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MAGGIE SHAW-FULLILOVE 
 
Who Was Responsible? 
 
 BY 
 MAGGIE SHAW-FULLILOVE. 
 
 CINCINNATI 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY 
 THE ABINGDON PRESS 
 
Foreword 
 
 MAGGIE SHAW-FULLILOVE, the author of this 
 story, was born in LaFayette County, Mississippi, 
 January 27, 1884, and died in Yazoo City, Mississippi, 
 October 30, 1918. She was the youngest daughter 
 of Mrs. Maria Petty-Shaw and the Rev. D. P. 
 Shaw, a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 Her parents were ex-slaves, without school advan- 
 tages, but with such a passion for education as found 
 fruitage in the college education for all their children. 
 
 Maggie Shaw was graduated from Rust Univer- 
 sity, Holly Springs, Mississippi, with the degree of 
 A. B. in the class of 1907. Soon thereafter she was 
 married to Dr. Robert E. Fullilove, who afterwards 
 located in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Three children 
 were born to that union. A faithful and devoted 
 wife and mother, she nevertheless found time to give 
 to the writing of short stories for publication in news- 
 papers and magazines. Various stories with moral 
 and religious messages, such as "Sweet Peas Between," 
 "Navy Blue Velvet," "Pass It On," 'The Making of 
 Leon Tony," and "Sermons in Stones" came rapidly 
 from her pen. She never wrote for mere entertain- 
 ment. She was a gifted singer as well as writer, and 
 employed her talents in the local church choir. She 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 lived a simple, unselfish, useful, and beautiful Chris- 
 tian life, and was an inspiration and a benediction to 
 all who knew her. 
 
 This story is submitted to the reading public with 
 the earnest hope that it may do its bit in crushing to 
 the earth and keeping crushed the demon rum. 
 
 J. BEVERLY F. SHAW, 
 President Central Alabama College. 
 Birmingham, Alabama, 
 June 28, 1919. 
 
Preface 
 
 I SUBMIT this book to the reading public with 
 the earnest prayer and sincere hope that 
 it may do its small share in arrest- 
 ing the tide of demoralization 
 which some of the vices of 
 society are spreading 
 over the land. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
Who Was Responsible? 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 A HANDSOME, middle-aged man stood looking out 
 a window upon a street below. It was a fair street, 
 extending north and south. The small but elegant 
 mansions were placed each on its carpet of verdant 
 grass, and a long flight of steps extended from every 
 door to the pavement. Ornamental trees, the weep- 
 ing mulberry, the tall maple, so lofty and bending, 
 the graceful and gracious umbrella tree, the old- 
 fashioned cedar, pearshaped and evergreen, grew 
 thrivingly among brick and stone. 
 
 There were more streets running parallel to this 
 one, but none equaled it in the grandeur of its aspect; 
 for most of the aristocrats and the wealthiest people 
 lived on this street. They called it College Street, 
 so named because at the head of it, on a beautiful 
 forty-acre campus, the college buildings stood a 
 strong, up-to-date institution, which appealed to the 
 best class of young people, offering highest educa- 
 tional as well as social advantages. There was every- 
 thing tending to the development of the ideal, capable 
 young people. It was an ideal institution, and all 
 things considered was as nearly perfect as the most 
 considerate wisdom, benevolence, and humanity 
 could make it. On account of its high literary and 
 moral standard, it shed an atmosphere over the 
 whole town, making it pure and clean. 
 
 7 
 
8 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 It was a source of inexpressible pleasure to observe 
 the almost imperceptible but none-the-less certain 
 effect wrought by this institution upon the entire 
 community of the small town of Hollyville; and to 
 note the general humanizing tastes and desires it 
 engendered, the affectionate friendships to which it 
 gave rise, the amount of vanity and prejudice it dis- 
 pelled. 
 
 Year after year it graduated young men and 
 women of exceptional worthiness and capability, 
 many of whom made their homes in the town of 
 Hollyville. 
 
 All the citizens of the town took great pride in 
 making it ideal in every respect. The town was 
 beautiful and did not fail to impress all strangers 
 very favorably. Its streets were kept clean of filth 
 and dirt; and under the effect of local option, its 
 business center was free from saloons and dives 
 where young men are wont to linger in indolence 
 and strife. There is no doubt that much of the 
 intellectual refinement and superiority of the place 
 was referable to the quiet influence of its institution 
 of learning. The resident professors were gentlemen 
 of learning and varied attainments, and were men 
 who shed grace upon and did honor to the town. 
 
 Near the end of College Street the Drews lived 
 John Drew, the well-respected merchant of good 
 character, and Robert Drew, the popular and much 
 courted son. These two and a housekeeper com- 
 prised the inhabitants of the Drews' house. Though 
 they failed to rank in wealth with the other dwellers 
 of that street, they seemed to be the most favored. 
 It was the recognized worth of private character 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 9 
 
 which exhorted this homage. John Drew, although 
 a man of limited educational acquirements, adorned 
 his station in life, dignified the mercantile profession, 
 vindicated the dignity of common life, and carried a 
 large, high, and noble spirit into ordinary affairs; 
 made men recognize something inviolable even in 
 common humanity this was the power and attrac- 
 tion of John Drew's life. Robert, the son, was a 
 general favorite in the community. Every mother 
 and father of them loved the young man: every 
 mother's son of them sought his wholesome com- 
 panionship, while every fair daughter of them cast 
 shy glances upon his promising, vigorous young 
 manhood. 
 
 It was John Drew, the father, who stood looking 
 out the window, as was mentioned in the beginning 
 of the story. As he looked, there advanced a single 
 passenger on its farthest extent a fine young man 
 of twenty-one, who hastened forward with swift, 
 swinging stride, slapping his left hand with his folded 
 gloves, thus keeping time with his buoyant, ringing 
 steps. As he came nearer he raised his eyes to throw 
 a glance upward at the waiting gentleman. 
 
 4 'What a fine fellow he is," thought John Drew, 
 as he fondly noted the broad shoulders, the towering 
 height, the fine, strong, clean-cut features; eyes 
 which flashed the ardor of youth, a mouth that was 
 firm and strong. John Drew smiled in satisfaction 
 as he realized what a future was in store for his son. 
 He loved this son with all his soul. Indeed, the emo- 
 tion seemed more than love and was closely akin to 
 worship. He had loved the boy's mother as few men 
 love their wives, When she died in giving birth to 
 
10 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 their son, at first he was crazed and wild with stub- 
 born grief; but it was the boy who had brought back 
 hope to his withered heart. It was the boy, a tiny 
 mite of humanity, who grasped his big thumb in its 
 firm baby fingers and led him back to life and love. 
 
 Since then he had lived, starved, striven, grappled 
 with fate and conquered all for the boy. Robert's 
 deep love and devotion, his unbounded faith in the 
 father, amply repaid all his parent's efforts, and made 
 his paternal love and pride in his offspring an un- 
 bounded joy. In fact, the son electrified the father's 
 world; the love of him was the lightning of his soul, 
 illuminating his sky, clarifying the atmosphere of 
 adversity, making every task delightful. 
 
 Robert paused before mounting the steps, looked 
 up at his parent with remarkably bright and singu- 
 larly sympathetic eyes; then, bounding up three steps 
 at a time, he soon entered the room where John Drew 
 awaited him. 
 
 "Well, Pater!" 
 
 "Well, Son!" 
 
 It was a simple greeting, yet each knew the full 
 depth of the other's overcharged heart. There was 
 little need of undue demonstration between these 
 two. Each understood the other's eccentricity and 
 respected it. Robert of twenty-one had outgrown 
 those halcyon days of paper kites, toy boats, and 
 knee-foot gallops to the market town. He had the 
 same frank, boyish, open heart, was altogether ador- 
 able, yet withal he possessed a man's interests and 
 capabilities. 
 
 "I've got a job, father." Robert paused in order 
 to note the effect of his words, then continued; "I've 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 11 
 
 been employed as clerk in Morgan & Sons New 
 Gate." 
 
 "New Gate!" The father gasped. Of all the 
 Southern cities, New Gate was the very last in 
 which he wanted his son to reside. It was a city in 
 which society was corrupt. The free flow of alco- 
 holics had washed away almost every vestige of 
 clean, chaste manhood and even womanhood. Ig- 
 norance and vice stalked abroad in the streets. 
 There was no law against drunkenness; and as there 
 was no penalty, no man feared to get drunk. 
 
 John Drew was disappointed not that he did 
 not want his son to work; and he knew that this was 
 a splendid opportunity for a man who had an inclina- 
 tion toward the mercantile profession yet he had 
 secretly hoped that his boy might choose some other 
 profession. A position in Hollyville College would 
 have met his approval sooner. 
 
 "Pshaw! I'm a whiney old woman," he told 
 himself a few moments later as he sat down alone to 
 think over the situation. "I need not hope to keep 
 my boy tied to my apron strings; yet he might have 
 chosen a more lofty position. Of course any occu- 
 pation is lofty so long as it is honorable. But some- 
 how I've always pictured the lad at the head of some 
 institution of learning." 
 
 Robert had graduated from Hollyville College 
 with honors, had been a favorite as a student, and 
 no doubt could have secured a good position in his 
 Alma Mater. John Drew strongly disliked the idea 
 of Robert's working at New Gate. No one knew the 
 city and its history any better than he did. It had been 
 
12 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 the home of his boyhood. He was acquainted with 
 every dive, every hole and corner, every ill-reputed 
 public house, every saloon of the latter there were 
 a great number. He could recall many unpleasant 
 incidents connected with many of them. They had 
 been his father's curse, had come near being his own 
 curse, had it not been for the fact that Alice, Robert's 
 mother, had led him away and taught him the value 
 of love and home. He had shunned New Gate ever 
 afterwards, as he would shun a black and fathomless 
 pit which led to hell. 
 
 He sat there staring into the fire, his mind worked 
 up into a sort of frenzy at the thought of Robert's 
 going there to work his boy, who had been brought 
 up almost entirely without any knowledge of alco- 
 holics. John Drew had been very careful about this 
 thing. He had been careful not to even warn the 
 youngster against it, for fear that he might try it 
 out of mere curiosity. Curiosity had been one of 
 the lad's weaknesses. He could recall many inci- 
 dents of Robert's childhood which verified this. 
 John Drew felt that it was better not to spend too 
 much time warning him against the evil effects of 
 alcohol, because he felt sure that Robert would try 
 it just to see if it would in truth have the reputed 
 effect. And John Drew feared that if he should taste 
 it once, he'd taste it again and again ; for was not his 
 boy in danger according to the law of heredity? 
 John Drew shuddered. His anxious mind began to 
 picture the boy his glorious Robert mingling with 
 the gay society of New Gate, joining in their sports, 
 partaking of the so-called harmless dinners, in which 
 wine and even whisky were served in abundance. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 13 
 
 He felt that he would rather see Robert dead than 
 to see him under the influence of alcohol once. 
 
 So intent was he in this line of unpleasant, bitter 
 thinking that he did not hear the door open, nor see 
 the ruddy face of Robert framed therein, until the 
 young man's "Hello, Pater!" aroused him. 
 
 "You look as if you are about to be burned alive, 
 Pater mine/' said Robert, noticing his father's hag- 
 gard and anxious countenance. "Come, cheer up! 
 Does my going away affect you so? I verily believe 
 you would keep me here in this little, stuffy town 
 always. Why, father, I'm tired meeting the same 
 people, doing the same things over and over. There's 
 nothing to keep me here now that I've finished school. 
 I want to make new acquaintances: I want to see the 
 world." 
 
