which way the storm's coming from and what it will be."

"What a pessimist you are!" laughed Selma.

"That's why the Workingmen's League has a thick-and-thin membership of
thirteen hundred and fifty," replied Victor. "That's why the New Day
has twenty-two hundred paying subscribers. That's why we grow faster
than the employers can weed our men out and replace them with
immigrants and force them to go to other towns for work."

"Well, anyhow," said the girl, "no matter what happens we can't be
weeded out."

Victor shook his head. "Our danger period has just begun," he replied.
"The bosses realize our power. In the past we've been annoyed a little
from time to time. But they thought us hardly worth bothering with.
In the future we will have to fight."

"I hope they will prosecute us," said Selma. "Then, we'll grow the
faster."

"Not if they do it intelligently," replied Victor. "An intelligent
persecution--if it's relentless enough--always succeeds. You forget
that this isn't a world of moral ideas but of force.... I am afraid of
Dick Kelly. He is something more than a vulgar boss. He SEES. My
hope is that he won't be able to make the others see. I saw him a
while ago. He was extremely polite to me--more so than he ever has
been before. He is up to something. I suspect----"

Victor paused, reflecting. "What?" asked Selma eagerly.

"I suspect that he thinks he has us." He rose, preparing to go out.
"Well--if he has--why, he has. And we shall have to begin all over
again."

"How stupid they are!" exclaimed the girl. "To fight us who are simply
trying to bring about peaceably and sensibly what's bound to come about
anyhow."

"Yes--the rain is bound to come," said Victor. "And we say, 'Here's an
umbrella and there's the way to shelter.' And they laugh at OUR
umbrella and, with the first drops plashing on their foolish faces,
deny that it's going to rain."

The Workingmen's League, always first in the field with its ticket, had
been unusually early that year. Although it was only the first week in
August and the election would not be until the third of October, the
League had nominated. It was a ticket made up entirely of skilled
workers who had lived all their lives in Remsen City and who had
acquired an independence--Victor Dorn was careful not to expose to the
falling fire of the opposition any of his men who could be ruined by
the loss of a job or could be compelled to leave town in sea