ck to-night. My spirit is tired, tired. Give me the day
for the finding of my truer self. I doubt whether the elements which
this terrible shock has brought to the surface can be trusted to pass
sanely upon matters of such vast importance."

Earl accepted the suggestion and departed.

During that day the two busiest brains in all the world, perhaps, were
the brains of these two Negroes: Earl, arranging for the successful
carrying out of his plans, and Ensal fortifying himself for events which
he knew would largely affect the destiny of his people. He knew not the
details nor even the direction of Earl's plans, but he knew that Earl
was every inch a soldier and that the blood of some of the mightiest
captains of the English speaking people was coursing through his veins.

CHAPTER XXII.

_The Two Pathways._

The day wore on, and about dusk Earl returned to Ensal's home, and the
two at once entered upon the consideration of the grave matter that was
to be the subject of their conference.

"Before giving my plan, Ensal, I will present the course of reasoning
that leads me up to the conclusion that it is the one path to pursue,"
began Earl.

"So do," said Ensal.

"The men and women," began Earl, "who moulded the sentiment that led to
our emancipation and enfranchisement, who set in motion the influences
that have tended toward our general uplift, are fast passing away. I am
told that the younger generation now coming into power in the North is
not as enthusiastic over the matter of helping us as were their fathers.
As I see the matter, several influences are at work producing these
changes.

"First: A very natural desire on the part of Northern people to be on
more pleasant terms with their blood relations of the South.

"Second: The moving of whites from the South to the North, where, in
social circles from which Negroes are debarred, they mould sentiment
against the Negro. There are more than one million five hundred thousand
Southern white people in the North.

"Third: Among the Negroes going North there is a shiftless, criminal
element, whose tendency downward is aided by the prejudice against
Negroes in labor circles of the North. This class of Negroes in some
parts of the North almost monopolizes the attention of the criminal
courts and the result is an erroneous opinion with regard to the race as
a whole.

"Fourth: There is a decided drift of Northern capital to the South. The
greater the holdi