 John Drew looked at this full-fledged youngling 
 and felt it to be utterly useless to protest. This 
 young man before him must go away and work 
 out his own destiny as thousands of other young men 
 had done. Controlling himself with a mighty effort, 
 John Drew spoke as bravely as he could: "You are 
 right, my son. Go; nothing but good can come of it, 
 surely. You are twenty-one now and should know 
 how to keep to the right and shun the wrong. But 
 you will find New Gate a different place from this. Its 
 atmosphere is not so pure, its moral standard low, 
 most of the inhabitants are of the baser sort." 
 
 "I'm going there to work, father; not to loll and 
 idle among low-class individuals. I dare say I'll 
 have little time to be led from the path of rectitude; 
 then I'm my father's son, you know!" He spoke 
 proudly as he measured his height with that of his 
 father and found himself even the taller of the two. 
 
14 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 The father turned, placed a firm hand on each of 
 the young man's shoulders, looked deeply and ear- 
 nestly into the fearless eyes. There was something 
 he was about to say some grave warning; but a 
 sudden fear clutched at his heart, and the warning 
 did not come. If he had only known but of course 
 he did not know, could not know what the coming 
 years might have in store for Robert. 
 
 After that John Drew forgot his fears in the close 
 companionship of his son. In various ways the son 
 revealed hidden traits of character which delighted 
 his father's heart. He was indeed a son to be proud 
 of. His society was delightful. He was brilliant in 
 speech, possessing a keen sense of humor and wit, 
 which rendered conversation with him charming. 
 He possessed an indomitable courage; and his moral 
 principle, his father believed, would steer him clear 
 of evil-doing. 
 
 Their few remaining days together were mem- 
 orable ones. Arm in arm the father and son strolled 
 about the gay lawns. They found a sort of boyish 
 pleasure in going over the old haunts and even re- 
 newing their old games. Each knew what this part- 
 ing would cost the other. Robert knew that he was 
 about to cast a cloud over his father's sky, which 
 had hitherto been flooded with sunshine. Therefore 
 he strove to bring back the happy years which they 
 had known together. They even spent hours throw- 
 ing pebbles into the little brook back of the wood-lot. 
 Once they found the battered wheels of an old goat 
 wagon. "Useless, outgrown relics of the past," 
 thought Robert, ruthlessly kicking the rusted wheels 
 from the heaps of discarded rubbish. But to the 
 father they were gold treasures of a very happy past, 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 15 
 
 and he secretly planned to return alone and store 
 them away for safekeeping. 
 
 That day came all too soon for the parting. 
 After Robert had actually gone, poor John Drew 
 returned to his empty home a forlorn gentleman, 
 indeed. The old housekeeper's heart was touched 
 when she saw him wandering about from room to 
 room as if in search of someone. 
 
 A month later Robert, sitting at his desk in 
 Morgan & Sons, penned a letter home, telling of his 
 work and the pleasure he derived from it. He had 
 written several letters home, but this one seemed to 
 give his father more pleasure than all the others. 
 
 "I feel, dear Pater, that I am at last in the great 
 game of life," he wrote, "and I find it exhilarating. 
 I love the work. I have little time for anything else. 
 I go to church on Sundays. Now and then I visit 
 in the very best homes, mind you. During my 
 leisure hours well, Pater, 'Libros, cum mihi est 
 otium lego'; for when I do have a few leisure hours 
 and would perhaps spend them in idleness, I find 
 that 'Liber bonus me liberat periculo.' " 
 
 John Drew smiled at the Latin phrases. "The 
 lad's as good as gold," he thought. 
 
 Another time he wrote: "Pater, I attended my 
 first dinner party here. Little, stuffy Hollyville can't 
 hold a candle to New Gate when it comes to affairs 
 of this kind. They are simply dazzling! The very 
 best people attend." Here followed a list of aristo- 
 cratic names. 
 
 "The boy is indeed becoming a factor in the great 
 game of life," thought John Drew as he read this 
 letter. With a mighty effort he stifled the fear that 
 
16 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 would, in spite of him, find a place in his heart. He 
 reasoned within himself that this was quite natural 
 and proper. "A man cannot contribute anything 
 worthy to society without putting himself into it, 
 checking his fancies, and restraining his impulses. 
 The constant appeal to the intellect, as he comes in 
 contact with learned people, would serve to perfect 
 his manners and bearing toward other people. It is 
 absurd to suppose that the young man would absent 
 himself from society. Since he had chosen this voca- 
 tion, he would prove himself a failure if he did not 
 enter into it as a part of the world's work, and not 
 simply a means of getting a living. A man should 
 regard his business as a part of the world's work, his 
 share of the great activities that render society pos- 
 sible. There would be greater success in all the occu- 
 pations of life if men did not too often pursue them 
 simply for a livelihood, with no thought that they 
 may contribute directly to true manhood and woman- 
 hood. That is an utterly low business which regards 
 it as only a means of getting a living." 
 
 In this wise John Drew reasoned, and read the 
 account of Robert's entering into society with a rising 
 degree of pride. Another time Robert wrote a letter 
 in which he gave a lengthy description of one of New 
 Gate's fashionable dinner parties. "The young 
 women here are wonderful,'* he wrote in all the fire 
 and ardor of youth. 
 
 John Drew sat far into the late hours of that 
 night, staring into the fire and conjuring up all sorts 
 of morbid fancies. He too had once mingled with 
 that class of young women. The beautiful, dazzling, 
 thoughtless creatures were but shining lights to lure, 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 17 
 
 charm, and bewilder the green youth lure, and in 
 the end destroy. Of course there were some among 
 them who were ideal, good young women; but men 
 rarely chose them why, he did not know. 
 
 Once while he dozed he thought he saw a man 
 walking along the street; his shoulders were stooped 
 and sloven; his face red and swollen; his eyes restless 
 and bloodshot. Over his head a row of burning 
 letters spelled the words, "THE CURSE." The fellow 
 stumbled and fell upon the pavement. John Drew 
 thought he ran to lift the fallen creature, and behold, 
 it was Robert! 
 
 John Drew awoke and spent nearly all the rest 
 of the night pacing the floor in restless apprehension. 
 But the new day dawned so lovely and bright that 
 he scolded himself severely for his unreasonable and 
 morbid fancies. "The boy is all right and I am the 
 fool," he told himself. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 ON the evening of the great event of the season, the 
 King's banquet, Robert Drew found himself in a flutter 
 of excitement which was quite an unusual thing for 
 him. He had attended many a gay festival in his 
 own little town, all of which were simple, innocent 
 affairs in which those pure-minded young people 
 took great delight. There was always soft music 
 and dancing, cards and other simple games. But 
 Robert had never witnessed such an affair as this 
 social event promised to be. It was to be a ball, 
 given in honor of Miss Grace King's return from 
 abroad. 
 
 Robert was eager to meet this Grace King, whose 
 praise was upon every tongue. Just after business 
 hours he wrote his father concerning the great event, 
 announcing himself as one of the honored guests. 
 
 That night, as he entered the banquet hall in 
 company with one of his new acquaintances, he gave 
 a little start of amazement and pleasure; and it was 
 plainly evident that Raymond King, noted as he was 
 for lavish expenditure, had outdone himself this time. 
 The whole room was a bower of roses great, climb- 
 ing bushes, heavy with blooms. Cool, green ivy hid 
 the walls from floor to ceiling, and were supported 
 upon cunningly wrought trellises, through which 
 hidden lights glowed softly like fireflies. Marble 
 statuettes gleamed in certain nooks. They were so 
 placed as to heighten the effect of space and to carry 
 out the idea of a garden. In the center was a wide 
 
 18 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 19 
 
 but shallow stone fountain, on the surface of which 
 large-leaved pond lilies floated. Beautiful goldfish 
 with filmy fins and tails like iridescent wedding 
 trains propelled themselves indolently about. Two 
 dimpled cupids held a marble cornucopia, out of 
 which trickled a sparkling stream of water. Robert 
 knew that the wonderful Miss King had wrought all 
 this lovely arrangement herself. 
 
 There was a flutter of excitement and many 
 words of inquiry as Robert and his companion entered. 
 Many of the young ladies wanted to know who was 
 the six-foot young demigod with the college air. 
 Robert was indeed a very striking figure, rising head 
 and shoulders above his companion the very im- 
 personation of clean, healthy, wholesome young 
 manhood. He was not long a member of the gay 
 throng before Miss King entered. 
 
 Her father, whom Robert had already met, led 
 her through the throng leaning gracefully on his arm, 
 and in a stately, old-fashioned way, introduced her 
 to several of the young people. Robert was the last 
 one to receive an introduction. He led the smiling 
 young woman up to Robert, saying: ' 'Grace, my 
 daughter, this is Robert Drew, son of John Drew, a 
 prominent merchant, and a friend of my boyhood.'* 
 
 Robert thought he had never seen so divine a 
 creature before. To him she was a star, radiating 
 brilliant rays of light which dazzled all who beheld 
 her. In fact, he thought her all that a beautiful 
 woman is said to be. She passed on to another group 
 of young people, but not without an open admiring 
 glance at Robert. Sometime after that she even 
 sought him, evidently as much impressed as he. 
 
20 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Robert was at first somewhat shy and embarrassed, 
 but this feeling soon wore off under the influence of 
 her easy manner and charming grace. She was not 
 timid or shy like the maidens of his home town: 
 neither did he think her bold just simply charming 
 and very gracious. She was perfectly at her ease, 
 and so prettily garrulous and confidential, telling 
 little stories of her life abroad and describing scenery 
 on some lake. After she had babbled sweetly about 
 fashion, society, balls, receptions, operas, and theaters 
 for several minutes, she turned upon him a marvel- 
 ously penetrating glance of her dark eyes, a glance 
 which startled him as much as an unexpected flash 
 of light might have done. He returned her gaze won- 
 deringly as -she asked the perfectly simple little 
 question, "And you, what do you do? How do you 
 amuse yourself?" 
 
 "M me?" he stammered, "I work." 
 
 "Ah, yes. You are in your father's business?" 
 
 "I clerk in Morgan & Sons." 
 
 "You must find it dull and tiresome to labor all 
 day. You ought to rest sometimes. You must visit 
 your friends and be gay. Don't you agree with me?" 
 
 "Assuredly," said Robert, becoming more at ease 
 as he listened to her simple, childish chatter. "But 
 perhaps I do not take my rest precisely like other 
 people. I read a great deal some day I hope to be 
 able to write." 
 
 "What books? How charming!" 
 
 Here their conversation was abruptly broken off, 
 as Grace's mother, a dignified lady clad in richest silk, 
 with huge diamonds gleaming here and there upon 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 21 
 
 her handsome person, sailed up from a remote corner 
 of the room, where she had no doubt been watching 
 them with the speculative observation of a match- 
 making matron. 
 
 The room was soon dinning with strains of the 
 invisible orchestra, and the vocal chatter and ex- 
 clamations of the guests. Presently the sound 
 melted into the soft, alluring melody of a grand old 
 waltz, and the dancing began. The couples floated 
 over the floors like fairy folk in wonderland, so it 
 seemed to Robert. He could dance well, but was 
 reluctant to try his skill here in this assembly, where 
 dancing was indeed an art. He said as much to Miss 
 Grace, but that gracious young lady wouldn't allow 
 him to refuse. 
 
 "Let me teach you," she said, sweetly, giving him 
 another of those thrilling glances. He could feel her 
 body tremble as he took her in his arms, and as they 
 gently glided out on the floor, there was in her steps 
 that indescribable quality born in natural dancers. 
 Her supple body supplied all the deficiencies of his 
 slightly awkward steps, and soon they were the 
 center of attraction. 
 
