Still Jim

by Honoré Morrow

  CHAPTER XXVI

  THE END OF THE SILENT CAMPAIGN

  "The dream in them of a greater good lifts humans from the level of brutes. Take this dream from them and they are like quenched comets."

  MUSINGS OF THE ELEPHANT.

  It was Oscar's turn to get to his feet. "Manning," he said, "ain't youlearned your lesson yet? Who was it kicked me out of the dirty politicalscrape I was getting into and made me see straight? Huh? Who was it?Well, it was my wife. And who woke my wife up? It was Mrs. Pen, wasn'tit? And who, by your own admission, showed you things you'd been seeingcrooked all your life? Huh? 'Twas Mrs. Pen, wasn't it? You're asmoss-bound in lots of ways as a farmer. Now I've learned my lesson. I'mwilling to admit that women folks has got intuitions that beat our fineideas all hollow. She may not do us any good. But I want to know whatshe thinks about things. I'll be yelling votes for women next. Gimme heraddress. I'm going to send her a night message they'll have to use anadding machine to count the words in."

  "What can be done in a week?" asked Jim, with his first show ofirritation. "I won't have her bothered, I tell you."

  "Still Jim," said Uncle Denny, "do you suppose she's thought of anythingelse but the situation out here, excepting, of course, poor Sara? AndPen's Irish! Even long distance fighting has charms for her."

  Henderson looked at Jim's dark circled eyes and his compressed lips. "Goto bed, Boss," he said in his tender voice. "See if you can't get somesleep. You have done your best. Is there anyone in the valley you ain'tseen yet?"

  "Two or three," said Jim.

  "See them," said Henderson. "We are going to put up a fight to keep youhere, Mr. Manning."

  Jim started for his bedroom door, then he came back and said slowly: "Idon't want you fellows to misunderstand me. I'm the least important itemin this matter. I admit that it's crucifying me to leave the dam, butthere is no doubt they can find a better man than I am for the job. Iwoke up too late. You folks must keep on in one last fight againstFleckenstein. For Fleckenstein stands for repudiation. Repudiation meansthe undermining of the basic principle of the Reclamation Service. Andthe loss of that principle means the loss of the Projects as a greatworking ideal for America. It was that principle that was the realkernel of the New England dream in this country. We've got to work notso much for equality in freedom as for equality in responsibility to thenation. Don't waste a moment on keeping me here. Make one last effort todefeat Fleckenstein."

  Then Jim went into his room and closed the door.

  When he had gone, Murphy said in a low voice: "It's too late to lickFleckenstein. Are we going to lie down on the Boss losing his job,boys?"

  "Not till I've beaten the face off Fleckenstein," said Henderson,softly.

  "I want to get in touch with Mrs. Pen," said Oscar Ames.

  "Aw, forget it, Ames!" said Murphy. "I don't doubt she's a smart girl,but this is no suffragette meeting."

  "Don't try to start anything," said Oscar. "Wait till you're married forthirty years like me and maybe you'll have learned a thing or two."

  "Don't quarrel, boys," said Uncle Denny. "Me heart is like lead withinme. How can I think of Jim as anywhere but with the Service?"

  "If he goes, I go," said Henderson. "The only reason I stayed up on theMakon was because of him. What's the matter with the wooden heads inthis country? I'd like to be fool killer for a year."

  Murphy was chewing his cigar. "You'd have to commit suicide if you was,"he said. "I've tried everything against Fleckenstein except the one wayto swing votes in America and that's with whiskey or dollars. Under thecircumstance we can't use either. I'm going to turn in. I'm at the endof my rope."

  Henderson followed Murphy to the door. Oscar Ames forgot to lower hisvoice. He squared his big shoulders and shouted: "You blame quitters! Iain't ashamed to ask women for ideas if you are. The women got me intothis fight and I'll bet they get me out."

  He nodded belligerently at Uncle Denny and strode out into the night.Uncle Denny, left alone in the living room, stood long on the hearthrug,talking to himself and now and again shaking his head despondently.

