A Girl Among the Anarchists

the expulsion of an alleged spy and agent provocateur, and had closed with a sentence of penal servitude passed on two of my new-found comra

in queer places to meet queer people-all this had passed before me with the rapidity of a landscape viewed from the window of an ex

: "It is our duty," he said, "to see that the movement be not unduly crippled by the loss of these two men. Poor fellows, they are doing their duty by the Cause, and we must not shirk ours. The Bomb must be kept going at all costs; we can ill afford to lose two workers just now, but the loss of t

s to try to set it on its feet again. It is hardly fair to a paper to give it a Jacob Myers for editor. Really it seems to me to have died a natural death. The entire staff ha

or in a tone of deprecation. "I went up to the office

whom I first saw wrapped

earance is somewhat disadvantageous, b

earances are often deceptive. But, anyhow, do you not think it would be adv

rmitage. "It is not wise to put new wine into old skins. Anyhow, here we are, I dare say

ts and collars. On seeing me, he exclaimed, "Take care," and proceeded to drop the objects on a heap of rubbish below. We were both somewhat surprised at this apparition, but realised without difficulty that the office was still in the possession of the police. They were, in fact, contrary to the doctor's expectation, the sole occupants of the place. The comrades had not seen fit so far to muster round the paper. To say there was none, however, is an injustice, for there on the sofa, still huddled in the red flag, lay Short, ap

o one of the three detectives and spok

ere," he exclaimed, pointing at the recumbent Short with his outstretched tongs. "I shall have to burn every rag I have on when it is over, and I'd advise you to be careful,

which it was inadvisable to let fall into the hands of the police, encumbered the floor. Everything was intensely chaotic and intensely dirty, from the type cases and the other scanty belongings to the dormant compositor. Armitage understood nothing of printing and I very

t shall we do? Suggest somet

at their addresses whilst you remain here and get Short to help you put up the type, &c., as best you can, so that we m

nking of starti

d (I discovered later on that he had discarded dressing and undressing as frivolous waste of time), a queer uncouth figure with his long touzled black hair and sallow, unhealthy face. He had

thoroughly disorganised, and we think it would be easier and better to start afresh. I was just s

ers will be ill or occupied-in short, will have some excuse for not seeing you. They are all frightened out of their lives

t exactly prepared for-that he would install himself in the new premises as compositor, we decided to take practical steps towards the move. Short informed us that six weeks' rent was owing, and that the landlord threatened a distraint if his cl

ng, and the new-comer soon appeared. He greeted Short, who introduced him to us as Comrade M'Dermott. He

d man, was quite free from the hateful Cockney twang. His dress was spare as his figure, but though well worn there was something spruce and trim about his whole demeanour which indicated that he was not totally indifferent to the impression he created on others. He looked round the "office," took a comprehensive glance at Short, who was occupying the only available sto

little bit of peddling round the country, when I read the news, and I thought I'd come to London to see what was up. What do you think of

er paper must take its place. Comrade Armitage agrees with me in thinking tha

oking over some papers, now joined u

eemed to wake up to a sense of actuality. "How did you hit

e, he made me carry his pack as well as my own, on the pretext that he had sprained his ankle, and his only contribution to the firm was a frousy old scrubbing-brush which he sneaked from a poor woma

h things make us long for the Revolution," he said. "This rotten society which breeds such people must be swept away. We must neglect no means to that end, and ou

ding Short, felt inclined to agree with. At last we decided to fall in with M'Dermott's suggestion that he and I should sally forth together. "You see,

nsideration which limited our choice was that the office must be fairly central, and not too far from my home, as, spite of my enthusiasm for Anarchy, I could not wholly neglect household duties. We talked over these points as we walked along, and M'Dermott suggested Lisson Grove, where a recent epidemic of smallpox had been raging, as likely to be a fairly cheap neighbourhood, but after tramping about and getting thoroughly weary, we had to acknowledge that there was nothing for us in that quarter. We were both hungry and tired, and M'Dermott suggested a retreat to a neighbouring Lockhart's. Seated before a more than doubtful cup of tea, in a grimy room, where texts stared at us from the walls, we discussed the situation, and decided to inquire about a workshop which we saw adv

a small business I had, and he quite beamed on me, evidently considering me a deserving youn

y grand-daughter deserves success, sir; she's a hardworking girl, is my poor Emily," and

, I'm sure," muttered the p

address, and that of my brother's Socialist friend as a reference,

ven with a few enlargements by M'Dermott. He had an artist's soul, and would

nski, and he has promised to give us a hand with the move. I shall not be able to be here all the time as I have to attend an operation on Monday, but I will put in an hour or two's work in the morn

et in," the latter surlily remarked. He

ctor, who had already been there some two hours, packing up the literature,

me by a half-guilty fear lest he should think I was merely dallying, not working in true earnest. I was conscious of my own sincerity of purpose, yet feared his mental verdict on my actions, for I now realised that his uncompromising words and scathing denunciation of dilettanteism had had much to do with my recent conduct; more than all Armitage's enthusiastic propagandising, much as I liked, and, indeed, admired the latter. Kosinski shook hands with Armitage and Short. The

lf-past eleven I have an appointment at a patient's house. You will

"I do not understand printing, but I will whe

ades. I will try and get round about five.

