``Oh, Miss Hastings--we will do all we can to protect Victor Dorn
--and we guard him day and night without his knowing it. But I
am afraid--afraid! And I want you to help. Will you?''
``I'll do anything I can,'' said Jane--a Jane very different from
the various Janes Miss Hastings knew --a Jane who seemed to be
conjuring of Selma Gordon's enchantments.
``I want you to ask your father to give him a fair show. We
don't ask any favors--for ourselves--for him. But we don't want
to see him--'' Selma shuddered and covered her eyes with her
hands ``--lying dead in some alley, shot or stabbed by some
unknown thug!''
Selma made it so vivid that Jane saw the whole tragedy before her
very eyes.
``The real reason why they hate him,'' Selma went on, ``is
because he preaches up education and preaches down violence--and
is building his party on intelligence instead of on force. The
masters want the workingman who burns and kills and riots. They
can shoot him down. They can make people accept any tyranny in
preference to the danger of fire and murder let loose. But
Victor is teaching the workingmen to stop playing the masters'
game for them. No wonder they hate him! He makes them afraid of
the day when the united workingmen will have their way by
organizing and voting. And they know that if Victor Dorn lives,
that day will come in this city very, very soon.'' Selma saw
Davy Hull, impatient at his long wait, advancing toward them.
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