Didactic fiction; Political fiction; Social problems -- Fiction
"I haven't anything to do with their news nor their advertising, nor
with Mr. Karner's politics--I've been talking to working girls as hard
as I know how for the last two years. Suddenly I get a chance to speak
louder, so that thousands will hear. I might just as well refuse to
speak in some of the East Side halls, because on other nights they are
used for rotten dances."
"Oh, Yetta," he broke in, "you don't know what you are doing. I know it
isn't the salary that makes you do it. But that's sure to be big. And
Karner's not a philanthropist; he's not giving you money for nothing.
He's buying something. You've got to give him his money's worth. He's
buying your name. He's after circulation. He's using your name--have you
seen the posters? He's using your popularity, Yetta, to sell his dirty
paper to our people. He's paying you to persuade our working girls to
read the filthiest paper in New York. Yetta, you don't realize what it
means. It's a sort of betrayal--"
"Are you through?" she interrupted angrily.
"No, I'm not. I've got to say it all. Not because it's you and me,
Yetta, but Comrade to Comrade, because we're both Socialists. They won't
let you say what you want to. No capitalist paper could, least of all
this rotten one. If the class struggle means anything at all, it means
that they are our enemies. They won't pay you to fight against them.
They'll tie you up with some sort of a contract and gag you. They are
bribing you, fooling you with the promise of a big audience. But they
won't--can't--let you say what you believe."
"Mr. Braun," she said, trying hard to keep her temper, but at the same
time to annihilate him, "I've talked this over with a number of friends.
They all urged me to accept. So you see there is room for difference of
opinion. You are the only one who has opposed it. Much as I respect your
opinion in most matters, in this case I must--"
"No. You must not!" he stormed, jumping up and losing control of himself
more than ever before. "I say you must not."
"What right have you--"
"Right? Who's got a better right? You know I love you. I'd rather a
thousand times see myself disgraced than you, Yetta. What do Mabel Train
and the other women care? They see a chance to advertise their pet
scheme. What do they care about your reputation, your self-respect? They
think it will be good for their little Trade Union League. But I see
you, Yetta--selling yourself to a bunch of crooks--not being able to do
the good you want to--and always with the shame of it on you! Oh, it's
too terrible."
He sank down in the chair, his head in his hands. Yetta's hard words
melted as she saw how he was suffering.
"I'm sorry we can't agree on this, Comrade," she said. "We do on most
things. Of course I may be making a mistake. But I've got to do what
seems right to me--haven't I?"
"Yetta," he said, looking up at her suddenly, "are you in love with
Walter Longman?"
She stiffened up at the question, but Isadore cut short her indignation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account