  "I mind how after he found himself, he was always making trails in frontof the old fireplace in the brownstone front. I mind how he first heardof the Reclamation Service. 'How'd you like that, Uncle Denny,' he said,'James Manning, U.S.R.S.' What'll he do now, poor lad?

  "Thank God his father's dead, for if he felt worse than I do he'd killhimself. No! No! I'll not say that! He'd have felt like meself that'twas worth all the sorrow to hear Still put his idea ahead of himselfas he did tonight. That's the test of a man's sincerity. And in herheart, his mother'll be glad. She's always worried lest he get killed onone of his dams, bless her heart."

  Uncle Denny moved about the room, closing the door and putting away thecigars. He picked Jim's hat off the floor and patted it softly as hehung it up.

  "What'll he do now, poor boy?" he murmured. Then he turned out the lightand went to bed.

  Jim received a message the next morning, saying that a certain HerrGluck would reach the dam that afternoon.

  "And who is he?" asked Uncle Denny.

  "He's an engineer the German government is sending over to see some ofthe stunts I've been doing on the dam," said Jim. "I'll show him round,then I'll turn him over to you for the hour before supper. I want to seeold Miguel, who is coming up to the dam."

  "I'm itching to lay hands on him. Does he speak English?"

  Jim laughed. "Better than I do. He's written me a couple of times."

  Jim brought Herr Gluck in over the great road. The German was full ofenthusiasm. "Blasted from solid rock! How not like America! This wasbuilt for the future! How did you come to do it?"

  Jim smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

  "You belong not to this country," Herr Gluck went on, "you belong to theold world where they build for their descendants."

  Jim thoroughly enjoyed the long afternoon on the dam with the German.Herr Gluck's questions were searching and invigorating. They took Jimout of himself and he showed Herr Gluck a scientific knowledge andenthusiasm that few people were fitted to appreciate.

  At five o'clock Jim took Herr Gluck up to his house and turned him overto Uncle Denny. The rotund, flaxen-haired German and the rotund,gray-haired Irishman took stock of each other. Uncle Denny moved twochairs before the open door.

  Herr Gluck sat down. "Himmel! What beauty!" he exclaimed, as the faintlavender distances with the far mountains flashing sunset gold met hisgaze. "Not strange that Mr. Manning has enthusiasm."

  Uncle Denny sighed in a relieved way as if he had catalogued thenewcomer.

  "They say," said Dennis, "that a man must close his soul to the BigCountry or else he will become great or go mad. And do you think me boyhas done good work here, Herr Gluck?"

  The German made some extraordinary rings of smoke and nodded his headslowly. "He has done some daring things well that may not be great inthemselves, but they show imagination. That is the point. He hasimagination. Many are the engineers who are accurate, who aretrustworthy, but imagination, creative ability, no! You observe theshape of his head, his jaw, his hands--the dreamer, urged into action.And the impudence of his sand-cement idea! In my country we dare makeour concrete only very rich. He shows me this afternoon that dilutedrightly with sand, cement can be made stronger." Herr Gluck chuckleddelightedly.

  Uncle Denny almost purred. "He was so as a lad. He was captain of hisschool football teams because he could think of more wild tactics thanall the rest of them put together. And always got away with them,looking sad and never an unnecessary word."

  Herr Gluck nodded. "He is so valuable here that I think it not possibleI get him to come to Germany yet?"

  Michael Dennis got red in the face and took a long breath. "But theydon't appreciate him here. He's been asked to resign in a few days now."

  The German's round eyes grew rounder. "Nein! And why? Has he got intofoolishness? He is young, they must remember.
"

  "It's a long tale," said Uncle Denny, "but I'll tell it to you," and heplunged into the story of the Project.

  Herr Gluck listened breathlessly.

  "And so you see," Dennis ended, "that for all he has done he feels he'sfailed, for everything the dam has stood for in his mind has come tonaught. And that's a bad feeling for a man as young as Jim. He'll neverreadjust himself, Jim won't. He can get another job but his life's bigdream will have gone to smash. His inspiration will be gone. And whatwill he do then, poor boy?"

