The Landloper

guing passionately, att

little group in the square and listened with

posite side of the group. A bi

scowl as h

an continue

was cool and crisp in summer flannels-as i

ng man was plainly not of th

the man in the car; he me

a retort-such that day seemed Moosac Square in the heart of the cotton-mill city. High buildings closed in its treeless, ill-pa

t-choked. He harangued the group of unkempt men; sweating, blinking, apathetic men; slouchy men; men who

creed of the propaganda of rebellious poverty, the complaints of the dissatisfied, the demands of the idle agitators. He spiked his diatribe with threats flavored by anarchy. He pointed to policemen who had taken refuge in strips of shade which had been cast grudgingly by the

athema which the orator addressed to the rich: "Stop lying to these men-stirring them up. The parks ar

gogue. "If we go up to the park and sit there and tremble like rabbits you rich men will let us stay there-per

ed to disturb decent and respectable people. You and men like you mus

o our mouths-give us fo

e-bodied man here all the work he wants. Apply at

k?" inquired a

r-pipes. How many men want

this weather," snarled the man who

en had sauntered into the square and their presence

-day-own it and run it," growled a slouchy fellow who stood near

ou a show-all of you,"

nea job for

or excuse for being

s I'm a

lbow and hand. The arm was flabby, the palm was soft. He do

there anybody in the crowd who can show some?

medals?" inqui

ng them from his car, but the

a working-man ought to wear them.

at us because we

lf, and anybody can see

ed his arms, showi

abor medals," he

r job? The lord dukes

s my own business, so long as I

o

m and menaced him with mur

them an indifferent going-over with hi

ong them, displaying the air of one wh

r. The crowd he had left stared after him without presuming to

s evident that Farr was not of the same sort as the ruck of men from among whom he had just emerged, nevertheless he had come from among them. The lordly man in the car had obse

city lately," the aristocrat informed the officer who came

him before, C

a grand-stand play in front of his gang. Hi

y who occupied it. He seemed to have lost all interest in the occasion.

ap!" called Colonel Do

ed, his countenance

into a peaceable city and

I do

mingling with those men, talk

eman of keen

long-tailed coats and short-horned idea

rying to do so," returned Farr, meekly. "I have b

ing labor-agitat

, s

ing among those men. Your ri

hese garmen

helps out your pose bef

ubbing a torn sleeve over his grimy, sweat-streaked face. "He picked it fair off'n m

ance at the tubby tramp and survey of the tall young man whose contours

it!" squalled

you don't we'll have you on the rock-pile. What ye mean by s

luff! Him what can do it best always

hange in my life," stated Farr, with a smile which provoked more laughter. "But I did not drea

y and insistent and did n

r workers against their own interests. You may as well own up to me, my man. These men standing around he

s, my

be willing to display to the rich man the same lack of respect he had

ou want to be led around by the noses by a man who doesn't work? This ge

excellency. I am surprised that as an employer yo

promptly caught the fancy of the throng. The men crowd

o you w

tect, your gra

of names, my friend! An architect,

ghfare a magnificent row of castles in the air. If you had a bit more imagination

d bowed again and went on his way. The crowd guffawed. This baiting of the city

ate to lose him out of town," confided th

nch him if you say so, Colonel Dodd," volunt

oad back which was swinging across the square

ked cigar ashes which alighted in a spray

lonel, shooting th

ile, but it was not a pa

omewhat prolonged pauses at shop windows, by his indifferent starings at tr

glass of water a

r, "Who is Colonel Dodd of this city? I am a

dd I wouldn't be making much of a living here, sellin

that

wns of this state. And they pump all of their water out of the rivers because the lakes are so far off, and nobody dri

important," said the y

automobiles whirled past. The cars were decorated with banners, and the wild flowers and other spoil of fores

liceman who was guarding the corner, "who that yo

ked the officer. "Oh, that's Colonel Dodd's nephew

stion, for the policeman seemed to be of the obliging so

rk eyes and a red mouth-and I am almos

d a box of stove-polish in one hand and a brush in the other, and as he strolled he was giving his corselet and such parts of the armor as he could handily reach

quondam companion, who had been too inten

o doubt thee, too, finds me

retreat and the breeze blew there fitfully, and Mr. Chic

some degree. I must confess that to thee,"

ood blacksmith business to go out in the h

streaming face under his vizor. "If I were not used to the fires o

simply an adv

and revealed my mission when he awoke. 'I am out to do good to all men,' I told him, and he searched through his pockets with blasphemy, and he said that I had done him-and he haled me before the court, and the judge said that no man could publicly profess such disinterestedness and escape susp

wd in business and a good a

acts no rude mobs. I can go abroad and do good to a foolish world; I can use the stipend my good benefactor allows to me for my wor

g you say that you are conte

y improved thy cond

gged we are within. I think I'll move on. I might say something to jar your sense of sublime conte

chided the Quaker. "Affection for some

that occurred to him in reg