 When the dance was over her eyes were twin 
 stars, her cheeks were roses. Her rounded bosom 
 heaved with intense excitement. When she took 
 her place at the table and from sheer satisfied exu- 
 berance laughed her dear, trilly little laugh, Robert 
 said under his breath: "By Jove! What a ripping 
 girl!" Miss Grace did not fail to catch the fire of 
 admiration in his eyes, and her own heart glowed in 
 triumph, The diners soon arranged themselves and 
 
22 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 the dinner began. To Robert there was a complete 
 absence of the stiffness at the formal banquets of 
 his college home. The moments did not drag. A 
 Bohemian spirit prevailed. The ardor of the men, 
 encouraged by coquetry and smiles, rose quickly; 
 wine flowed and a general intimacy began. 
 
 Without knowing why, Robert could not enter 
 into the prevailing intimacy with Miss Grace. He 
 thought her much more attractive than the girls of his 
 acquaintance, and yet it was this very attractiveness 
 and intimacy that alarmed his inbred social con- 
 servatism regarding women. 
 
 He began to become conscious of thinking rapidly 
 and becoming excited. He wanted to appear well- 
 bred in the eyes of this woman, yet drinking intoxi- 
 cants of any sort was altogether alien to his custom. 
 The exciting tendency increased as he set aside the 
 glass which had been filled by the brilliant woman by 
 his side. At this she looked up at him with large, 
 soft, serious eyes. He hesitated no longer, but tip- 
 ping his glass with hers, drank to her health. It was 
 Madeira wine of such exquisite perfume and admirable 
 flavor that Robert allowed his glass to be filled again 
 and again. Being entirely unaccustomed to strong 
 drinks of any kind, Robert soon felt a kind of dizzi- 
 ness about his head, and he longed to get out in the 
 open air. Miss Grace continued her gay chatter and 
 her dazzling smiles until Robert found himself 
 mounted as if on golden wings. The dizziness gave 
 place to hilarity as he partook of more wine. His 
 boyish shyness and some of his scrupulous ideas con- 
 cerning women slowly fell off like a cloak. In his 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 23 
 
 wondering excitement and new joy, he leaned across 
 the table, boldly took Miss Grace's hand in his, and 
 talked freely with her even a degree of flippancy 
 tinged his speech. 
 
 After dinner the wonderful music began playing 
 again. Other couples were dancing, so he seized the 
 yielding body of Miss Grace in his arms and whirled 
 her away. He wanted to dance in this way con- 
 tinually. He wanted to float away out into the soft, 
 starlit night with this rare creature clasped in his 
 arms. No one knew not even Miss Grace herself 
 was aware of the rage of passion that was racing 
 through Robert. His incoherent thoughts were that 
 he did not want to ever stop dancing with her. He 
 had a mad desire to kiss her to devour her to 
 strangle her with love. 
 
 When it was all over, and he had pressed her two 
 small hands at parting, Robert knew that he loved 
 Grace King loved her as he would love no other 
 woman. He was no longer master of his own destiny: 
 Miss Grace was his fate. 
 
 The next morning when he took his place at the 
 office, somehow his work did not seem quite so de- 
 lightful as formerly. Amazement was so deep upon 
 him that he moved about mechanically. Last eve- 
 ning's experience was so different from anything he 
 had ever known. He was fascinated, bewildered, and 
 yet yet there was something about it all that he 
 did not altogether like. 
 
 Whenever those conflicting emotions came over 
 him, the face of Grace King floated before his vision 
 alluring, glorious, and compelling. 
 
24 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Robert became a frequent visitor at Miss Grace's 
 home. He attended more such brilliant parties, 
 partook of her wine and her smiles with increasing 
 enjoyment, while she, fair siren, was more in love 
 with her sense of triumph over this "country boy" 
 than anything else. She gave him just enough en- 
 couragement to keep him at her feet, but never 
 allowing him to rise and claim her as his own. There 
 was as yet no love in her heart: in his absence she 
 could even find it in her heart to laugh at him, 
 whereas in all decency and conscience it would have 
 become her to have wept for the mischief she had 
 wrought. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 ONE cold November evening Robert went to his 
 room somewhat earlier than usual. He had been 
 feeling sick all day. Having never been sick in his 
 life, it was quite a new experience for him. Every 
 joint in his body ached; he shivered from head to 
 foot as he went out of the warm office into the open 
 street. A cold rain had set in, and the dampness 
 agonized his aching joints all the more. 
 
 Since his lodging was only a short distance from 
 the office, he never thought of hiring a carriage or 
 going on the car, but hurried on foot through the 
 cold, drizzling rain to his apartments. His room- 
 mate, a young man who worked at one of the down- 
 town saloons, had already arrived, built a fire, and 
 set things to order. Robert soon removed his soaked, 
 uncomfortable clothing, stretched himself before the 
 fire, and was tolerably comfortable. "Let me mix 
 you a little drink something hot," suggested Jack. 
 "Go to bed, old man; make yourself comfy. I'll 
 warm you up all right just you wait." 
 
 Then that amiable young man adroitly prepared 
 one of those subtle drinks which is the beginning of 
 the downfall of so many young men. He meant it as 
 an act of kindness, of course, but all unconscious of 
 it, he was rounding off the corners of the foundation 
 which had been so subtly laid by those harmless 
 beverages at the dinner-parties. He was all but 
 putting the finishing touches to the thing which 
 Robert's father lived in fear of and dreaded most. 
 
 25 
 
26 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Robert drank the steaming draught without ques- 
 tion. Soon a sense of warmth and comfort stole over 
 him and he fell asleep. The next day he was better 
 and went back to his work. But Robert was far 
 from well. Before noon he felt that he must even 
 leave the office again. Mr. Leek, another employee 
 in Morgan & Sons, noticed Robert's gray, pinched 
 look and advised him to retire immediately. 
 
 "You'd better call in a physician, Drew," he 
 said. "You look all in." 
 
 "I'll be all right when I'm tucked in. Jack, my 
 roommate, is a capital nurse. He'll bring me around 
 with one of his curious drinks, I dare say." 
 
 Sure enough, Jack tucked him in and adminis- 
 tered another of those deceiving hot drinks which 
 soothe for the time being, but leave an indelible trace 
 of its poison lurking in the blood. Robert slept all 
 night a feverish, troubled sleep. The next day he 
 was able to go to his work as usual. He tried hard 
 to regain his old, buoyant spirit for work; but about 
 ten o'clock a violent chill seized him and he hastened 
 once more to his room. A strange sense of impending 
 serious illness hung over him. 
 
 "Jack," he said to his roommate that evening, 
 "I believe I'll write the Pater to come over here. I 
 owe him a letter or two, and I'd love to see him about 
 now." He attempted to rise and procure writing 
 materials, but his aching body cried aloud in protest. 
 
 "Oh, hang it! I believe I'm going to be really 
 ill!" 
 
 "Let me call a physician," suggested Jack. 
 
 "Well. No but I'll tell you what I will do 
 I'll go home to-morrow! Yes, yes, I'll give the Pater 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 27 
 
 a big surprise!" He was quite boyish in his eagerness. 
 That night he made arrangement with his employer 
 to be absent a few days until he should recover 
 then he sat down to write a little missive to Miss 
 Grace, his hand shaking so that he could hardly 
 write the lines which that worshiped young woman 
 would remember to her dying day. It read: 
 
 "My Beloved One: I am not well to-day a 
 foolish chill. Nothing of consequence, I hope. I 
 leave to-morrow for home. I am delighted at the 
 prospect of seeing the Pater. I'd so love to come to 
 you once before I go, my beautiful queen, but I'm 
 too ill. Farewell till I return again all well. 
 
 "May the saints keep you ever, my dearest and 
 best beloved. Yours heart and soul, 
 
 ROBERT." 
 
 The next morning, while he was making prepara- 
 tion for his departure, Jack was moved with com- 
 passion when he beheld the ashen look of the sick 
 man. "Why, old sport, you are really ill. You'd 
 better defer that journey." At Robert's sign of 
 negation, he urged, "Then you'd better see a phy- 
 sician before you go. We'll have ample time." 
 
 "Oh, bother a physician!" Robert said impa- 
 tiently. "He will only advise me to go to bed; keep 
 quiet; take nasty medicine. I'm all right only I 
 do seem so chilly." 
 
 "Well, suppose we go by Croggs's and get you a 
 bottle of spirits. It'll brace you up as nothing else 
 will. Come what do you say? It will warm you 
 up in a jiffy, old man; come. Try it." 
 
2S WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Robert consented anything to give warmth to 
 his icy spine. He felt so wretched and ill at that 
 moment that he was willing to submit to anything 
 which would enable him to make the journey. He 
 was struck with a mad desire to go home. He longed 
 to feel his father's hand strong, yet tender as a 
 mother's soothing his fevered brow. He wanted his 
 father more than anything else on earth more than 
 he wanted Miss Grace even. When they entered the 
 saloon his body shook with a chilliness which he was 
 unable to conceal. 
 
 The keeper, Croggs, a shrewd little fellow with a 
 narrow, keen eye to business, began to urge him to 
 take a drink. "See how this one glassful will warm 
 you up," he said, pouring out a small tumblerful. 
 Robert made a faint sign of rejection, at which the 
 keeper urged the more strongly. "Goodness knows, 
 you need it this raw morning. Drink!" 
 
 Robert laughed a trifle nervously, and his hand 
 trembjed as he raised the glass to his lips. Slowly 
 tilting the glass, he tasted the liquor. Why, it was 
 delicious to his palate, exquisitely fine and delicate! 
 In his pleasurable amazement, he drank half the 
 tumblerful, readily growing conscious of an inde- 
 scribably delightful sense of restorative. Warmth 
 and comfort pervaded his whole system. 
 
 "Why, the stuff is excellent!" he cried, and with- 
 out taking more thought as to what he was doing, 
 he finished the whole draught. Robert had never 
 given alcoholics a serious thought. Since his coming 
 to New Gate he had made no special effort to steer 
 clear of its evil influence; besides the thought of his 
 own danger to drunkenness never entered his mind. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 29 
 
 His father had never warned him against it why 
 should he give it serious thought? 
 
 The stuff was fine, bracing! Robert purchased a 
 whole bottleful. When he was comfortably settled 
 on the train, he drank more with increasing avidity. 
 Previous to taking it he had been cold and shivering, 
 but now he was thoroughly warm, agreeably languid, 
 and a trifle sleepy. "The stuff has no equal when it 
 conies to its medicinal properties," he said drowsily. 
 The rumble and roar of the shrieking locomotive 
 seemed afar off like sounds in a dream. He was in 
 that hazy condition of mind common to certain 
 phases of intoxication when the drunkard is apt to 
 believe he is thinking, though really no compre- 
 hensible thought is possible to his stupefied brain. 
 
 It was pitch dark when he reached Hollyville. 
 He got up slowly, walked or reeled out of the car. 
 When he reached the street, he found himself exposed 
 to a furious rain which poured down incessantly. 
 
 Robert had advanced down an obscure street only a 
 little way stumbling weakly when he fell. Strange, 
 incoherent sentences coursed off his lips with im- 
 petuous rapidity. His voice had a strange, piteous 
 pathos in it. Robert was drunk! 
 
 The cold rain continued for some time. Finally 
 the wind shifted and became a colder north wind, 
 freezing the rain into sleet. It fell upon the pitiful 
 figure of the young man lying there huddled in an 
 insensible heap. He lay stunned for a few minutes, 
 until brought back to consciousness by the cold 
 sleet pelting his face. With a desperate effort he 
 started upright and gazed wildly around. He could 
 
30 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 not make out his surroundings; neither did he realize 
 the fact that he lay in a slough a concoction of mud 
 and liquid filth. 
 