  "But it's impossible," persisted Herr Gluck. "He's a valuable man. It isnot possible they would dismiss him. Some day when he is older he willdo great things your country can't afford to lose. What is the matterwith your Head of the Service?"

  "Impossible!" snorted Uncle Denny. "Impossible! The word is not in thevocabulary of the American politician. The Director is all right, a fineclean fellow. But he can't help himself. It's either Jim or the Projectto be smirched. They won't be satisfied, the politicians, till they getthe Service attached to the Spoils system. What do they care forscientific achievement? Soul of me soul! I'd like to be Secretary of theInterior for fifteen minutes. I'd discharge everyone in the Department,ending with meself."

  Herr Gluck was visibly excited. "I tell you it is not possible! He's agreat engineer in the making? They cannot know it or they would not sodo."

  Uncle Denny lost patience. "I'm telling you it is so! Don't you knowthat nothing is impossible to ignorant men?" he shouted. "Didn'tignorance crucify Christ? Didn't the ignorant make Galileo deny hisworld was round? Didn't ignorance burn Joan of Arc at the stake? Everyadvance the world has made has been with bloody footsteps. Don't wealways kill the man in the vanguard and use his body as a bridge tocross the gulf of our own fear and ignorance? I tell you, I fearignorance!"

  Herr Gluck rose and shook his plump fist in Uncle Denny's face. "Thoseare days gone by in my country," he roared. "They may be true in thisraw land or in besotted Ireland, but in the Fatherland we worship brain.Do not include the Fatherland in your recriminations! Once in a whileyou accomplish great things in your foolish country here with itshysteria and frothing and bubbling. But come to my country if you wouldsee the quiet patient advance of noble science with scientists reveredlike kings."

  "There were colleges in Ireland," shouted Uncle Denny, "when yourancestors were wearing fur breech clouts and using cairns for books!"

  Jim came slowly up the trail and Uncle Denny and Herr Gluck sat down alittle sheepishly. Herr Gluck did not waste any time in preliminaries asJim came in the door.

  "Your Uncle tells me of the trouble here on the dam," he said. "Mygovernment is undertaking some great work which I will describe to you.We will make you a formal offer if you will it consider."

  Jim sat down in the doorway, pulled off his hat and looked up into theGerman's face. Herr Gluck concisely and clearly outlined the work. Jimlistened intently, then as Herr Gluck finished and waited for Jim'sanswer, the young engineer looked away.

  He saw the Elephant dominating the river and desert, guarding andwaiting--for what? Jim wondered. He saw the far road that he had built,winding into the dim mountains. For a long time he sat battling withhimself in the flood of emotion that rose within him. It really hadcome, he realized, with Herr Gluck's offer. He actually was to turn hiswork over to another man to finish. The two older men watched himintently.

  Finally Jim said: "The New England stock in this country isdisappearing, Herr Gluck. Perhaps we are no longer needed. At any ratewe haven't been strong enough to stay. This dam has been more than a damto me. It has meant something like, 'Anglo-Saxons; their mark; by JimManning.' Some other man will finish the dam quite as well as I, but Idon't think he will have my dream about it."

  Herr Gluck leaned forward and said: "We all are Teutons, one family.That is why we always have quarreled. But we understand each other. Cometo Germany and build for other Teutons, since they will not have youhere."

  "An expatriate! Poor dad!" muttered Jim. Then he said, in his quietdrawl, "I'll come, but you'll be getting only half a man."

  The German looked away. He was a scientist, yet he was of a nation thathad produced Goethe as well as Weismann and his heart was quick torespond to truth, shot with the rainbow tints of vision.

  "I know!" he said. "I know! Man needs the impulse of national pride andhonor behind his mind. There are those that claim that they achieve forhuman kind and not for their own race alone. But I doubt it. After all,Goethe spoke for Deutschland, Darwin spoke for England. Therefrom cametheir greatness. And yet if they will not have you here, dearfriend--Ach Himmel, I cannot urge thee! Come if thou wilt!"

