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might carry him off in a fit of rage。''
Jane observed him with curiosity in the light streaming from the front hall。 ‘‘You're a very practical person aren't you？'' she said。
‘‘No romance； no idealism； you mean？''
‘‘Yes。''
He laughed in his plain； healthy way。 ‘‘Not a frill；'' said he。 ‘‘I'm interested only in facts。 They keep me busy enough。''
‘‘You're not married； are you？''
‘‘Not yet。 But I shall be as soon as I find a woman I want。''
‘‘IF you can get her。''
‘‘I'll get her； all right；'' replied he。 ‘‘No trouble about that。 The woman I want'll want me。''
‘‘I'm eager to see her；'' said Jane。 ‘‘She'll be a queer one。''
‘‘Not necessarily；'' said he。 ‘‘But I'll make her a queer one before I get through with herqueer； in my sense； meaning sensible and useful。''
‘‘You remind me so often of Victor Dorn； yet you're not at all like him。''
‘‘We're in the same businesstrying to make the human race fit to associate with。 He looks after the minds； I look after the bodies。 Mine's the humbler branch of the business； perhapsbut it's equally necessary； and it comes first。 The chief thing that's wrong with human nature is bad health。 I'm getting the world ready for Victor。''
‘‘You like him？''
‘‘I worship him；'' said Charlton in his most matter…of… fact way。
‘‘Yet he's just the opposite of you。 He's an idealist。''
‘‘Who told you that？'' laughed Charlton。 ‘‘He's the most practical； sensible man in this town。 You people think he's a crank because he isn't crazy about money or about stepping round on the necks of his fellow beings。 The truth is； he's got a sense of proportion and a sense of humorand an idea of a rational happy life。 You're still barbarians； while he's a civilized man。 Ever seen an ignorant yap jeer when a neat； clean； well… dressed person passed by？ Well； you people jeering at Victor Dorn are like that yap。''
‘‘I agree with you；'' said Jane hastily and earnestly。
‘‘No； you don't；'' replied Charlton； tossing away the end of his cigarette。 ‘‘And so much the worse for you。 Good…night； lady。''
And away he strode into the darkness； leaving her amused； yet with a peculiar sense of her own insignificance。
Charlton was back again early the next morning and spent that dayand a large part of many days there… afterin working at the wreck； Martin Hastings； inspecting known weak spots； searching for unknown ones； patching here and there； trying all the schemes teeming in his ingenious and supremely sensible mind in the hope of setting the wreck afloat again。 He could not comprehend why the old man remained alive。 He had seen many a human being go who was in health； in comparison with this conglomerate of diseases and frailties； yet life there was； and a most tenacious life。 He worked and watched； and from day to day put off suggesting that they telegraph for the son。 The coming of his son might shake Martin's conviction that he would get well； it seemed to Charlton that that conviction was the one thread holding his patient from the abyss where darkness and silence reign supreme。
Jane could not leave the grounds。 If she had she would have seen Victor Dorn either not at all or at a distance。 For the campaign was now approaching its climax。
The public man is always two wholly different personalities。 There is the man the public seesand fancies it knows。 There is the man known only to his intimates； known imperfectly to them； perhaps an unknown quantity even to himself until the necessity for decisive action reveals him to himself and to those in a position to see what he really did。 Unfortunately； it is not the man the public sees but the hidden man who is elected to the office。 Nothing could be falser than the old saw that sooner or later a man stands revealed。 Sometimes； as we well know； history has not found out a man after a thousand years of studying him。 And the most familiar； the most constantly observed men in public life often round out a long career without ever having aroused in the public more than a faint and formless suspicion as to the truth about them。
The chief reason for this is that； in studying a character； no one is content with the plain and easy way of reaching an understanding of itthe way of looking only at its ACTS。 We all love to dabble in the metaphysical； to examine and weigh motives and intentions； to compare ourselves and make wildly erroneous judgment inevitable by listening to the man's WORDShis professions； always more or less dishonest； though perhaps not always deliberately so。
In that Remsen City campaign the one party that could profit by the full and clear truth； and therefore was eager for the truth as to everything and everybody； was the Workingmen's League。 The Kelly crowd； the House gang； the Citizens' Alliance； all had their ugly secrets； their secret intentions different from their public professions。 All these were seeking office and power with a view to increasing or perpetuating or protecting various abuses； however ardently they might attack； might perhaps honestly intend to end； certain other and much smaller abuses。 The Workingmen's League said that it would end every abuse existing law did not securely protect； and it meant what it said。
Its campaign fund was the dues paid in by its members and the profits from the New Day。 Its financial books were open for free inspection。 Not so the othersand that in itself was proof enough of sinister intentions。
Under Victor Dorn's shrewd direction； the League candidates published； each man in a sworn statement； a complete description of all the property owned by himself and by his wife。 ‘‘The character of a man's property；'' said the New Day； ‘‘is an indication of how that man will act in public affairs。 Therefore； every candidate for public trust owes it to the people to tell them just what his property interests are。 The League candidates do thisand an effective answer the schedules make to the charge that the League's candidates are men who have ‘no stake in the community。' Now； let Mr。 Sawyer； Mr。 Hull； Mr。 Galland and the rest of the League's opponents do likewise。 Let us read how many shares of water and ice stock Mr。 Sawyer owns。 Let us hear from Mr。 Hull about his traction holdingsthose of the Hull estate from which he draws his entire income。 As for Mr。 Galland； it would be easier for him to give the list of public and semi…public corporations in which he is not largely interested。 But let him be specific； since he asks the people to trust him as judge between them and those corporations of which he is almost as large an owner as is his father…in…law。''
This line of attackand the publication of the largest contributors to the Republican and Democratic… Reform campaign fundcaused a great deal of public and private discussion。 Large crowds cheered Hull when he； without doing the charges the honor of repeating them； denounced the ‘‘undignified and demagogic methods of our desperate opponents。'' The smaller Sawyer crowds applauded Sawyer when he waxed indignant over the attempts of those ‘‘socialists and anarchists； haters of this free country and spitters upon its glorious flag； to set poor against rich； to destroy our sple