 The darkness was intense. He looked upward 
 and discerned no sky, not even an unfathomable 
 void, but only a black and impenetrable nothingness, 
 as though heaven and all its lights had been blotted 
 from the system of the universe. 
 
 Mumbling and whining, he dropped his head 
 upon his arm, half buried in the cold mud. A stony 
 weight lay behind his temples, cold and hard and 
 heavy. He tried to think and found it impossible. 
 With an incoherent outburst, which he himself 
 scarcely heard, he sank into unconsciousness again. 
 
 He had lain thus about half an hour when the 
 solitary figure of a bent old man passed along the 
 street, carrying a tin lantern which cast a circular 
 pattern of its punched holes on the ground about 
 him as he went along. Luckily for Robert that this 
 old man happened to come along that street at that 
 particular moment, for the cold wind and muddy 
 filth had chilled all his body save one lukewarm spot, 
 which death's frozen fingers were searching for even 
 then. Happily, too, that the yellow disk of light 
 reached wide enough round so as to show the awful 
 sight to the dim, old eyes of the man. He saw, and 
 let out a yell which brought two other men to the 
 spot. Together they picked up the body, searched 
 for signs of life, and finding none, were about to 
 drop the body and flee when a policeman appeared. 
 After the old man had told all that he knew concern- 
 ing the tragedy, the policeman held the light so that 
 its rays fell full on the young man's face. With a 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 31 
 
 mutual cry they all started forward, searching the 
 face of the man on the ground. 
 
 "Robert Drew, as I'm alive!" 
 
 "But it can't be," said the old man who found 
 him. They looked again. Robert Drew it proved 
 to be but in what a plight! They thought it a case 
 of robbery, never connecting the young man with 
 drunkenness. 
 
 The policeman then searched the body for signs 
 of violence. In the search he found the whisky bottle, 
 emptied of two thirds its contents. Then he knew. 
 To make sure, he bent over the young man down 
 close to his frozen lips. The unmistakable odor clung 
 to them. 
 
 Silently the men lifted the half frozen body and 
 bpre it away. The policeman swore an oath and 
 spat on the sidewalk. 
 
 Down College Street they turned on toward the 
 Drews' residence. Once one of the men sneered: 
 "It's whisky and women that has brought young 
 Drew to this. I knew it would come soon or late 
 a chip off the old block." 
 
 "Shut up!" thundered the old man who carried 
 the lantern. "If you say aught against John Drew's 
 son, I'll wallup the life out o' yer! There's something 
 else back of this. I know the boy and his father, 
 
 The little sitting-room in the Drews' home was 
 comfortable on this wild, wintry night. The faith- 
 ful old housekeeper had been asleep fully two hours. 
 Nobody knew just when John Drew was accustomed 
 
32 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 to retire indeed, the housekeeper had her sus- 
 picions as to whether he retired at all some nights. 
 It seemed to be his delight to sit musing by the fire 
 far into the night. At times he seemed particularly 
 lonely. She knew in what direction his longing lay. 
 She missed the lad herself. The first days after his 
 absence she couldn't help but wander about the 
 rooms, and her motherly old heart always warmed at 
 the sight of any article that belonged to him. 
 
 "Such a dear, big-hearted lad he is, and I miss his 
 jolly ways," she said. "Pity his mother was not 
 here to see how capable he looked as he marched 
 away from the old homestead that mornin', out into 
 the world to scratch for himself." 
 
 To-night old Janet had retired early and was fast 
 asleep when John Drew came home. Replenishing 
 the fire, he settled himself for his accustomed reverie. 
 A sense of peace stole over him as he warmed him- 
 self and listened to the chilly winds outside. The 
 firelight shed an appropriate glory around the room. 
 It seemed to caress his hair, now showing the first 
 signs of old age. By now he had grown somewhat 
 accustomed to the longing in his heart, and had 
 settled himself for the task of making a last desperate 
 effort in the strenuous but not unpleasant task of 
 making money and saving it against his son's wed- 
 ding day. He planned to make that dowry as gracious 
 as possible. His days were full of hard work, but he 
 cared not, so long as he was successful. Each day's 
 end was always crowned by the sweetest of all the 
 hours of cheerful musing and pleasant memories that 
 he spent by his fireside. Always his fancies could 
 create some bright dream of happiness for his son 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 33 
 
 and his wife and little children. For himself he 
 wanted little just peace and quiet for his old age. 
 
 So in these chaste and warm affections, humble 
 wishes, and honest toil for some useful end, he found 
 health for his mind and quiet for his heart, the pros- 
 pect of happy old age, and, fairest hope of all the 
 hope of heaven. 
 
 As the clock struck twelve he entered into a sort 
 of doze. Slowly the figures in the room grew indis- 
 tinct, fading into pictures in the air, and then to 
 fainter outlines, while the firelight glimmered on the 
 walls of the room, bringing to relief strange shadows 
 which took the shape of evil, mocking demons. 
 
 O the slight tissue of his dreams could no more 
 preserve him from the stern approach of misfortune 
 than a robe of cobweb could repel the wintry blast 
 outside! 
 
 Suddenly he felt a chilliness not of the body, 
 but a strange shivering, a foolish dread of looking 
 behind him. It was no wonder; for at that moment 
 he heard the tread of many feet mounting his front 
 steps. When the doorbell rang it sent a chill of 
 apprehensive horror to his soul. With a mighty 
 force he took hold of himself. 
 
 "Fool that I am! to shrink like a haunted criminal 
 because someone rings my doorbell at midnight! 
 Perhaps it's Robert come on the eleven-thirty!" 
 The thought lent wings to his feet. In a moment he 
 had opened the door. A broad smile of welcome was 
 on his face. But it was upon the visage of old Josiah 
 Brown that his benevolent smile was cast. John 
 Drew, quickly recovering his shock of disappointment, 
 opened the door wider in order that his late visitor 
 
34 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 might enter out of the cold and bitter night. As he 
 did so he caught sight of the silent procession which 
 stood under the shelter of his veranda. A stream 
 of light fell upon a limp object which they held 
 among them. It took the shape of a man dead 
 perhaps; or severely wounded. "It is someone in 
 trouble seeking shelter at the nearest residence," 
 thought John Drew. 
 
 "We'd better hurry, or the young man might 
 peg out. He's half frozen," sounded a gruff voice. 
 Old Josiah Brown stammered out something about 
 Mr. Robert and an accident, while the men pro- 
 ceeded to pass into the hall. Still the poor father 
 did not know, and stood looking at them like one in 
 a dream might gaze upon a passing spectral vision. 
 
 That man which they carried was like Robert! 
 Yet it could not be unless he had met with some 
 accident on the way home. Half crazed with appre- 
 hension, he snatched the hat away which covered 
 the face. Robert! What did it mean? 
 
 Old Josiah, seeing John Drew's miserable state, 
 caught him by the arm, saying: "Don't you under- 
 stand? There's been an accident of some kind 
 robbery perhaps. Mr. Robert was found on Subway 
 Street, in a gutter unconscious. He had been lying 
 there for some time, sir, for he was well-nigh froze 
 to death when I found 'im, sir. Better call in a 
 medicine man 't once't, sir." 
 
 John Drew darted over to the body, which lay 
 smoking by the hearth as the warmth began to melt 
 the sleet on the frozen clothing. 
 
 Down on his knees went John Drew, and began 
 to remove the wet, muddy garments, then to rub 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 35 
 
 the frozen limbs of his son, Vigorously and in a sort 
 of frenzy he applied himself to his task. 
 
 Once as he bent his ear to the young man's breast 
 he thought he caught the faint odor of no, no, it 
 couldn't be that and he worked the harder. 
 
 Old Janet, now thoroughly aroused by the noise 
 and strange occurrences, fetched warm blankets, clean 
 linen, and soon Robert was wrapped from head to 
 foot. 
 
 When Robert did open his eyes he looked up at 
 the face above him looked long, as if his dazed 
 brain could not grasp the situation. Then a glorious 
 light leaped into his eyes. He smiled and whispered, 
 "Pater!" Then again, "I'm sick sick, Pater." 
 The warm fire seemed to make him worse. His 
 stomach seemed as if it would turn wrong-side out. 
 He began to heave. Just then the doctor entered. 
 He went over to where the young man lay, a look of 
 incredulity on his face when he saw who the patient 
 was. His skilled nostrils detected the strong odor 
 which filled the room. 
 
 "Whisky!" he exclaimed under his breath. The 
 policeman smiled. 
 
 "Robert," said the father, coming forward, "tell 
 Doctor Morris what has happened." 
 
 While he bent over Robert, he smelled the odor 
 of whisky, too, but attributed its presence to any of 
 the others, never thinking of Robert as its possible 
 origin. The young man attempted to speak, but a 
 paroxysm of coughing seized him and he grasped his 
 side in an agony of pain. 
 
 "Don't try it now," said the kind doctor. "There 
 is a mystery here," he said, turning to the policeman. 
 
36 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 "Not much as I can see," said that person ad- 
 dressed. "I was present when the young man was 
 found. He's simply drunk! Look in his coat pocket 
 and see the empty bottle." 
 
 "Robert drunk! You lie!" It came from John 
 Drew, who had been listening in amazement to the 
 dialogue which was being carried on by these two. 
 "Never!" he cried vehemently, as with one powerful 
 stroke he cleared the space around his son, and bent 
 to search the muddy garments himself. In one of 
 the pockets his trembling hand came in contact with 
 something hard a bottle ! He drew it out, trembling 
 all over as he held it to the light. It was two thirds 
 empty! 
 
 "O God!" The cry was like the last exclamation 
 wrung from a creature on the inquisition rack of 
 torture. It was terrible! The men who heard it 
 were chilled by that awful, despairing cry. 
 
 Gasping for articulate speech, a wild imprecation 
 left John Drew's lips without his realizing his own 
 utterance. He was giddy and faint; his temples 
 throbbed heavily; the blood rushed to his brain 
 the table, the chairs, the bed on which his son lay 
 rushed round and round in dark, whirling rings. 
 All at once his throat filled with a cold suffocation; 
 tears flooded his eyes, and he broke into a loud sob of 
 fiercest agony as he fell upon his knees beside the bed. 
 
 Robert gazed from one to the other in mute 
 wonder not able to comprehend anything at all. 
 Surely he was not going to die yet he felt very 
 ill worse than he had ever felt before. That must 
 be the case; the doctor must have told the pater that 
 he was going to die, or he wouldn't act like that. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 37 
 
 The pain in his side was terrible. How he wanted 
 to rise and comfort his father! but he could not talk 
 for coughing. 
 
 "F-father," at last he managed to whisper, 
 "don't grieve so." 
 
 "How can you ask me not to grieve after seeing 
 you lying before me as you are drunk! Ah! I'd 
 rather they tell me that you are dying!" 
 
 "Am I not going to die, father? What have they 
 told you?" 
 
 "Son!" exclaimed the father, a faint hope enter- 
 ing his breast, "tell them they lie! Tell them you 
 have not been drinking this!" He held up the bottle 
 in pitiful, shaking hands. 
 
 Robert looked at it, then said: "Why, yes, Pater, 
 I drank all but what you see in the bottle. I I was 
 so chilly and wretched and and the stuff is fine 
 for medical uses." Robert spoke with great effort. 
 
 "But, my son, you knew the effects of alcohol 
 what a base deceiver it is! You read that in your 
 books." 
 