  Herr Gluck broke off abruptly to turn to Uncle Denny. "Who is thehighest authority in this Service?"

  "The Secretary of the Interior," said Uncle Denny. "Come, we must eatsupper or Mrs. Flynn will be using force on us."

  Jim took Herr Gluck over to the midnight train. The German was veryquiet, but Jim was even more so. As Jim left him Herr Gluck said: "Keepa good heart, dear friend. I shall say a few truths myself before I havefinished."

  Jim shook hands heartily. "There is nothing to be done, Herr Gluck, butI'm grateful for your sympathy. You will hear from me about the newwork," and he drove off in the darkness, leaving Herr Gluck in the handsof the ranchers Marshall and Miguel, who had spent the afternoon andevening at the dam, and were going to Cabillo by train.

  Jim had received no answer from the Secretary of the Interior to hislast letter. He was a little puzzled and hurt. There had been oneflashing look pass between himself and the Secretary at the May hearingthat had stayed with Jim as though it had declared a friendship thatneeded neither words nor personal association to give it permanence. Jimhad counted on that friendship, not to save him his job, but to save hisidea. No answer had come to his letter. Jim believed that the story ofthe interview with Freet had finally destroyed the Secretary's faith inhis integrity.

  Pen had written a long letter jointly to Jim and Uncle Denny some twoweeks after leaving the dam. It was the first word they had had exceptthrough telegrams. Sara's will had been read. He had left Pen all hisproperty, which was enough to yield a living income for her. Penenclosed a copy of the note Sara had left her with his papers.

  "You have always felt bitter at my stinginess. But I knew that I couldnot live long and I wanted to repay you for your care of me. I did notspend an unnecessary cent nor did I let you. I have been ugly but itdidn't matter to you. I knew you didn't care for me and so I didn't tryto be decent."

  Uncle Denny shook his head over this note. "No human soul but has itswhite side, and there you are! I hope I'll never sit in judgment onanother human being."

  "Has she any comment on Sara's note?" asked Jim, who was resting on thecouch while Uncle Denny read the letter to him.

  Uncle Denny looked on the reverse side of the sheet. Pen had written:"This touches me very much. But when I consider the sources of poorSara's money I can't bear to touch it. I am arranging to give it to thehome for paralytic children. I hope that both of you will approve of mydoing so."

  The two men stared at each other and Jim said nothing. He was consumedby such a longing for Pen that he scarcely dared speak her name. ButUncle Denny nodded complacently and said:

  "You can always bet on Pen!"

  The day after Herr Gluck's visit there was to be a political rally ofthe Fleckenstein forces at Cabillo. To the great relief of Dennis andhis two henchmen, Jim made no move to attend the meeting. The firstconcrete pouring on the last section of the foundation was to be madethat day and Jim was engrossed with it. Fleckenstein was late in gettingto the meeting. This, too, was better luck than the three conspiratorshad hoped for. The meeting was made up almost entirely of farmers whowanted to hear Fleckenstein's last statement of his pledges.

  Before the chairman called the meeting to order, Oscar Ames mounted theplatform and asked permission to say a few words while the audiencewaited for Fleckenstein. Oscar then put forth the great effort of hislife.<
br />
  He squared his great shoulders and threw back his tawny head.

  "Fellow citizens, there is a great disgrace coming onto this community.You all know the Project engineer, James Manning. Well, there ain't beenanyone who's fought him harder or made him more trouble till lately thanI have. But lately, fellow citizens, I've got to know him. I tell youright now that he's the smartest fellow that ever come into these parts.He's got some ideas that I'm not smart enough myself to understand, butI do know enough to realize that if he gets a chance to carry them outhe'll make this Project the center of America!"

  Oscar paused and someone called, "Go it, Oscar! Throw her in to low andyou'll make it!"

