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‘‘Dorn the carpenter；'' said Jane。 ‘‘YesI remember。'' Her face grew dreamy with the effort of memory。 ‘‘I see it all again。 And there was a boy with a very white face who knelt and held his head。''
‘‘That was Victor；'' said Hull。
‘‘YesI remember him。 He was a bad boyalways fighting and robbing orchards and getting kept after school。''
‘‘And he's still a bad boybut in a different way。 He's out against everything civilized and everybody that's got money。''
‘‘What does he do？ Keep a saloon？''
‘‘No； but he spends a lot of time at them。 I must say for him that he doesn't drinkand professes not to believe in drink。 When I pointed out to him what a bad example he set； loafing round saloons； he laughed at me and said he was spending his spare time exactly as Jesus Christ did。 ‘You'll find； Davy； old man；' he said； ‘if you'll take the trouble to read your Bible； that Jesus traveled with publicans and sinnersand a publican is in plain English a saloonkeeper。' ''
‘‘That was very originalwasn't it？'' said Jane。 ‘‘I'm interested in this man。 He'sdifferent。 I like people who are different。''
‘‘I don't think you'd like him； Victor Dorn；'' said David。
‘‘Don't you？''
‘‘Oh； yesin a way。 I admire him；'' graciously。 ‘‘He's really a remarkable fellow； considering his opportunities。''
‘‘He calls you ‘Davy； old man；' '' suggested Jane。
Hull flushed。 ‘‘That's his way。 He's free and easy with every one。 He thinks conventionality is a joke。''
‘‘And it is；'' cried Miss Hastings。
‘‘You'd not think so；'' laughed Hull； ‘‘if he called you Jane or Jenny or my dear Jenny half an hour after he met you。''
‘‘He wouldn't；'' said Miss Hastings in a peculiar tone。
‘‘He would if he felt like it；'' replied Hull。 ‘‘And if you resented it； he'd laugh at you and walk away。 I suspect him of being a good deal of a poseur and a fakir。 All those revolutionary chaps are。 But I honestly think that he really doesn't care a rap for classes or for moneyor for any of the substantial things。''
‘‘He sounds common；'' said Miss Hastings。 ‘‘I've lost interest in him。'' Then in the same breath： ‘‘How does he live？ Is he a carpenter？''
‘‘He wasfor several years。 You see； he and his mother together brought up the Dorn family after the father was killed。 They didn't get a cent of damages from the railroad。 It was an outrage''
‘‘But my father was the largest owner of the railroad。''
Hull colored violently。 ‘‘You don't understand about business； Jen。 The railroad is a corporation。 It fought the caseand the Dorns had no moneyand the railway owned the judge and bribed several jurors at each trial。 Dorn says that was what started him to thinking to being a revolutionistthough he doesn't call himself that。''
‘‘I should think it would！'' cried Miss Hastings。 ‘‘If my father had known'' She caught her breath。 ‘‘But he MUST have known！ He was on the train that day。''
‘‘You don't understand business； Jen。 Your father wouldn't interfere with the management of the corporation 。''
‘‘He makes money out of itdoesn't he？''
‘‘So do we all get money out of corporations that are compelled to do all sorts of queer things。 But we can't abolish the systemwe've got to reform it。 That's why I'm in politicsand want you''
‘‘Something must be done about that；'' interrupted Jane。 ‘‘I shall talk to father''
‘‘For heaven's sake； Jen；'' cried David in alarm； ‘‘don't tell your father I'VE been stirring you up。 He's one of the powers in politics in this State； and''
‘‘I'll not give you away； Davy；'' said Miss Hastings a little contemptuously。 ‘‘I want to hear more about this Victor Dorn。 I'll get that money for him and his mother。 Is he very poor？''
‘‘Wellyou'd call him poor。 But he says he has plenty。 He runs a small paper。 I think he makes about twenty…five dollars a week out of itand a little more out of lecturing。 Thenevery once in a while he goes back to his tradeto keep his hand in and enjoy the luxury of earning honest money； as he puts it。''
‘‘How queer！'' exclaimed Miss Hastings。 ‘‘I would like to meet him。 Is hevery ignorant？''
‘‘Oh； nono； indeed。 He's worked his way through collegeand law school afterward。 Supported the family all the time。''
‘‘He must be tremendously clever。''
‘‘I've given you an exaggerated idea of him；'' Davy hastened to say。 ‘‘He's really an ordinary sort of chap。''
‘‘I should think he'd get rich；'' said Miss Hastings。 ‘‘Most of the men that doso far as I've met them seem ordinary enough。''
‘‘He says he could get rich； but that he wouldn't waste time that way。 But he's fond of boasting。''
‘‘You don't think he could make moneyafter all he didgoing to college and everything？''
‘‘YesI guess he could；'' reluctantly admitted Davy。 Then in a burst of candor： ‘‘Perhaps I'm a little jealous of him。 If _I_ were thrown on my own resources； I'm afraid I'd make a pretty wretched showing。 Butdon't get an exaggerated idea of him。 The things I've told you sound romantic and unusual。 If you met himsaw him every dayyou'd realize he's not at allat least； not muchout of the ordinary。''
‘‘Perhaps；'' said Miss Hastings shrewdly； ‘‘perhaps I'm getting a better idea of him than you who see him so often。''
‘‘Oh； you'll run across him sometime；'' said Davy； who was bearing up no better than would the next man under the strain of a woman's interest in and excitement about another man。 ‘‘When you do； you'll get enough in about five minutes。 You see； he's not a gentleman 。''
‘‘I'm not sure that I'm wildly crazy about gentlemen AS gentlemen；'' replied the girl。 ‘‘Very few of the interesting people I've read about in history and biography have been gentlemen。''
‘‘And very few of them would have been pleasant to associate with；'' rejoined Hull。 ‘‘You'll admire Victor as I do。 But you'll feelas I dothat there's small excuse for a man who has been educated； who has associated with upper class people； turning round and inciting the lower classes against everything that's fine and improving。''
It was now apparent to the girl that David Hull was irritatedly jealous of this queer Victor Dorn was jealous of her interest in him。 Her obvious cue was to fan this flame。 In no other way could she get any amusement out of Davy's society； for his tendency was to be heavily seriousand she wanted no more of the too strenuous love making； yet wanted to keep him ‘‘on the string。'' This jealousy was just the means for her end。 Said she innocently： ‘‘If it irritates you； Davy； we won't talk about him。''
‘‘Not at allnot at all；'' cried Hull。 ‘‘I simply thought you'd be getting tired of hearing so much about a man you'd never known。''
‘‘But I feel as if I did know him；'' replied she。 ‘‘Your account of him was so vivid。 I thought of asking you to bring him to call。''
Hull laughed heartily。 ‘‘Victor Dorncalling！''
‘‘Why not？''
‘‘He doesn't do that sort of thing。 And if he did； how could I bring him here？''
‘‘Why not？''
‘‘Wellin the first place； you are a ladyand he is not in your class。 Of course； men can associate with each other in politics and business。 But the social side of lifethat's different。''
‘‘But a while ago you wer