h out of a lifetime, when
that month means immortality to you and life to thousands? In a month
you would make a half dozen after-dinner speeches and cause your friends
to laugh and applaud. Why not wring their hearts instead, and hold this
thing up before them as it is, and shake it in their faces? Show it to
them in all its horror--bleeding, diseased and naked, an offence to our
humanity, and to our prated love of liberty, and to our God."

The young man threw himself eagerly forward and beat the map with his
open palm. But the senator sat apparently unmoved gazing thoughtfully
into the open fire, and shook his head.

While the luncheon was in progress the young gentleman who the night
before had left the carriage and stood at Arkwright's side, had entered
the room and was listening intently. He had invited himself to some
fresh coffee, and had then relapsed into an attentive silence, following
what the others said with an amused and interested countenance. Stanton
had introduced him as Mr. Livingstone, and appeared to take it for
granted that Arkwright would know who he was. He seemed to regard him
with a certain deference which Arkwright judged was due to some fixed
position the young man held, either of social or of political value.

"I do not know," said Stanton with consideration, "that I am prepared to
advocate the annexation of the island. It is a serious problem."

"I am not urging that," Arkwright interrupted anxiously; "the
Cubans themselves do not agree as to that, and in any event it is an
afterthought. Our object now should be to prevent further bloodshed. If
you see a man beating a boy to death, you first save the boy's life
and decide afterward where he is to go to school. If there were any one
else, senator," Arkwright continued earnestly, "I would not trouble you.
But we all know your strength in this country. You are independent and
fearless, and men of both parties listen to you. Surely, God has given
you this great gift of oratory, if you will forgive my speaking so, to
use only in a great cause. A grand organ in a cathedral is placed there
to lift men's thoughts to high resolves and purposes, not to make people
dance. A street organ can do that. Now, here is a cause worthy of your
great talents, worthy of a Daniel Webster, of a Henry Clay."

The senator frowned at the fire and shook his head doubtfully.

"If they knew what I was down there for," he asked, "wouldn't they put
me in prison too?"