The seats were filled long before the hour set for the meeting and every
available foot of standing room was occupied, the corridors of the
building were filled, and the streets outside were thronged with groups
discussing the possibility of some settlement in low and earnest tones,
broken now and then by some strident note of contention or sullen growl
of hate. Knowing the interest in the movement throughout the quarter
where I lived, and having some curiosity besides to hear what Coll
McSheen and the Rev. Dr. Capon had to say, I went early in company with
Wolffert and John Marvel, the former of whom was absolutely sceptical,
the latter entirely hopeful of permanent results. Wolffert's eyes glowed
with a deep but lambent flame as he spoke of "Dr. Caiaphas." On arrival
at the hall he left us and moved to the front rows. The crowd on the
platform represented the leaders in many departments of business in the
city, among whom were a fair sprinkling of men noted for their
particular interest in all public charities and good works, and in a
little group to one side, a small body composed of the more conservative
element among the leaders of the workingmen in the city. The whole
affair had been well worked up and on the outside it gave a fair promise
of success. A number of boxes were filled with ladies interested in the
movement and I had not been in the hall five minutes before I discovered
Eleanor Leigh in one of the boxes, her face grave, but her eyes full of
eager expectation. It was with a sinking of the heart that I reflected
on the breach between us, and I fear that I spent my time much more in
considering how I should overcome it than in plans to relieve the
distress of others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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