Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in CaliforniaDixon, Thomas, Jr.
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Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in California
Dixon, Thomas, Jr.
California -- Fiction; Socialism -- Fiction
Barbara's face lighted, and a slight blush suffused her cheeks as she
caught the look of admiring assent in Norman's expression.
"That will do, John," she said, firmly. "Mr. Wolf was very angry with
you yesterday."
"I'll remember, Miss Barbara," he repeated. "And God bless your dear
heart fer comin' by ter tell me."
"I suppose he has no people living who are interested in him?" Norman
asked, as they turned toward the Socialist hall.
"No. He came from a big mill town in the East. His children all died
before they were grown, and he landed here with his wife ten years
ago. When she died, he was sent to the poorhouse. He hasn't much mind,
but there's enough left to burst into flame at the memory of his
children being slowly ground to death by the wheels of those mills.
I've seen his dead soul start to life more than once as I've looked
into his face from our platform. What an awful thing to see dead men
walking about!"
"Yes. People who are dead and don't know it. I never thought of it
before." Norman exclaimed.
They stopped in front of a house with a scarlet light in the hall,
which threw its rays through a red-glass transom over a door of
coloured leaded glass. The shadows of evening had begun to fall, and
for the first time the girl showed a sign of hesitation and
embarrassment.
"I hate to ask you to go in here with me, and I'd hate worse to have
you see me go alone. Yet I have to do it. My work leads me."
"I'm going with you, whether you ask it or not," he firmly replied.
"Then words are useless," she said, simply, as she rang the bell.
A Negro maid opened the door, and smiled a look of recognition. "She
ain't no better, miss. She's been crying for you all day."
Barbara led the way up two flights of stairs to a small room in the
rear, and entered without knocking. With a bound she was beside the
bed on which lay a slender girl of nineteen. A mass of golden blond
hair was piled in confusion on the pillow, and a pair of big,
childish-looking blue eyes blinked at her through her tears.
"Oh! you've come at last! I'm so glad. It makes me strong to see you.
Your face shines so, Barbara! They say I can't live, but it's not so.
I shall live! I'm feeling better every day. It's nonsense. The doctors
haven't got any sense. I wish you'd get me one that knows something.
Won't you, dear?"
"My friend, Mr. Worth, who has called with me, has kindly agreed to
send you another doctor, little sister--that's why I brought him to
see you."
Norman extended his hand, and grasped the thin, cold one the girl
extended. He felt the chill of death in its icy touch as he stammered:
"I'll send him right away."
"Thank you," the girl replied, as a smile flitted about her weak
mouth. She turned to Barbara with a look of infinite tenderness.
"I knew you'd come, and I knew you'd save me. You're my angel! When I
dream at night, you're always hovering over me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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