lines, and against its rich dark
purple folds her strong, white hands lay in vivid contrast. The most
wonderful charm of her personality was her complete absorption in
thought, or the speech of her visitor. She was interested in this
keen-eyed, strong-limbed young fellow as a possible convert and
reformer. She wanted to state herself clearly and fully to him. He was
a fine listener.

"I'm afraid I see a tendency that is directly away from my ideal of a
farming community. There is a force operating to destroy the grange and
all other such movements."

"You mean politics?"

"No, I mean land monopoly. I believe in thickly settled farming
communities, communities where every man has a small, highly cultivated
farm. That's what I've been advocating and prophesying, but I now begin
to see that our system of ownership in land is directly against this
security, and directly against thickly-settled farming communities. The
big land owners are swallowing up the small farmers, and turning them
into renters or laborers. Don't you think so?"

"I hadn't though of it before, but I guess that's so--up in our county,
at least."

"It's so everywhere I've been. I don't understand it yet, but I'm going
to. In the meantime I am preaching union and education. I don't see the
end of it, but I know"--Here she threw off her doubt--"I know that the
human mind cannot be chained. I know the love of truth and justice
cannot be destroyed, and marches on from age to age, and that's why I
am full of confidence. The farmer is beginning to compare his mortgaged
farm with the banker's mansion and his safe, and no one can see the end
of his thinking. The great thing is his thinking."

She arose and gave him her hand. "I'm glad you came in. Give my regards
to Mr. Deering and other friends, won't you? Tell them not to think I'm
not working because I'm no longer their lecturer. You ought to be in
the field. Will you read something which I'll send?" she asked, the
zeal of the reformer getting the upper hand again.

"Certainly. I should be very glad to."

"I'll send you some pamphlets I've been reading." Her voice seemed to
say the interview was ended, but Bradley did not go. He was struggling
to speak. After a significant pause, he said in a low voice:

"I'd--I'd like to write to you--if you don't--mind."

Her eyes widened just a line, but they did not waver. "I should like to
hear from you," she said cordially. "I'd like to know what you think of