laughed　Selma。
  ‘‘That's　why　the　Workingmen's　League　has　a　thick…　and…thin　membership　of　thirteen　hundred　and　fifty；''　replied　Victor。　　‘‘That's　why　the　New　Day　has　twenty…　two　hundred　paying　subscribers。　　That's　why　we　grow　faster　than　the　employers　can　weed　our　men　out　and　replace　them　with　immigrants　and　force　them　to　go　to　other　towns　for　work。''
  ‘‘Well；　anyhow；''　said　the　girl；　‘‘no　matter　what　happens　we　can't　be　weeded　out。''
  Victor　shook　his　head。　　‘‘Our　danger　period　has　just　begun；''　he　replied。　　‘‘The　bosses　realize　our　power。　　In　the　past　we've　been　annoyed　a　little　from　time　to　time。　　But　they　thought　us　hardly　worth　bothering　with。　　In　the　future　we　will　have　to　fight。''
  ‘‘I　hope　they　will　prosecute　us；''　said　Selma。　　‘‘Then；　we'll　grow　the　faster。''
  ‘‘Not　if　they　do　it　intelligently；''　replied　Victor。　　‘‘An　intelligent　persecutionif　it's　relentless　enough　always　succeeds。　　You　forget　that　this　isn't　a　world　of　moral　ideas　but　of　force。　。　。　。　　I　am　afraid　of　Dick　Kelly。　　He　is　something　more　than　a　vulgar　boss。　　He　SEES。　　My　hope　is　that　he　won't　be　able　to　make　the　others　see。　　I　saw　him　a　while　ago。　　He　was　extremely　polite　to　memore　so　than　he　ever　has　been　before。　　He　is　up　to　something。　　I　suspect''
  Victor　paused；　reflecting。　　‘‘What？''　asked　Selma　eagerly。
  ‘‘I　suspect　that　he　thinks　he　has　us。''　　He　rose；　preparing　to　go　out。　　‘‘Wellif　he　haswhy；　he　has。　　And　we　shall　have　to　begin　all　over　again。''
  ‘‘How　stupid　they　are！''　exclaimed　the　girl。　　‘‘To　fight　us　who　are　simply　trying　to　bring　about　peaceably　and　sensibly　what's　bound　to　come　about　anyhow。''
  ‘‘Yesthe　rain　is　bound　to　come；''　said　Victor。　　‘‘And　we　say；　‘Here's　an　umbrella　and　there's　the　way　to　shelter。'　　And　they　laugh　at　OUR　umbrella　and；　with　the　first　drops　plashing　on　their　foolish　faces；　deny　that　it's　going　to　rain。''
  The　Workingmen's　League；　always　first　in　the　field　with　its　ticket；　had　been　unusually　early　that　year。　　Although　it　was　only　the　first　week　in　August　and　the　election　would　not　be　until　the　third　of　October；　the　League　had　nominated。　　It　was　a　ticket　made　up　entirely　of　skilled　workers　who　had　lived　all　their　lives　in　Remsen　City　and　who　had　acquired　an　independence　Victor　Dorn　was　careful　not　to　expose　to　the　falling　fire　of　the　opposition　any　of　his　men　who　could　be　ruined　by　the　loss　of　a　job　or　could　be　compelled　to　leave　town　in　search　of　work。　　The　League　always　went　early　into　campaign　because　it　pursued　a　much　slower　and　less　expensive　method　of　electioneering　than　either　of　the　old　partiesor　than　any　of　the　‘‘upper　class''　reform　parties　that　sprang　up　from　time　to　time　and　died　away　as　they　accomplished　or　failed　of　their　purposesecuring　recognition　for　certain　personal　ambitions　not　agreeable　to　the　old　established　bosses。　　Besides；　the　League　was；　like　the　bosses　and　their　henchmen；　in　politics　every　day　in　every　year。　　The　League　theory　was　that　politics　was　as　much　a　part　of　a　citizen's　daily　routine　as　his　other　work　or　his　meals。
  It　was　the　night　of　the　League's　great　ratification　meeting。　　The　next　day　the　first　campaign　number　containing　the　biographical　sketch　of　Tony　Rivers；　Kelly's　right…hand　man　。　。　。　would　go　upon　the　press；　and　on　the　following　day　it　would　reach　the　public。
  Market　Square　in　Remsen　City　was　on　the　edge　of　the　power　quarter；　was　surrounded　by　cheap　hotels；　boarding　houses　and　saloons。　　A　few　years　before；　the　most　notable　citizens；　market　basket　on　arm；　could　have　been　seen　three　mornings　in　the　week；　making　the　rounds　of　the　stalls　and　stands；　both　those　in　the　open　and　those　within　the　Market　House。　　But　customs　had　rapidly　changed　in　Remsen　City；　and　with　the　exception　of　a　few　old　fogies　only　the　poorer　classes　went　to　market。　　The　masters　of　houses　were　becoming　gentlemen；　and　the　housewives　were　elevating　into　ladiesand　it　goes　without　saying　that　no　gentleman　and　no　lady　would　descend　to　a　menial　task　even　in　private；　much　less　in　public。
