Jed looked down at his wriggling captive. "He"s--he"s--" he stammered. "Well, you see, Major, he . . . Hum . . . well, I"m afraid I can"t tell you."
"You can"t tell me! What on earth-- Mrs. Armstrong, will you tell me?"
She looked at him appealingly, pitifully, but she shook her head.
"I--I can"t," she said.
He looked from one to the other. Then, with a shrug, he turned to the door.
"Pardon me for interrupting," he observed. "Good afternoon."
It was Ruth who detained him. "Oh, please!" she cried, involuntarily.
He turned again.
"You wish me to stay?" he asked.
"Oh--oh, I don"t know. I--"
She had not finished the sentence; she was falteringly trying to finish it when Mr. Babbitt took the center of the stage. Once more he managed to free himself from Jed"s grip and this time he darted across the shop and put the workbench between himself and his enemy.
"I"ll tell you what it is," he screamed. "I"ve found out some things they don"t want anybody to know, that"s what. I"ve found out what sort of folks they are, she and her brother. He"s a common-- Let go of me! By--"
The scream ended in another mumble. Jed had swarmed over the bench and once more pinned him fast.
"You"ll have to excuse me, Major," he panted. "I--I can"t help it.
This feller"s got what ailed the parrot--he talks too darn much.
He"s got to stop! He"s GOT to!"
But Grover was paying little attention. He was looking at Ruth.
"Mrs. Armstrong," he asked, "has he been saying--saying things he should not say about you? Is that the trouble?"
She answered without returning his look.
"Yes," she said, almost in a whisper. "About me and--and my-- Yes, that was it."
The Major"s eyes flashed. "Let go of him, Jed," he commanded. Jed hesitated.
"If I do he"ll blow up again," he said.
"Let go of him."
Jed let go. Phineas caught his breath and opened his mouth. Major Grover stepped in front of him and leveled a forefinger straight at the crimson Babbitt nose.
"Stop!" he ordered, sharply.
"Stop? What right have you got to tell me to stop? By--"
"Stop! Listen to me. I don"t know what you"ve been saying about this lady--"
"I ain"t been saying anything, except what I know, and that is that--"
"Stop! And I don"t care. But I know about you, sir, because it is my business to know. The Government has had its eye on you for some time and it has asked me to look into your record. I have looked into it. You are not a very dangerous person, Mr. Babbitt, but that is because of your lack of ability to harm, not because of any good will on your part toward the United States. You have done all the harm you could, you have talked sedition, you"ve written and talked against the draft, you have corresponded with German agents in Boston and New York."
"That"s a lie."
"No, it"s the truth. I have copies of your letters and the Government has the originals. They are not very dangerous, but that is because you are not big enough to be dangerous. The authorities have left you pretty much to my discretion, sir. It rests with me whether to have you taken in charge and held for trial or merely to warn you and watch you. Very well. I warn you now and you may be certain that you are watched. You"ll stop your silly, seditious talk at once and you"ll write no more letters like those I have seen. If you do it will be a prison term for you as sure as I stand here. Do you understand?"
Apparently Phineas understood. His face was not as red as it had been and there was a different look in his eye. Jed"s rough handling had not frightened him, but the Major"s cold, incisive tones and the threat of a term in prison had their effect.
Nevertheless he could still bl.u.s.ter.
"You can"t talk to me that way," he sputtered. "I--I ain"t scared of you even if you are all dressed up in fuss and feathers like a hand-organ monkey. This is a free country."
"Yes, it is. For decent people it is absolutely free. The other sort have to be put where they can"t interfere with that freedom.
Whether you, Babbit, remain free or not depends entirely upon what you do--and say. Is this perfectly clear?"
Phineas did not answer the question directly. For a moment he stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching, and his eyes snapping. Then he turned away.
"All right," he said, sullenly. "I hear what you say. Now I can go, I presume likely--unless you"ve got some more lyin" and bullyin" to do. Get out of my way, Shavin"s, you fool."
But Grover had not finished with him.
"Just a minute," he said. "There is one thing more. I don"t know what it is, and I don"t wish to know, but evidently you have been saying, or threatening to say, something concerning this lady, Mrs.
Armstrong, which should not be said. You are not to mention her name. Do you understand that?"
The little hardware dealer almost jumped from the floor as his rage again got the better of him.
"The blazes I ain"t!" he shrieked. "Who says I ain"t? Is that any of your business, Mr.--Mr. Bra.s.s Monkey? What"s you or the United States gov"ment got to say about my mentionin" names? To the devil with the United States and you, too! You hear that?"
Major Grover smiled. "Yes," he said, quietly. "I hear it. So does Mr. Winslow here, and Mrs. Armstrong. They can be called as witnesses if it is necessary. You had better let me finish, Babbitt. As I say, you are not to mention Mrs. Armstrong"s name, you are not to repeat or circulate any scandal or story reflecting upon her character--"
"Or her brother"s either," put in Jed, eagerly. "Tell him he can"t talk against Charlie, either."
"Certainly. You are not to repeat or circulate anything derogatory to the character of either Mrs. Armstrong or Mr. Phillips. In any way derogatory."
Phineas tossed both fists in the air.
"You can"t order me around that way," he yelled. "Besides, if you knew what I know about that gang you"d--"
"Hush! I don"t want to know anything you know--or pretend to know.
As for ordering you about--well, we"ll see."
"I tell you you can"t. You ain"t got the right."
"Perhaps not. But I have the right to use my discretion--my judgment in your case. And my judgment is that if I hear one scandalous story about town reflecting upon the character of Mrs.
Armstrong or her brother--yes, or her friends--I shall know who is responsible and I shall have you arrested and held for trial as an enemy of the country. You condemned the United States to the devil only a moment ago in my hearing. Do you think that would help you in court, Babbitt? I don"t."
The little man"s face was a sight. As Jed said afterward, he looked as if he would have enjoyed biting his way out of the shop.