  "Well, fellow citizens, Fleckenstein and his crowd and all the rest ofus, helping with kicks, have worked it so that Jim Manning has beenasked to resign. They tell him that he's so unpopular here that theService can't afford to keep him. Understand that? In other words, wefarmers are such fools that we can't appreciate a good man just becausehis ideas differ from ours. But we can go crazy over a man likeFleckenstein because he'll take the trouble to jolly us. Fellowcitizens, I ask you, are you going to sit by while the man that wouldmake this Project into a valley empire is kicked out?"

  Oscar stood for a moment glaring at his grinning hearers. Murphy climbedup beside him and shoved him aside.

  "Down with the Irish!" yelled someone.

  "You never paid me the fifty dollars you ran up for whiskey in mysaloon, Henry," replied Murphy.

  There was a roar of laughter and Murphy followed it quickly. "You allknow me. I was in the saloon business in this valley for twenty years.But not one of you can say I wasn't on the straight all that time. Thenearest I ever come to doing a man dirt was up in the dam. I was runninga saloon just off the Reserve and Big Boss Manning jumped me and made meclean out my own joint. I was mad and I went up to the Greek there, whosince is dead, for I heard the Greek was backed by Big Money with whichhe backed Fleckenstein to do the Service. Says I to myself, I'll helpthe Greek to do Manning.

  "But the Greek cursed me out as I'll stand from no man. Then they tookme to Manning and he treated me like a gentleman and asked me for myword of honor to keep off the Project. I know men. And I saw that thefellow I'd set out to do was a real man, carrying a load that was toobig for the likes of me to sabez and that it made him sad and lonely. Iwas sick of the saloon business, anyhow, and when I got his number, Iwas proud to have been licked by him. Do you get me? Proud! And I says,I'm his friend for life and I'll just keep an eye on the pikers who aretrying to do him.

  "And I have. You know me, boys. You know that after the priest and thedoctor it's the saloonkeeper that knows a man's number. Let me tell youthat Fleckenstein is a crook. He'll steal anything from a woman's honorto a water power site. He's playing you folks for suckers. He's havingeverything his own way. Charlie Ives is the only fellow who's had thenerve to run against Fleckenstein and he's a dead one.

  "And now Fleckenstein has done the Big Boss. He's made monkeys of youfarmers. He's got you to roasting Manning till you've ruined him. Andthey ain't one of us fit to black his boots. This Project is his life'sblood to him. There isn't anything he would[n't] sacrifice to itswelfare. And you're throwing him out. Ain't a man's sacrifice worthanything to you? Will you take his best and give him the Judas kiss inreturn? Are ye hogs or men?"

  There was an angry buzz in the room. Just as Uncle Denny started uponthe platform, a tall lank farmer whom the man next him had been nudgingviolently, rose.

  "My name's Marshall," he said, "and my friend Miguel here says I gottaget up and say the few things he and I agreed on last night. I'm mightysick of hearing us farmers called fools. And now even the women folkshave begun it. When our wives won't give us any peace maybe it's time wereformed our judgments. I'm willing to say that I think I've beenmistaken about Manning. He came over to my place for the first time afew weeks back. I never talked with him before or got a good look athim. Boys, a man don't get the look that that young fella has on hisface unless he's full of ideas that folks will kick him for. I felt kindof worked up about him then, but I didn't do anything.

  "Last night I rode down to Cabillo with a Dutchman, some big bug who'dbeen up at the dam. I'd just been up there with Miguel. He told us thatJim Manning is attracting notice in the old country by the work he'sdoing on this dam. And he roasted us as samples of fat cattle who'd leta man like Manning go. At least that's what I made out, for he was somad he talked Dutch a lot. Miguel and I made up our minds then that we'dgot in wrong. What has this fellow Fleckenstein ever done for us? Is hegoing to get us branded over the country as a bunch that'll jump anhonest debt? It looks to me as if Manning had done more for us than weknew. I'm willing to give Manning a new chance. I move we turn thismeeting into a Manning meeting and I move we send a petition to theSecretary of the Interior to keep Manning on the job."