"The whole country is sweeping forward to new triumphs under
our banner," he declared, "but not every community is so fortunate as I
find you here. Labor is employed at good wages. Life here is fruitful and
happy. You are fortunate here in having among you such business men as
Steven Hunter and Thomas Butterworth; and in the inventor Hugh McVey you
have one of the greatest intellects and the most useful men that ever lived
to help lift the burden off the shoulder of labor. What his brain is doing
for labor, our party is doing in another way. The protective tariff is
really the father of modern prosperity."
The speaker paused and a cheer arose from the crowd. Hugh took hold of the
school teacher's arm and drew her away down a side street. They walked home
in silence, but when they got to the house and were about to go in, the
school teacher hesitated. She wanted to ask Hugh to walk about in the
darkness with her but did not have the courage of her desires. As they
stood at the gate and as the tall man with the long serious face looked
down at her, she remembered the speaker's words. "How could he care for me?
How could a man like him care anything for a homely little school teacher
like me?" she asked herself. Aloud she said something quite different. As
they had come along Turner's Pike she had made up her mind she would boldly
suggest a walk under the trees along Turner's Pike beyond the bridge, and
had told herself that she would later lead him to the place beside the
stream and in the shadow of the old pickle factory where she and George
Pike had come so near being lovers.
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