 "But, father, I I'm no habitual drunk-ard! 
 This is the first I've ever tak-en. I find it great 
 for that purpose." 
 
 The father groaned aloud. "My God! I should 
 have warned my boy my innocent, unsuspecting 
 boy!" 
 
 "I I'm so sorry I drank it father, since it 
 grieves you s-so. I am sure I shall never touch it 
 again no, never if it pains you so." He writhed 
 in the terrible pain which grasped him. A fit of 
 violent coughing seized him again. The doctor 
 advised absolute quiet: the policeman withdrew. 
 
38 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 For three days Robert was very near death's 
 door, but on the fourth day was better a fact which 
 delighted his father's soul. He rarely ever left the 
 bedside, and the strong affection between these two 
 was beautiful to see. The faithful old housekeeper 
 also hovered over her "blessed young man" like a 
 mother hen hovers over her brood. In about a week 
 Robert began to convalesce. 
 
 One night about eleven o'clock Robert suddenly 
 awoke out of a troubled sleep, in which he dreamed 
 that he was seized with a great thirst and had drunk 
 gallon after gallon of water without allaying that 
 thirst. The fire burned low in the grate; the wind 
 outside whistled frigidly. Robert, shivering, drew 
 his warm blankets about him. Suddenly he realized 
 that he was in truth very thirsty. Not wishing to 
 disturb anyone, he slipped quietly out of bed, went 
 over to the little table across the room in hopes of 
 finding a drink. Janet always kept a pitcherful of 
 fresh water on the table; but to-night it was empty. 
 He was about to scamper back to his bed when he 
 spied the v/hisky bottle standing among the vials of 
 medicine. What cruel fate had made Janet place it 
 there when she should have hurled it out of the window? 
 The invalid stood looking at this bottle in wonder ; 
 for it was liquor he craved not water. An almost 
 uncontrollable longing for it filled his throat. He 
 wanted to feel its delicious fire on his palate. 
 
 "I'll just taste it," he said, uncorking the bottle. 
 It had a delicious odor, which the young man liked 
 immensely. He glanced guiltily toward the door, 
 then took one draught, smacked his lips, then took 
 another. This time he emptied the bottle. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 39 
 
 Like a guilty rogue he slunk back to bed. Again 
 that mysterious, delightful sensation fused his brain. 
 He felt jolly; and he wanted to laugh, laugh, laugh 
 and talk! The world seemed full of dreamy fancies. 
 His thoughts turned to Miss Grace. A mighty pas- 
 sion sent feverish blood coursing through his veins. 
 He thought of her in dumb, rapt ecstasy while she, 
 fair siren in white robes with bosom full and bare 
 she with her wicked, laughing eyes and jewel-wreathed 
 tresses and sensuous shape, was beautiful wanton 
 enough for Robert's eyes. She seemed to float about 
 him in lambent wreaths of exquisitely brilliant colors. 
 
 O ! A most wretched evil is alcohol, for its greatest 
 mission is that of transforming pure, chaste ideals, 
 true felicities, into voluptuous thinking and sensuous 
 longing. It distorts and renders hideous that which 
 is the best, the holiest the sublime crucible in which 
 is consummated the fusion of man and woman 
 love. It makes men drink and dream, dance and 
 caper in a fool's paradise. It encourages writers and 
 dramatists to pen obscenities, the painter to paint 
 repulsive nudities. It causes the public man to talk 
 loud inanities. It makes women practice wanton 
 wiles. 
 
 All of a sudden Robert's foolish brain formed the 
 cunning idea of hiding the empty bottle. He must 
 not leave it where the Pater or Janet would find it 
 empty. This would never do, for that would destroy 
 all hopes of securing more of the stimulant. "I 
 must hide it hide it," he kept repeating, foolishly. 
 He staggered to the table, seized the bottle and 
 raised it to his lips in order to get the few remaining 
 drops of the precious liquid. Then he crept back to 
 
40 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 his bed. That subtle flavor clung to his palate 
 that insidious fluid had already crept drop by drop 
 through his veins. 
 
 There had been a slow but sure transfusion of the 
 strange and deadly fire into his blood, which once 
 absorbed, must cling to him forever. The draught 
 to-night had given the devil time to finish his work, 
 which had its beginning in the first glass of wine 
 taken at that high-class social entertainment, the 
 Kings' banquet. It had given the devil time to 
 finish his work of consuming virtue, conjuring up 
 vice, and turning an honest man into a liar, a feeling 
 heart to stone, and making of a man a fiend! 
 
 Robert's desire to talk aloud was replaced by the 
 cunning idea of secrecy. He tucked his head under 
 the covers and delighted in his wild, delirious thoughts 
 of Miss Grace. This fantastic dreaming continued 
 for some time; but finally he dropped into a troubled 
 sleep, and the next morning awoke quite depressed 
 and languid. He attributed this feeling to his need 
 of more alcoholic stimulant, and later in the day 
 began to formulate plans which would enable him to 
 procure more without anyone's knowledge. Before 
 night he had that plan all cunningly laid, and pro- 
 ceeded to send an order to Croggs. The faithful old 
 Janet had never questioned anything Robert did, so 
 he knew that he could give her the letter to post, 
 with the assurance that the dear old soul would not 
 stop until she had carried out his orders. 
 
 Early that night he said to his father: "Go, 
 Pater get some rest. I'm all right now, and shall 
 be strong and well in a day or so." His father tucked 
 him in with unusually tender hands, and before he 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 41 
 
 left, dropped on his knees beside the bed, evoking 
 the mercies of heaven for grace which alone could 
 sustain in keeping his son from the evil influence of 
 whisky. Robert was deeply touched. The sight of 
 his father's bowed head in prayer for his safety 
 caused Robert's heart to melt down in remorse, and 
 a great tenderness and love filled his soul for his only 
 parent, who had been both mother and father to 
 him. This sweet influence dwelt with him and kept 
 him from making his order that night. 
 
 The next morning he awoke with the same feeling 
 of excessive thirst. It was the fatal thirst for whisky! 
 He took the empty bottle from its hiding place, and 
 the delicate whiff of odor intensified his longing, 
 hardening the tender fibers of his heart once more. 
 Robert made up his mind to make just one order, 
 believing that as soon as he should become strong 
 and well he could abjure the passion without diffi- 
 culty. He reasoned that on account of his excessive 
 weakness and nervousness, he needed support in the 
 form of a stimulant. 
 
 Robert was ignorant of the fact that the moral 
 power of resistance decreases with each repetition of 
 the dose. He conjured himself into believing that 
 his father's idea concerning alcohol was largely 
 prejudice. He, Robert, could prove that he could 
 take it as a medicine and when he no longer needed 
 it, he could easily let it alone. 
 
 It was a fine morning. The air outside was cold 
 and bracing. The naked trees stood grim and tall 
 and unbending in the sunlight. A few stray birds 
 twittered near Robert's window. These same birds 
 had visited his window many a time, and always 
 
42 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 had their boldness rewarded by generous supplies of 
 crumbs and clean, sweet chops. But this morning 
 they twittered in vain. A shaft of sunlight streamed 
 clear across Robert's room. It revealed and illumined 
 millions of tiny particles of matter. How often had 
 Robert as a child lain awake for hours watching this 
 same shaft of light, so wonderfully peopled with 
 mysterious little bodies, which frolicked pitching 
 headlong, turning over and over in the sunlight, then 
 suddenly disappearing. It always made him think 
 of the countless millions of souls invisible to the 
 human eye, and which the light of immortality alone 
 could reveal. He used to lie there as long as possible 
 thinking of his mother, wondering how he was 
 going to know her among the other souls. 
 
 This morning while he lay there watching the 
 light, his thoughts turned into the same channel as 
 of old, and he wondered if his mother knew what he 
 was about to do. 
 
 His father's room was just across the hall from 
 his. When the house was built, Robert was only six 
 years old, and they had arranged the rooms that 
 way so that he and his father could lie in bed and 
 see each other the very first thing in the morning, 
 and talk across the hall to each other. This had 
 been a sweet custom of theirs when Robert was a 
 little lad. This same custom had grown into his 
 young manhood. 
 
 While he lay looking at the sunlight and thinking 
 about his mother, the door, left slightly ajar, opened 
 wider so that Robert was able to see his father sitting 
 at his desk, busily engaged in writing. The desk was 
 strewn with papers; he looked fatigued and careworn. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 43 
 
 For one brief second Robert's conscience smote him. 
 His father's fine, placid, yet weary face roused in 
 him a struggling passion of regret and remorse. It 
 was a mere flash of pain, for the very devil of craving 
 filled his throat. That consuming thirst for the 
 stimulant seized him shutting out all tender senti- 
 ments. 
 
 "Pshaw!" he said, "there is no need for this weak 
 sentiment it is not at all a matter for compunction." 
 As soon as he heard the last echo of his father's de- 
 parting footsteps he got out of bed, seated himself at 
 his desk and wrote Croggs an order for whisky. The 
 letter indicated a strong wish for absolute secrecy. 
 The devil within him bore witness that Croggs would 
 not fail him in the matter of concealment. 
 
 Sure enough, a few days after that, he was the 
 recipient of a package which, to all appearances, was 
 a package of books. No one thought of it being 
 aught else save books. 
 
 On the day of the arrival Robert was in a state 
 of feverish excitement. He tried hard to appear 
 calm, but inwardly raged to open his package. He 
 stifled the peevishness and impatience which arose 
 in response to Janet's tender, motherly concern. 
 He hungered to be alone with his secret. For the 
 first time in his life he wanted his father's absence. 
 
 At first opportunity he broke the seal in his room 
 behind a locked door. At sight of the sparkling fluid 
 a million demons broke loose. He wanted to drink 
 all of it at once, but cunning saved him from this 
 error. "A little at a time," he said, and held the 
 bottle to his lips. He got only one great gulp, when 
 he heard Janet's footsteps in the hall. He heard her 
 
44 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 stop at his door, turn the knob, and heard her grunt 
 of disappointment at finding the door locked. 
 
 "In a minute, Janet," she heard her "blessed 
 young man" say, and waited patiently. Robert 
 darted about with devilish haste, tucking the parcel 
 from sight. "Damn it!" he muttered thickly as he 
 scrambled to bed without unlocking the door. 
 
 "I'll come again, Bobbie," he heard Janet say, 
 and inwardly swore because she had called him by 
 the old pet name. "Confound! Why can't they 
 let a fellow grow up sometime!" "No come on in 
 now, Janet," he said, calmly. 
 
 "How can I come in when the door is locked?" 
 And old Janet laughed. 
 
 Robert unlocked the door and Janet came in, 
 bringing a tray of tempting food. But Robert did not 
 want the food the steaming broth and crisp brown 
 toast had no attraction for him. The crave for 
 drink consumed every other want. More than the 
 hunger after bread more than the frenzy of love, 
 this poison hunger overpowers every other instinct. 
 
 He waved the food aside with a show of irrita- 
 bility that he could not conceal. This was a thing 
 quite new to the eyes of old Janet. She wondered 
 what had come over her "blessed young man." 
 Something had embittered and crossed his once 
 sweet nature, she knew. She soon left the room, 
 but to Robert's complete dismay, returned after 
 having been gone only about five minutes. This 
 time she brought a cup of hot cocoa. 
 
 "Here, drink this, Bobsy, dear," she crooned; 
 "drink this, my honey. It will make Janet's young 
 man strong drink it for Janet, my honey-child," 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 45 
 
 she begged in soft, sweet tones, which in the old days 
 would have settled the thing at once. He would 
 have gulped anything just to please her. 
 
