"Now wouldn"t that jar you?" remarked the "copper." "Holy Christ, if you"d hear some of the nuts we have to listen to on street-corners!
What do you suppose that guy thinks he can do, dressed up in Abraham"s nightshirt?"
Said Carpenter: "The days of the exploiter are numbered. The thrones of the mighty are tottering, and the earth shall belong to them that labor. He that toils not, neither shall he eat, and they that grow fat upon the blood of the people--they shall grow lean again."
"Now what do you think o" that?" demanded the guardian of authority.
"If that ain"t regular Bolsheviki talk, then I"m dopy. I"ll bet the captain don"t stand much more of that."
Fortunately the captain"s endurance was not put to the test. The orator had reached the climax of his eloquence. "The kingdom of righteousness is at hand. The word will be spoken, the way will be made clear. Meantime, my people, I bid you go your way in peace. Let there be no more disturbance, to bring upon you the contempt of those who do not understand your troubles, nor share the heartbreak of the poor. My people, take my peace with you!" He stretched out his arms in invocation, and there was a murmur of applause, and the crowd began slowly to disperse.
Which seemed to remind my friend the policeman that he had authority to exercise. He began to poke his stick into the humped backs of poor Jewish tailors, and into the ample stomachs of fat Jewish housewives. "Come on now, get along with you, and let somebody else have a bit o" the street." I pushed my way forward, by virtue of my good clothes, and got through the press about Carpenter, and took him by the arm, saying, "Come on now, let"s see if we can"t get to the Labor Temple."
XXV
There was a crowd following us, of course; and I sought to keep Carpenter busy in conversation, to indicate that the crowd was not wanted. But before we had gone half a block I felt some one touch me on the arm, and heard a voice, saying, "I beg pardon, I"m a reporter for the "Evening Blare"."
Now, of course, I had known this must come; I had realized that I would be getting myself in for it, if I went to join Carpenter that morning. I had planned to warn him, to explain to him what our newspapers are; but how could I have foreseen that he was going to get into a riot before breakfast, and bring out the police reserves and the police reporters?
"Excuse us," I said, coldly. "We have something urgent--"
"I just want to get something of this gentleman"s speech--"
"We are on our way to the Labor Temple. If you will come there in a couple of hours, we will give you an interview."
"But I must have a story for our first edition, that goes to press before that."
I had Carpenter by the arm, and kept him firmly walking. I could not get rid of the reporter, but I was resolved to get my warning spoken, regardless of anything. Said I: "This is a matter extremely urgent for you to understand, Mr. Carpenter. This young man represents a newspaper, and anything you say to him will be read in the course of a few hours by perhaps a hundred thousand people. If it is found especially senational, the Continental Press may put it on its wires, and it will go to several hundred papers all over the country--"
"Twelve hundred and thirty-seven papers," corrected the young man.
"So you see, it is necessary that you should be careful what you say--far more so than if you were speaking to a handful of Mexican laborers or Jewish housewives."
Said Carpenter: "I don"t understand what you mean. When I speak, I speak the truth."
"Yes, of course," I replied--and meantime I was racking my poor wits figuring out how to present this strange acquaintance of mine most tactfully to the world. I knew the reporter would not tarry long; he would grab a few sentences, and rush away to telephone them in.
"I"ll tell you what I"m free to tell," I began. "This gentleman is a healer, a man of very remarkable gifts. Mental healing, you understand."
"I get you," said the reporter. "Some religion?"
"Mr. Carpenter teaches a new religion."
"I see. A sort of prophet! And where does he come from?"
I tried to evade. "He has just arrived--"
But the blood-hound of the press was not going to be evaded. "Where do you come from, sir?" he demanded, of Carpenter.
To which Carpenter answered, promptly: "From G.o.d."
"From G.o.d? Er--oh, I see. From G.o.d! Most interesting! How long ago, may I ask?"
"Yesterday."
"Oh! That is indeed extraordinary! And this mob that you"ve just been addressing--did you use some kind of mind cure on them?"
I could see the story taking shape; the headlines flamed before my mind"s eye--streamer heads, all the way across the sheet, after the fashion of our evening papers:
PROPHET FRESH FROM G.o.d QUELLS MOB
XXVI
I came to a sudden decision in this crisis. The sensible thing to do was to meet the issue boldly, and take the job of launching Carpenter under proper auspices. He really was a wonderful man, and deserved to be treated decently.
I addressed the reporter again. "Listen. This gentleman is a man of remarkable gifts, and does not take money for them; so, if you are going to tell about him at all, do it in a dignified way."
"Of course! I had no other idea--"
"Your city editor might have another idea," I remarked, drily.
"Permit me to introduce myself." I gave him my name, and saw him start.
"You mean _the_ Mr.--" Then, giving me a swift glance, he decided it was not necessary to complete the question.
Said I: "Here is my card," and handed it to him.
He glanced at it, and said, "I"ll be very glad to explain matters to the desk, and see that the story is handled exactly as you wish."
"Thank you," I replied. "Now, yesterday I was caught in that mob at the picture theatre, and knocked nearly insensible. This gentleman found me, and healed me almost instantly. Naturally, I am grateful, and as I find that he is a teacher, who aids the poor, and will not take money from anyone, I want to thank him publicly, and help to make him known."
"Of course, of course!" said the reporter; and before my mind"s eye flashed a new set of headlines:
WEALTHY CLUBMAN MIRACULOUSLY HEALED
Or perhaps it would be a double head:
CLUBMAN, SLUGGED BY MOB, HEALED BY PROPHET
WEALTHY SCION, VICTIM OF PICTURE RIOT, RESTORED BY MAN FRESH FROM G.o.d
I thought that was sensation enough, and that the interview would end; but alas for my hopes! Said that blood-hound of the press: "Will you give public healings to the people, Mr. Carpenter?"
To which Carpenter answered: "I am not interested in giving healings."
"What? Why not?"