u will be in time to help

bel; good-bye, comra

ituation generally. He was much rejoiced at the turn matters were taking on the Continent, and deplored the lukewarmness of English Anarchists. "You cannot have a revolution without revolutionists," was a favourite phrase of his, and he was at no trouble to conceal his opin

s. Not but what there is good material in England too, but it is raw material

uired, interrupting him, for I saw he

bottom of a lot of that movement, and we should have had all London in revolt had it not been for the palaver and soft-

and M'Dermott and I set out to procure a

k, though I was not yet prepared for the truth. On entering I found things just as I had left them, not a whit more advanced, but Short was again seated, and opposite him lounged the weak-kneed youth whom I had noted on the occasion of my first group-meeting, Simpkins by name, as I had since found out; between them stood the small hand-press which Short had promised to take to pieces for removal, on the "bed" of which now stood th

h, and when they came back they found themselves sold. The guv'nor's a sharp one, 'e is, but I was fly too; 'e always keeps me short, grumbles 'cause I won't let myself be exploited by the capitalists; but I did 'im this time. I 'ad a good old-fashioned nose round whilst the guv'nor left me in charge whilst 'e w

e to give us a hand you'll be welcome. Come, Shor

'm tired. Armitage woke me up at five this morning, and I coul

us get this move over; to-morrow

mly filled his pipe and puffed luxuriously. Simpkins giggled feebly; he evident

began to see the ludicrous side of much of what I had taken to be the hard earnest of life, my revolutionary ardour cooled. My indignation was ready to boil

ffed at his pip

had almost forgotten his presence; he was working qui

ave him alone; we can do very well without him. Let us get off

dress and sailor hat, bearing the furled-up banner, and M'Dermott following on behind, carrying with gingerly care a locked-up form of type, the work of poor Armitage, which was in imminent danger of falling to pieces in the middle of the street. We found that quite a crowd of loafers of both sexes, the habitués of the "Myrtle Grove Tavern," had assembled outside to witness our departure, and, as I never missed an opportunity to spread the light, I distributed among them some hand-bills entitled "What is Anarchy?" regardless of their decidedly hostile attitude. The London loafer has little wit or imagination, and their comments did not rise above the stale inquiry as to where we kept our bombs, and the equally original advice bestowed upon Kosinksi to get 'is

ind I am unable to let you the shop. I much regret havi

. Everything had been settl

y evening you called at my house and told me you were sati

ed quite scared a

you, but I cannot let you t

ry behaviour. I am not to be trifled with in this way, and if you

him. He looked despairingly at me, and the

nd the nature of your business-that is to say, I tho

e. I was too new to the revolutionary movement to have foreseen

inquired somewhat derisively. I could still see in my mind's eye the benevolent smile and patronis

e fair to my clients; it would interfere with my business success. Of course every one has a right to their opinions, but I had no idea that you were connected with any such party. In fact I had gone out of town, and intended st

all a mistake, but I was shown a copy of the Bomb, and told that that was what you inte

I pay you your rent, and we are quits. Of course if you refuse to give me the keys of the shop I c

e, growing visibly paler, and gla

onal opinion," I replied. At this moment

the keys? We are getting ti

arriage-builder, "now refuses to let me the shop on the

s the turn your benevolent interest in my grand-daughter has taken? Well, come along, Isabel, we have no time to waste, and I am sure thi

, as we left the office, at his evident terror. Whilst crossing the yard we saw two well-known detectives lu

was so obvious and tame that it almost surprised me coming from him, still there was nothing for it, and back we went, looking somewhat more bedraggled (it had now come on to rain) and decidedly crestfallen. We found Short as we had left him, but I was still too

. Some German comrades rented it for some time; I believe they used it as a club-roo

ny, armed himself with leaflets and set off on a propagandising expedition, and Kosinski and I wended our way in search of the office. At last we stopped in front of a little gre

ddressed a voluminous lady wh

laimed, a broad smile overspreading

ature of her surroundings, which were not of the sweetest, but withal warm-hearted and sympathetic, with that inner hatred of the police common to all who belong to the coster class, and able to stand up for her rights, if necessary, both with her tongue and her fists. She showed us over a damp, ill-

let it to you, for I've known your 'usband some time. I use

usband," I interrupte

ss. I was in love with an I-talian organ-grinder myself, when I was a girl, and I might 'ave married 'im for all I know, ef 'e 'adn't got run in for knifin'

on and tried to get away, but her eye

and nothin' seemed to do me no good; I took physic enough to kill a 'orse, and as for heggs an' such like I eat 'undreds. But, lor', they just went through me like jollop. It was an old neighbour of ours as cured me; she said, says she, 'What you want, Liza, is stimilant; stout 'ud soon set you right.' An' sure enough it did. I took 'er advice, an' I've never 'ad a day's illness since, thou

ressed my intention of thinking the matter over, and, after shaking hands, paying a deposit on the rent-which she

urally very nervous and reticent with women, but the events of this long day had broken down some

Armitage thinks I shall manage all right, and I do not wish to be a mere amateur, and shirk the hard work entailed by our

ure you do your best, only I have seen so much harm done by women that I am always on my guard when they propose

out you, that I must have made a mistake; and when I insisted and showed him the address you had written, seemed to lose his head, and rang a bell and called for help as if I were going to murder him. I thought he must be mad or drunk, and so turned on my heel and came aw

o the music-hall with Simpkins, as he hinted at doing. Anyhow, come home with me; you too, Kosinksi, if you don't mind

, where over a cup of tea we settled the last details of the move, inc