  Market　Square　had　even　become　too　common　for　any　but　the　inferior　meetings　of　the　two　leading　political　parties。　　Only　the　Workingmen's　League　held　to　the　old　tradition　that　a　political　meeting　of　the　first　rank　could　be　properly　held　nowhere　but　in　the　natural　assembling　place　of　the　peopletheir　market。　　So；　their　first　great　rally　of　the　campaign　was　billed　for　Market　Square。　　And　at　eight　o'clock；　headed　by　a　large　and　vigorous　drum　corps；　the　Victor　Dorn　cohorts　at　their　full　strength　marched　into　the　centre　of　the　Square；　where　one　of　the　stands　had　been　transformed　with　flags；　bunting　and　torches　into　a　speaker's　platform。　　A　crowd　of　many　thousands　accompanied　and　followed　the　procession。　　Workingmen's　League　meetings　were　popular；　even　among　those　who　believed　their　interests　lay　elsewhere。　　At　League　meetings　one　heard　the　plain　truth；　sometimes　extremely　startling　plain　truth。　　The　League　had　no　favors　to　ask　of　anybody；　had　nothing　to　conceal；　was　strongly　opposed　to　any　and　all　political　concealments。　　Thus；　its　speakers　enjoyed　a　freedom　not　usual　in　political　speakingand　Dorn　and　his　fellow…leaders　were　careful　that　no　router；　no　exaggerator　or　well　intentioned　wild　man　of　any　kind　should　open　his　mouth　under　a　league　banner。　　THAT　was　what　made　the　League　so　dangerousand　so　steadily　prosperous。
  The　chairman；　Thomas　Colman；　the　cooper；　was　opening　the　meeting　in　a　speech　which　was　an　instance　of　how　well　a　man　of　no　platform　talent　can　acquit　himself　when　he　believes　something　and　believes　it　is　his　duty　to　convey　it　to　his　fellow…men。　　Victor　Dorn；　to　be　the　fourth　speaker　and　the　orator　of　the　evening；　was　standing　at　the　rear　of　the　platform　partially　concealed　by　the　crowd　of　men　and　women　leaders　of　the　party　grouped　behind　Colman。　　As　always　at　the　big　formal　demonstrations　of　the　League；　Victor　was　watching　every　move。　　This　evening　his　anxiety　was　deeper　than　ever　before。　　His　trained　political　sagacity　warned　him　that；　as　he　had　suggested　to　Selma；　the　time　of　his　party's　first　great　crisis　was　at　hand。　　No　movement　could　become　formidable　with　out　a　life　and　death　struggle；　when　its　aim　frankly　was　to　snatch　power　from　the　dominant　class　and　to　place　it　where　that　class　could　not　hope　to　prevail　either　by　direct　means　of　force　or　by　its　favorite　indirect　means　of　bribery。　　What　would　Kelly　do？　　What　would　be　his　stroke　at　the　very　life　of　the　League？　for　Victor　had　measured　Kelly　and　knew　he　was　not　one　to　strike　until　he　could　destroy。
  Like　every　competent　man　of　action；　Victor　had　measured　his　own　abilities；　and　had　found　that　they　were　to　be　relied　upon。　　But　the　contest　between　him　and　Kelly　the　contest　in　the　last　ditchwas　so　appallingly　unequal。　　Kelly　had　the　courts　and　the　police；　the　moneyed　class；　the　employers　of　labor；　had　the　clergy　and　well…dressed　respectability；　the　newspapers；　all　the　customary　arbiters　of　public　sentiment。　　Also；　he　had　the　criminal　and　the　semi…criminal　classes。　　And　what　had　the　League？
  The　letter　of　the　law；　guaranteeing　freedom　of　innocent　speech　and　action；　guaranteeing　the　purity　of　the　ballotno；　not　guaranteeing；　but　simply　asserting　those　rights；　and　leaving　the　upholding　of　them　toKelly's　allies　and　henchmen！　　Also；　the　League　had　the　power　of　between　a　thousand　and　fifteen　hundred　intelligent　and　devoted　men　and　about　the　same　number　of　womena　solid　phalanx　of　great　might；　of　might　far　beyond　its　numbers。　　Finally；　it　had　Victor　Dorn。　　He　had　no　mean　opinion　of　his　value　to　the　movement；　but　he　far　and　most　modestly　underestimated　it。　　The　human　way　of　rallying　to　an　abstract　principle　is　by　way　of　a　standard　bearera　man　personalitya　real　or　fancied　incarnation　of　the　ideal　to　be　struggled　for。　　And　to　the　Workingmen's　League；　to　the　movement　for　conquering　Remsen　City　for　the　mass　of　its　citizens；　Victor　Dorn　was　that　incarnation。
  Kelly　could　use　violenceviolence　disguised　as　law；　violence　candidly　and　brutally　lawless。　　Victor　Dorn　could　only　use　lawful　meansclearly　and　cautiously　lawful　means。　　He　must　at　all　costs　prevent　the　use　of　force　against　him　and　his　partymust　give　Kelly　no　pretext　for　using　the　law　lawlessly。　　If　Kelly　used　force　against　him；　whether　the　perverted　law　of　the　courts　or　open　lawlessness；　he　must　meet　it　with　peace。　　If　Kelly　smote　him　on　the　right　cheek　he　must　give　him　the　left　to　be　smitten。
  When　the　League　could　outvote　Kelly；　thenanother　policy；　still　of　calmness　and　peace　and　civilization；　but　not　so　meek。　　But　until　the　League　could　outvote　Kelly；　nothing　but　patient　endurance。
  Every　man　in　the　League　had　been　drilled　in　this　strategy。　　Every　man　understoodand　to　be　a　member　of　the　League　meant　that　one　was　politically　educated。　　Victor　believed　in　his　associates　as　he　believed　in　himself。　　Still；　human　nature　was　human　nature。　　If　Kelly　should　suddenly　offer　some　adroit　outrageous　provocation　would　the　League　be　able　to　resist？
  Victor；　on　guard；　studied　the　crowd　spreading　out　from　the　p