 Now he hated her foolish, baby talk, and wanted 
 her out of his sight. But Janet lingered going here 
 and there, fixing things a bit before Daddy Drew 
 should come home. Robert, in his eagerness for her 
 to begone, hated her. 
 
 Terrors! She was nearing its hiding place. 
 Hell! had discovered it! Robert felt it to be so, 
 although he did not turn his head. Janet's long 
 pause and hoarse grunt were significant enough. 
 
 Poor Janet picked up the bottle and looked at 
 it. She did not utter a word just gave an involun- 
 tary grunt of fear and horror. "Heavens have 
 mercy upon us!" she inwardly groaned, and she 
 quickly thrust the bottle back into its hiding place. 
 Her limbs seemed to age ten years. She tottered 
 feebly toward the door without a word. 
 
 They both heard the front door softly close 
 heard the quick steps of John Drew hurrying to the 
 bedside of his beloved son. 
 
 "God!" said Robert in wild desperation, "Janet 
 must not tell father. I'll kill her first!" 
 
 "Janet!" 
 
 The woman turned. Robert sat up in bed. 
 There was a sinister look in his eyes of fire which 
 caused poor old Janet's heart to wither in her bosom. 
 She read his meaning, even though he had only called 
 her name. 
 
 John Drew hastened onward. Quick as the old 
 woman's limbs would allow, she pushed the package 
 further away from sight, then took up the tray and, 
 
46 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 sitting on the edge of the bed, she commenced to 
 say, without a single catch in her voice: "There now, 
 Janet's 'blessed young man,' drink this. It will be 
 havin' you runnin' everywhere in no time." 
 
 A second later the father entered, and smiled to 
 see her thus mothering his son. 
 
 "I am much better thanks to Janet's dinner," 
 he beamed into his father's inquiring eyes. At the 
 first opportunity Janet left the room. She had 
 barely reached the door when her feeble old limbs 
 gave way. She managed to totter to her room, 
 where she dropped into a chair and for a long time 
 her body shook with silent weeping. 
 
 Janet had been connected with the family so 
 long. She knew the history of all the Drews knew 
 the poor young mother's struggle to keep John 
 Drew from filling a drunkard's grave knew that this 
 struggle and the birth of Robert had brought about 
 the hapless young woman's early death. Old Janet 
 had watched the perfect love which existed between 
 father and son, and hoped that the father's heroic 
 struggle against strong drink might be bountifully 
 rewarded in the perfect manhood of the son. 
 
 Old Janet had faithfully adhered to her duty in 
 helping John Drew to give Robert a careful training. 
 Both of them used the utmost caution in regard to 
 their mutual fear. 
 
 The cruel truth had been thrust upon her, that 
 the curse which they feared most had descended 
 upon Robert in spite of all their caution. "Oh, my 
 poor baby! My poor, dear little Bobs! My poor, 
 God-forsaken 'blessed young man'!" she wailed, 
 rocking herself to and fro in her misery. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 47 
 
 All that evening Robert's father lingered near, 
 reading to him and telling him stories like he used 
 to amuse little Robert of old. All during this time 
 the appetite for the poison stimulant burned in 
 Robert's throat. 
 
 "To-night to-night I shall have it at all cost," 
 he said to himself. It was twelve o'clock that night 
 before the opportunity came. John Drew and Janet 
 had retired. As soon as Robert felt sure of safety, 
 he slunk out of bed and slipped his precious package 
 from its place. 
 
 "At last!" he said, "at last!" He gloated tri- 
 umphantly as he eyed the bottle eyed it with a 
 half scared exhilaration a man feels who takes a 
 chance and is quite sure he'll not have another 
 chance if he loses that one. He became desperate 
 nothing must hinder him now. He felt that he could 
 shoot the first person that interrupted him. 
 
 Anyone looking in upon Robert at that moment 
 would have been greatly shocked to see him thus 
 transformed. His once firm lips drooped; his jaws 
 sagged; his once splendid body was gaunt and hag- 
 gard. There was a wicked glint in his eyes, and his 
 long, bony fingers trembled as he raised the bottle 
 to his lips in one long draught. 
 
 "Ah!" he said, smacking his lips. "Ah! let 
 anyone disturb me now." 
 
 He threw back his head and another stream of 
 fire poured down his throat. This time the bottle 
 was half empty. Being weakened because of undue 
 excitement, Robert sank panting to a chair, looking 
 wildly around the room as if he feared some hidden 
 menace in the shadows. Then he threw back his 
 
48 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 head and laughed softly. He continued to drink 
 and to gloat until intoxication began to mount to his 
 brain. Again the deadly poison crept through his 
 veins, and he began to lapse into the delirium of 
 intoxication. He raised the bottle to his lips again 
 it was empty! 
 
 Muttering foolishly, he rose to get back to bed 
 without thinking to hide the traces of his guilt this 
 time. The empty bottle fell to the floor with a 
 slightly ringing thud. Robert took no heed as he 
 reeled toward the bed. He was still muttering fool- 
 ishly when he reached it. Instead of smuggling be- 
 neath the warm covers, he fell asleep upon top of 
 them all, in a deep drunken stupor. 
 
 Outside the night was chill and raw, and rendered 
 boisterous by a gale of wind which whistled along 
 the streets. It had ceased to rain, and the high wind 
 had shifted to the north and was bitterly cold. The 
 fire having now burned low in the grate, gradually 
 brightened and threw flickering shadows upon the 
 walls and ceiling of the still chamber. Strange 
 shadows seemed to dance in weird, wild mockery 
 around the prostrate figure lying there on the bed 
 and outside the covers. 
 
 Once the young man was aroused by the chilliness 
 which crept all about his body. He stared above 
 him; for in his fancy was it fancy? a shadowy 
 figure had glided out from the semi-darkness and 
 stood by his bedside. It laid a finger upon his scin- 
 tillating heart, while the index finger of the other 
 hand, gleaming in the darkness, pointed upwards to 
 a mysterious fate. Robert's lips moved to form the 
 word, "Mother!" 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 49 
 
 Thus he lay for hours until a terrible cough seemed 
 to rend his chest. Something broke loose and blood 
 issued from his mouth and nose. Suddenly John Drew 
 awoke with a start. He had been having an awful 
 dream. His first thought was of Robert. He sprang 
 out of bed and rushed to the room across the hall 
 to find a sight which froze his blood in his veins. He 
 picked up the empty bottle and stared from it to 
 the wreck upon the bed, with a strained and startled 
 gaze of a brave man wounded to the death. His 
 body aged and trembled. He bore the aspect of an 
 aged man stricken with palsy. His heart, all his 
 hopes his very life rent asunder! Down, down, 
 nearer and nearer to the floor he sank dumb misery 
 and unutterable woe in his dim eyes. The blow was 
 too much for him. It struck him to the very ground. 
 
 "Robert!" he cried as he went down, "you kill 
 me!" 
 
 What a spectacle our hollow, deceitful, brutal 
 world must present to a higher and nobler order of 
 beings, if cognizant of the struggle, the strife, and 
 baseness and misery of this mundane sphere! What 
 a wretched fool is man to allow such a miserable in- 
 dulgence as drink to ruin homes by bringing youth 
 down to degradation, and hoary hairs to a grave of 
 dishonor and shame! 
 
 For three days Robert lingered in the throes of 
 untold suffering. He had contracted pneumonia. 
 The careful nursing of poor old Janet and the heart- 
 broken father availed little. During those last days 
 the humble pleading in the sufferer's eyes as he looked 
 at his father was enough to melt a heart of stone. 
 Robert knew that his father had discovered his 
 
50 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 secret, and his eyes followed him everywhere, plead- 
 ing beseeching forgiveness. 
 
 Crazed with grief, John Drew watched by the 
 bedside through all the hours of crucial suffering. 
 He had not many days to watch before death entered 
 the still chamber and Robert Drew was no more. 
 
 Friends came and went all the next day while 
 the body of Robert Drew lay in state. Every heart 
 was touched, and many were the tears shed in sym- 
 pathy with the bereaved parent and old Janet. All 
 over the house there brooded the majestic stillness 
 of sorrowing humanity, bound in breathless silence 
 by a common spell. 
 
 Sick to the very dregs of misery, John Drew 
 raved for days in feverish agony agony that was 
 blind, desperate, hopeless, helpless, and cureless! 
 O! that horrible time! O! those dreary, wild, dark 
 days and nights of utter loss and blank wretchedness ! 
 that frightful space of torment in which every 
 nerve in his body seemed torn and wrenched by that 
 terrible grief! How he lived through it one cannot 
 tell. His friends did not wonder that he came through 
 it with somewhat unbalanced mind. When the 
 frenzy of it wore itself out at last, he grew calm with 
 that dreadful calmness of stupefaction and exhaus- 
 tion. During this time he never saw anyone 
 never went out of the house, but kept himself shut 
 in alone with all his bitter sorrow. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 ONE night John Drew paced the floor of his 
 lonely room quick, restless pacing, which betokens 
 an almost frenzied condition of mind on the verge of 
 committing some desperate deed. For the last day 
 or so he had acted that way, as if he was trying to 
 make up his mind to a contemplated suicide. He 
 paused in his rapid walking to open the drawer of 
 his desk. He drew out a revolver, eyed it furtively, 
 slipped it back into its place, and resumed his pacing 
 again. A large, splendid photograph of Robert hung 
 on the wall. This photograph had been made only 
 a few months before his graduation. His father had 
 often looked upon it with special pride. John went 
 over to it and gazed silently upon the handsome, 
 perfect contour of the face. When he turned abruptly 
 away there was something in his eyes which would 
 have alarmed an observer. His jaws were set in 
 grim, dogged determination. At last his mind 
 was made up to whatever he had contemplated doing. 
 He removed the revolver from the drawer, chuckling 
 softly as its evil gleam matched the light which 
 burned in his eyes. 
 
 Whatever he had made up his mind to do, he 
 must do it at once! John Drew had been wandering 
 for many days, aimlessly, hopelessly, without con- 
 secutive idea, coherent thought, or plan of action; 
 without the faintest inspiration or suggestion of a 
 manner of escape from the bewildering torment of 
 his grief, without even the power to conceive or the 
 
 51 
 
52 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 will to execute a plan out of the dumb misery which 
 gripped his heart. While he gazed upon the photo- 
 graph of his unfortunate offspring, his mind had sud- 
 denly seized the terrible idea which in his unbalanced, 
 frenzied condition of mind seemed the only retribu- 
 tion that would soothe his hurt and much wronged 
 heart murder! 
 
 He would seek the fellow who sold his son the 
 poison, and make him pay for the dastardly deed 
 with his blood. He would never rest until he had 
 placed that man beyond the power to ruin other 
 innocents. The world would be better off without 
 him. 
 
 At that moment Croggs, in his rum shop at New 
 Gate, had no dreams that the name and address on 
 the label of that fatal bottle of whisky would be the 
 means of pointing him out as a criminal, instead of 
 fulfilling the innocent function of increasing his 
 trade. 
 
 Having only a few moments in which to catch the 
 early train going out to New Gate, John Drew thrust 
 a few things into a bag, slipped the gun into his 
 pocket, and dashed out of the house in almost an 
 instant. 
 
 It had begun to snow, so lightly at first that it 
 seemed a mere brush of some viewless insect upon 
 the cheek; but by the time he reached the station, 
 he went in out of a swarm of whirling flakes, blinded 
 and whitened. By the time the snow had covered 
 the streets, the train had started on its way to New 
 Gate, carrying John Drew as one of its passengers. 
 
