When Benjamin Barriscale arose to make his address to an audience that packed the great drill-hall, he felt, as he did not often feel, that the occasion was worthy of the speaker. His efforts as chairman of the local Armory Board had been crowned with success. The concrete result of his energetic leadership and liberal personal gifts was before the eyes of his townsmen. It had been too often the case that people looked somewhat askance at his prominence in civic affairs, searching for the personal advantage that might lie back of it. But, in this instance, surely no one could impute to him other than the most unselfish and disinterested motives. He did not minimize his own public-spirit and liberality in his speech, though he gave due credit to his fellow-workers in the enterprise. And he congratulated the State and the State Armory Board on their foresight and vision in providing so handsome, spacious and complete a building to crown the site purchased and paid for by the citizens of Fairweather of whom he was proud to be one. “These patriotic and progressive young men of the National Guard,” he said, “deserve the best quarters that can be provided for them. With but little compensation save a sense of duty performed, they stand ready at any moment not only to defend the commonwealth and the country, but also to protect those property rights and that invested capital without which no community can prosper. In order to make the military arm of the State most effective, the ranks of the militia should be recruited from young men of good education, of good family, ready at all times to meet and quell that spirit of unrest which seeks to overthrow the present system of organized society. I intend that when my son arrives at an appropriate age he shall become a member of this company, ambitious to attain to leadership in it, and I hope that other young men of like social standing will be filled with similar aspirations.” When Mr. Barriscale bowed and resumed his seat on the platform, the applause that greeted him was scant and perfunctory. Somehow he seemed to have struck a wrong note. The audience did not appear to be enthusiastic either over his conception of the qualifications for membership in the Guard, or of the duty of the militia toward the public. Nor did his declaration that his own son should eventually be a Guardsman meet with the outburst of approval that he had expected. But there was little time for digesting his remarks. Captain McCormack, troubled and apprehensive over the turn affairs had taken, made haste to introduce as the next speaker the Governor of the commonwealth.