It may help us to understand the change in Paul Manley if we shadow him
while he is in the company of Miss Molly Hazeltine. Paul had resolved
well; but a long course of conduct, as many can tell, is not stably
founded on any mere resolution. It must be founded on character; on
some one else's character, if need be, until repetition breeds habit in
the subject.
"Here's an ad in the paper today," said Molly, "that says, 'Corporation
formed complete for fifty-seven dollars.' That does not look as if a
corporation amounted to so much. What is a corporation anyway, Paul?"
"Gosh, Molly, you've got your asking clothes on today again! You
wouldn't know any more about these matters if I was to talk to you all
day."
"You know so many things that I don't," she said regretfully. "Oh,
Paul, I met the nicest fellow over at the church supper last night!
He's an instructor at Columbia, and he knows more than any man I ever
met, excepting you, Paul. I'll ask him, Paul, but he doesn't explain
half so nicely as you do."
"Well, I'm a practical business man," said Paul. "Naturally, I would
understand about practical matters better than any college professor.
Don't mind asking him, now."
"What is this here about Stormy Meeting In Board of Estimate? What do
they do?"
"I got to run along, Molly," said Paul, frowning at his watch. "See you
some more, Molly!"
That afternoon, in his free time, he strolled into the local Y. M.
C. A. reading room, to pass an hour with the magazines on file. He
read an exciting story of life among savages in the South Seas, and
another about a young man's great fight against a grasping corporation
in the Yukon country. These stories thrilled him, as ever, but the
thrill was not followed by the old reaction of dissatisfaction and
discouragement; he was learning that there was place and opportunity
for the most strenuous young man even in New York. He put the magazine
back in the rack, and sauntered to the bulletin-board.
"What's civics?" he inquired at the desk. "I see there's a course to be
given in that."
"It tells you all about Government. You ought to take that, and then
you'll know what you're voting about. It's free, except that you have
to buy the book."
"Put me down for it, will you?" requested Paul. "Lots of questions pop
into my mind about such things, and I can't think of the answer!"
One Sunday night Molly treated him to the performance at the Belvedere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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