 The snow fell all that night, with fierce gusts of 
 wind that moaned in the chimney of that house of 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 53 
 
 sorrow which John Drew had just vacated. It 
 moaned and sorely troubled the sleep of poor, faith- 
 ful old Janet. While the wind howled, the snow 
 softly precipitated a spotless mantle of merciful 
 obliteration over John Drew's departing footprints. 
 
 Day was just beginning to break when he reached 
 New Gate. On account of the early hour and the 
 inclemency of the weather, there were few people 
 astir. As John Drew walked down the familiar 
 streets of New Gate, a fierce onset of wind caught 
 him savagely and stirred his blood into action. He 
 turned towards Croggs's saloon, walking rapidly and 
 undeviatingly on to escape observation. Almost be- 
 fore he was aware of it he was entering Croggs's. 
 There was no other customer a fact which pleased 
 John Drew, for he wanted the man all to himself. 
 
 With a good-natured smile he walked up to the 
 counter, demanded a drink, and laid down a bill. 
 Croggs's eyes twinkled as he noted the careless in- 
 difference with which this customer handled his 
 money. It savored of abundance. He handed the 
 decanter to John, which he took with as much ease 
 and confidence as he could assume. The hesitancy 
 and tremble of his hand was unnoticed by Croggs, 
 who continued to beam across the counter at the 
 "early bird with the dough." 
 
 John Drew eyed the sparkling fluid amidst a 
 tumult of rage. Suddenly some strange, intuitive 
 knowledge seemed to warn Croggs a creeping sen- 
 sation at the nape of his neck, a strange quivering 
 of his muscles something. He shot a keen glance 
 at John, thence toward a drawer in which a revolver 
 was concealed. All at once John Drew took on an 
 
54 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 aspect of wily cunning. He leaned one elbow on 
 the counter in an easy, confidential manner and 
 asked, "Business on a boom, eh?" 
 "Well, purty good, purty good," said Croggs. 
 
 "When the weather is like this you have an in- 
 crease of trade huh?" 
 
 "Yes, yes. You see, they must have spirits to 
 keep their blood hot. Nothing like it to keep out 
 cold prevent grippe." 
 
 "Young men drop in continually and get a glass 
 to drive out the shivers." John Drew fixed the bar- 
 keeper with a searching glance. 
 
 "Suie they do nothing like the stuff for that," 
 said Croggs. 
 
 "Sometimes they are innocent young men who 
 have never had a drink innocents who have been 
 carefully reared in ignorance of whisky and its evil 
 effects; and the first glass, at your suggestion, is the 
 beginning of their ruin. You urge them when they 
 are reluctant timid and green." 
 
 "Sure! They, every mother's son of them, always 
 act upon my suggestion, and are none the worse for 
 it," answered Croggs boastfully. 
 
 John Drew's eyes narrowed perceptibly. 
 
 "Why should they come here, then, if not to buy 
 or beg a drink?" said Croggs, noticing the rising heat 
 in his customer's eyes. 
 
 "They might chance to come in just drop in 
 with a friend, perhaps." 
 
 "They ought to know what they want or don't 
 want it is none of my business. I sell it to whoever 
 I can. I'm not here to reform men, but to sell whisky 
 to any fool who wants it." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 55 
 
 Croggs was entirely ignorant that he was sealing 
 his doom with his bully words. 
 
 "I guess you find it a pleasant job indeed this 
 taking advantage of fools!" Such a sudden fury lit 
 up John Drew's eyes that Croggs involuntarily re- 
 coiled. 
 
 "A few weeks ago a youth as ignorant of alcohol 
 as a girl stopped in here with a chum of his. He was 
 ill, and on his way home to his father that father 
 who would have given his life to prevent the steps 
 which the young man took. You took advantage of 
 his ignorance, urged him to drink, then sold him 
 more. That fatal first drink was the beginning of 
 his ruin. You finished the work by filling an order 
 for another quart. Your damned work was as sure as 
 hell! My boy now fills a drunkard's grave, and you 
 beast that you are you are responsible for his 
 death!" 
 
 John Drew towered above the barkeeper, who 
 cringed in astonished fear. In his eyes there lay a 
 look of cowardice and guilt. He remembered the 
 incident well, and had even planned further tempta- 
 tion for the unsuspecting youth. 
 
 Croggs was afraid. Terror clutched at his quak- 
 ing heart, for there was no mistaking the stranger's 
 murderous intention. He tried to assume an air of 
 indifference. He turned as if to attend to other 
 matters of more importance; but that feeling of 
 deadly fear crept at the nape of his neck. His mo- 
 ments were numbered! This was no situation to 
 trifle and parley with. He turned and found himself 
 staring into the deadly barrel of John Drew's re- 
 volver. Already the finger was quivering to pull the 
 
56 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 trigger which would send Croggs to instant doom. 
 God! Would nothing interfere would no one come 
 in! A cry would be useless. The arm which held 
 the weapon was as steady as an arm of steel. 
 
 "Nothing but your life! Your life must pay for 
 my son's ruin and death!" 
 
 "Merciful heavens! The man must be mad!" 
 thought Croggs. Would not the merciful hand of 
 God stay the deed which would rip his soul from his 
 body and hurl it quaking and all unprepared before 
 its Maker? 
 
 John Drew's teeth bared in a snarl of rage. He 
 was madly enjoying this cowardly dog's torture. 
 But suddenly, in the midst of his triumph, an image 
 formed itself in his brain the pure, spotless image 
 of his wife. Just when he was about to pull the trigger, 
 lo! it seemed that he was about to empty the contents 
 of the revolver into the naked breast of his own wife 
 Robert's mother! 
 
 He lowered the weapon, and Croggs saw the look 
 of murder miraculously turned to wonder and amaze- 
 ment. Poor Croggs breathed at last, and wiped his 
 forehead, on which there clung great drops of cold 
 perspiration. He knew that he had looked death 
 square in the face. He did not know what invisible 
 force had intervened. It was enough that the mo- 
 ment had passed and he was still alive. He began 
 to beg for mercy. "Lord, man! Don't you see that 
 this is my living? I've got to sell whisky there's no 
 other way. How could I know that it was going to 
 cause the young man's death? Everybody in this 
 town buys whisky here at my little shop. I'm not 
 to blame for your son's death." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 57 
 
 "If you are not, pray who, then?" The vision of 
 Alice had vanished just in time for John to catch 
 Croggs's last words. "Who then?" he repeated. 
 
 "Why, the one who gave me license to sell whisky 
 I suppose. There are other saloons the town's 
 full of them. Kill me, and the work goes on, while 
 you gain nothing but bloody hands and the gallows. 
 If you would find the real perpetrator of this crime, 
 seek the one who issues license to sell liquors." 
 
 John Drew could not deny the truth of Croggs's 
 statement. 
 
 There was a sound of shuffling feet outside; then 
 three men entered the barroom. Greatly relieved, 
 Croggs proceeded to wait upon them. Though some- 
 what reassured, he was yet afraid of the sinister look 
 on John Drew's face as he watched and waited. 
 
 Croggs turned only for an instant it seemed 
 but when he again sought the face of his tormentor, 
 he was gone! 
 
 John Drew hastened from the saloon and turned 
 down an obscure alley, out of sight. When the 
 excited Croggs and the three rushed to the door, he 
 was nowhere to be seen. As soon as he felt sure 
 that he had made good his escape, he stopped in 
 order to collect his shattered senses. He was nearly 
 insane. The thoughts which coursed through his 
 brain were vague and incredulous thoughts which 
 utterly darkened all his capacity for reasoning out 
 the tragedy of the situation. In the midst of it all 
 he kept thinking of his boy his glorious, manly 
 Robert ruthlessly destroyed by man's folly and 
 weakness. 
 
58 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 "Surely there shall be an atonement!" he cried. 
 "If not, then there is something wrong in the system 
 of creation a flaw in the universe, and God himself 
 cannot be perfect!" He gazed about him at the 
 dazzling mantle of snow which covered the heaps of 
 filth and rags, shook his head dazedly, perplexed and 
 baffled at the inexplicable cause of things. His 
 temples throbbed. He felt a strange dizziness about 
 his head. Then he remembered that he had not 
 slept in twenty-four hours, nor eaten anything. He 
 shook himself to be assured that he dreamed not. 
 He looked at his hands as if to find an indelible blood- 
 stain upon them. Had he accomplished what he 
 had come here to do? Somehow the accomplishment 
 of the deed seemed half way between reality and 
 fancy. He drew the revolver from his pocket and 
 found that no bullet had been fired. He heaved a 
 sigh, whether of relief or regret, he knew not. 
 
 Suddenly a longing for rest took possession of 
 him. He needed warmth: he was so cold. He must 
 move on or freeze. 
 
 John Drew stumbled on through the snow to the 
 end of the alley. He had no strength to go farther, 
 but threw himself dejectedly down upon the cleanly 
 swept steps of the little cottage which stood there 
 alone. He took no cognizance as to whether it was 
 occupied or empty. He had been there only a little 
 while when the door opened; and great was his sur- 
 prise to find the visage of old Tom Greely framed 
 therein. He had known old Greely from childhood. 
 Many a time had he sought refuge from showers of 
 hostile missiles by running into the house of old Tom 
 Greely. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 59 
 
 How strange that fate should send him there 
 now a place of refuge from his tortured mind ! The 
 sight of this old friend served to restore his equilib- 
 rium more than anything else. 
 
 John Drew was placed comfortably by a warm 
 fire and bidden to rest while a simple meal was 
 served. He made a great effort to become his nat- 
 ural self, and was successful to a great extent. After 
 a good night's rest he was able to think more clearly. 
 Already the actions of the previous day seemed a 
 hideous dream. He looked at his hands, and there 
 arose a feeling of thanksgiving that they were as yet 
 unstained by human blood. Yesterday his plot of 
 crime was the uppermost thing in his mind. The 
 greatest wish of his heart was to strike the death- 
 blow of revenge, but to-day he rejoiced to find his 
 hands still clean of crime. 
 
 Men often overestimate their capacity for evil. 
 They may often take steps which lead to the crime, 
 impelled by the same sort of mental action as in 
 working out a mathematical problem, yet be power- 
 less with compunction at the final moment. 
 
 The joy which came over John Drew when he 
 discovered his failure in committing the murder far 
 surpassed the savage joy of revenge, however com- 
 plete. He, the father, must take care lest he fall 
 lower than the son. After all, Robert had committed 
 no great crime. He had sinned against the stern law 
 of nature and she had made him pay Jie price as 
 nature will ever do to those who break her laws. 
 Robert had only fallen an easy victim to the snares 
 set daily by society at large, for not a day passed but 
 that some form of alcoholics was served upon the 
 
60 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 tables of the poor as well as the rich. Even a great 
 majority of the clergymen warmed their blood with 
 it every raw morning. Numerous physicians pre- 
 scribed it. No wonder that his innocent Robert had 
 become a victim. John Drew was able to reason in 
 this manner, and with this ability to reason there 
 dawned a new purpose that of giving his life for a 
 nobler gain than revenge. 
 
 In the meantime, Miss Grace King, in her home 
 of pomp and splendor, had undergone as strange and 
 as interesting a transition as can be imagined. Spoiled 
 and petted though she was, there were many splendid 
 traits in this young girl's make-up which, once de- 
 veloped, would make her a noble woman. Having 
 traveled a great deal, she had seen a lot of society, 
 had noted its frivolousness and lack of sincerity in 
 many instances; and although she had often entered 
 society with all the coquetry of a natural flirt, there 
 was deep down in her woman's heart an undercurrent 
 desire for true love and happiness. 
 
