f his invitation. Whereupon John Dexter accepted
the invitation and, girding up his loins, went as a strong man rejoicing
to run a race.

To what a judgment seat they summoned John Dexter! First, up spake
Commerce. "Dr. Dexter," said Commerce--Commerce always referred to John
Dexter as Doctor, though no Doctor was he and he knew it well, "Dr.
Dexter, we feel that your encouragement--hum--uhm--well, your patronage
of this man Adams, in his--well, shall we say incendiary--" a harsh word
is incendiary, so Commerce stopped and touched its graying side whiskers
reverently and patted its immaculate white necktie, and then went on:
"--well perhaps indiscreet will do!" With Commerce indeed there is no
vast difference between the indiscreet and the incendiary. "--indiscreet
agitation against the--well--uhm--the way we have to conduct business,
is--is regrettable,--at least regrettable!"

"Why?" interrupted John Dexter sharply, throwing Commerce sadly out of
balance. But the Law, which is the palladium of our liberties, answered
for Commerce in a slow snarling, "because he is preaching discontent."

"But Mr. Calvin," returned John Dexter quickly, "if any one would come
to town preaching discontent to Wright & Perry, showing them how to make
more money, to enlarge their profits, to rise among their fellow
merchants--would you refuse to give him audience in a pulpit?" The Law
did not deign to answer the preacher and then Industry took heart to
say, pulling its military goatee vigorously, and clearing its dear old
throat for a passage at arms: "'Y gory man, there's always been a
working class and they've always had to work like sixty and get the
worst of it, I guess, and they always will--what say? You can't improve
on the way the world is made. And when she's made, she's made--what say?
I tell you now, you're wasting your time on that class of people."

The antagonists looked into each other's kindly eyes. Industry
triumphing in its logic, the minister hunting in his heart for the soft
answer that would refute the logic without hurting its author.
"Captain," he said, "there was once a wiser than we who went about
preaching a new order, spreading discontent with injustice, whose very
mother was of the lowest industrial class."

"Yes--and you know what happened to Him," sneered the Courts, which are
the keystones of government in the structure of civilization. "And,"
continued the Courts, in a grand and superior voice, "you can't