 Once when Miss Grace was barely seventeen she 
 had come near losing her heart upon a Spanish 
 violinist of great skill. Her quick and keen intellect 
 soon discovered the man's perfidy; but her disap- 
 pointment had been so great that for months she 
 gave herself over to reckless abandon and frivolity. 
 Up to the time she had met Robert, she had not 
 quite recovered. She still tried to harden her heart 
 against love, telling herself that no man was honor- 
 able and few women virtuous. 
 
 Her attitude toward young Drew was nothing 
 new. And she was elated over the complete novelty 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 61 
 
 of the situation. It was not long, however, before 
 the real condition of affairs asserted itself in a way 
 which puzzled Miss Grace herself. She did not at 
 first define her own feelings. Before she was aware 
 of it, she began to thrill with pleasure whenever she 
 caught Robert's burning glances. The young man's 
 clean ideas, chaste thoughts, and high regard for 
 womanhood fascinated and charmed her. She had 
 met many men and had acquired the method of 
 ascertaining their true character largely by their 
 conversation. It is easy to judge the young man 
 whose aspirations are pure and high, by their con- 
 versation. By this same method it is easy to judge 
 the youth who reads much and discriminately, who 
 finds his associates among the exemplary. Evil 
 habits, low aims, and inferior manhood are nearly 
 always disclosed in the conversation of the indi- 
 vidual. 
 
 By this method Miss Grace had gained a knowl- 
 edge of Robert's intelligence, purity, nobleness of 
 purpose, and true manliness. 
 
 It charmed her soul in spite of herself. 
 
 On the very night that Robert wrote his last little 
 note to her, she invited several of her friends to tea, 
 including Robert, just for the purpose of having him 
 near her. When she received the note which Robert 
 wrote telling her of his illness and prospective journey, 
 she felt a greater disappointment than she had ever 
 felt in all her life. The whole entertainment was 
 completely spoiled for her. When it was over, she 
 fled to heir room in a tumult of feeling which she 
 could not account for. She sat staring into space 
 wondering at the strange, sweet emotion which 
 
62 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 stirred her soul. Those who had called Miss King a 
 heartless flirt would have formed a different opinion 
 of her now if they had beheld her sitting there in the 
 pale moonlight, her face suffused with a sweet, rich 
 blush of a soul first awakening to the glorious and 
 mysterious dawn of love, for at last the haughty 
 Grace King loved! 
 
 Her love made her glorious. Not only had the 
 face of her become softened and beautiful she had 
 become idealized. As three April days are enough 
 for certain trees to put on a covering of flowers, so a 
 few moments had been enough for her to put on a 
 new mantle of beauty. 
 
 We sometimes see people cold and hard who seem 
 to awaken, pass suddenly from frigidity and become 
 all at once splendid, prodigal, and magnificent. So 
 it was with Grace King. But alas! poor girl, she did 
 not know that the most terrible disappointment was 
 to come to her. She did not know that in a few days 
 the angel of death would be knocking at the door of 
 her lover a knock which could not be denied. On 
 the eve of her newfound joy she was destined to be 
 cast into the deepest gulf of black despair. 
 
 The news came to her, without the slightest warn- 
 ing, like an eagle sweeping down out of a clear, blue 
 sky snatches an unsuspecting victim in talons of 
 unavoidable destruction. The news smote her a 
 cruel blow. The world, so gloriously splendid only a 
 little while before, became black and gloomy. For 
 hours she lay beneath the stony weight of it, bruised, 
 crushed, and broken. She walked about the house 
 with tottering, faltering footsteps of an aged dame, 
 her face grown old and haggard, the bloom of youth 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 63 
 
 and beauty fading under the stony despair which set- 
 tled over her countenance. Her parents and friends 
 wondered what had befallen the once brilliant young 
 woman. They never dreamed of connecting her con- 
 dition with the reported illness and death of young 
 Drew. 
 
 On the morning of John Drew's departure to 
 New Gate, a heavily veiled young woman stepped 
 off the train at Hollyville a young woman upon 
 whom had befallen the utmost sorrow, that of yield- 
 ing up her first and one great love of her womanhood 
 to the corruption of the grave. The few who saw 
 her standing over the grave of Robert Drew thought 
 her some relative who had arrived too late for the 
 funeral. 
 
 Grace King knew as she stood there that this 
 sacred spot contained the body of the one man to 
 whom she had given the crowning love of her woman- 
 hood. She had found out all the particulars concern- 
 ing her lover's death, and she thought of all now as 
 she stood there so utterly alone. She was by no 
 means blind to the part which she herself had played 
 in the tragedy. She realized with shame and great 
 remorse that in her sinful recklessness she had helped 
 to lay the foundation of her loved one's destruction. 
 
 In deepest contrition she bowed her head in silent 
 prayer: "O God, let me not rest until this greatest 
 curse of mankind shall be annihilated, and the 
 country free from this evil which has so cruelly slain 
 my newborn happiness." While she prayed there 
 seemed to be a choir of angels singing in her ears. 
 She raised her face toward heaven, and there was 
 indeed a light in her eyes and hope in her soul. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 LARRIMORE, the city clerk, sat busily engaged 
 at his desk when a stranger entered. Something in 
 the man's eyes attracted his attention at once. The 
 stranger was John Drew, who did not hesitate but 
 made known the purpose of his coming immediately. 
 Straight to the heart of his mission he plunged, saying: 
 
 "My son, the light of my eyes, the idol of my 
 heart, lies dead, and you are responsible for it! Tell 
 me, why do you issue license to sell whisky, which 
 means death to so many people, complete ruin for 
 so many homes which makes men lower than the 
 insect which breeds in the mold?" 
 
 Larrimore sprang to his feet in complete astonish- 
 ment. "You are mistaken," he cried. "I have caused 
 no man to die ! I do not know the man of whom you 
 speak!" 
 
 "Then it was not you who issued Croggs' license 
 to sell whisky?" 
 
 "It is I, for truth," said Larrimore; "but, my 
 friend, I have no grudge against any man. I have 
 only been doing what I've been commanded to do 
 my duty. I am simply a servant carrying out the 
 instructions of higher authority. The city council is 
 responsible for the licenses I issue. It is my duty 
 to sell license to all applicants. I have nothing to do 
 with the right and wrong of it. If your son became 
 a whisky fiend, it is his affair, not mine!" 
 
 The heart of John Drew weakened. During all 
 those years of frequenting saloons, and with all his 
 
 64 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 65 
 
 wisdom concerning whisky and its evil influence, he 
 had never taken thought as to who was responsible for 
 it, having always looked upon the barkeeper as a sort 
 of irresisting devil and the sole parent of alcoholics. 
 The sole cry of the reformers had always been: 
 "Shun the barkeeper and his whisky." He stared at 
 Larrimore while slowly it dawned upon him that 
 the man was right. Since the barkeeper had Oustly, 
 it seemed) disclaimed the responsibility, and the 
 city clerk had done the same with equal speciousness, 
 it slowly dawned upon John Drew that he must seek 
 further. 
 
 "When may I meet this council?" 
 
 "Let's see. There's a meeting to-night," answered 
 Larrimore. 
 
 After John Drew had departed, Larrimore shook 
 his head doubtfully, saying, "Some nutty, that." 
 
 That night the august assembly known as the 
 city council makers of laws or ordinances, regu- 
 lators of public force, raters of city taxation, orderers 
 of the issues of bonds, and constructors of public 
 works, and makers of appropriations for public pur- 
 pose had a visitor in the person of John Drew. It 
 was certainly a matter of serious import that brought 
 him before that body of most experienced and self- 
 contained citizens of New Gate. 
 
 He put on as serious air as his beating heart 
 would allow, knowing that if he hoped to bring about 
 a successful accomplishment of his plans, he must 
 avoid all show of undue emotion must not appear 
 to be a madman or a crank. These men must be 
 made to see the cruelty of allowing such a fatal pro- 
 ceeding as the free sale of liquor. 
 
66 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Therefore when the time came, his voice fraught 
 with a deep earnestness, he told the story of his suffer- 
 ing and irretrievable loss a story which could not 
 fail to touch the hearts of all who listened to it. 
 
 "Gentlemen," he asked at the close of his nar- 
 rative, "who is responsible for my son's death? I 
 thought the responsibility rested with Croggs, the 
 saloonkeeper who sold my boy the whisky; and had 
 it not been for the timely intervention of Providence, 
 Croggs would now be sleeping the sleep from which 
 no man waketh. Croggs proved his innocence 
 that is, he convinced me that he is not directly re- 
 sponsible since he has been authorized by the city 
 clerk to sell intoxicants to all who want them. His 
 argument was logical; but when I had an interview 
 with Larrimore, he also shifted the responsibility. 
 
 " 'The city council is responsible for the license 
 which I issue,' he says a statement which is also 
 true therefore I knew that I must look to you to 
 exterminate this evil. Were I the only one that has 
 suffered, I would make no complaint: but I speak 
 in behalf of the thousands who suffer with me; the 
 thousands who are yet to suffer on account of this 
 evil: for as long as intoxicants are sold over the 
 counter, vice and crime and untold suffering are 
 bound to stalk abroad in the land. I feel that the 
 rights of every human being are as sacred as my own. 
 There are hundreds of others who have beloved ones, 
 upon whom they lavish their whole life's love, hopes, 
 and ambitions. Think of the number of these doting 
 ones who are doomed to disappointment because 
 those loved ones fall victims to accursed drink. 
 Shall you men stand by and see the evil work go on 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 67 
 
 without raising a hand to stop it? or, worse still 
 will you continue to take part in it, you who grant 
 the barkeeper the privilege to sell intoxicants will 
 you do nothing? When I looked upon the face of 
 my beloved son, cold in death, and realized the 
 utter loss upon all that I had prided myself, I was 
 mad with grief: sick to the very dregs of misery, 
 hopeless, helpless raging! I came here to kill 
 Croggs; but he wily wretch though he is he is 
 not responsible for the laws which you gentlemen 
 make and enforce. Could you not make better 
 laws? laws that would prohibit the sale of alcohol, 
 for instance? Think of your own sons. The time 
 will come when civilized man will feel that the rights 
 of every living creature are as sacred as his own. 
 Anything short of this cannot be perfect civilization. 
 Think of the millions destroyed not only in body 
 but in soul by the ravages of alcohol ! Their untimely 
 death is a tragedy that we must abate." 
 
 At the beginning of John Drew's speech the board 
 had listened with somewhat amused tolerance, then 
 with a rising interest, and finally at the end there 
 was not one among them who remained untouched. 
 Among them there was one who was more impressed 
 than the others; for he, too, was the father of a son 
 who filled a drunkard's grave. Fortunately this one 
 was Mr. Anderson, the most influential member of 
 the board. 
 
 "Fellow citizen," Mr. Anderson said in reply to 
 John Drew, "I am in deep sympathy with the grievous 
 hurt you bear. I feel sure that all who have heard 
 your story are in sympathy with you. Before I say 
 what I must say ultimately, be it understood that 
 
68 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 I am bitterly against the use of alcoholics I sup- 
 pose we all are. And I cannot leave unexpressed my 
 natural perception of what is just and right. All 
 that you have said is true. The naked truth has 
 been demonstrated in thousands of instances, in 
 close proximity to every one of us; but on the other 
 hand, have you, who bear this grievous wrong, 
 thought of our position in regard to prohibition? 
 The sale of liquor is an important factor in the 
 advancement of this or any other town. In the 
 first place, it would be unwise for this town to enact 
 prohibitory laws while the other neighboring towns 
 permit the sale of liquor. I can point you to several 
 towns where such laws have been enacted Bloom- 
 ington, for instance it is a town which was once 
 very progressive, but which now owes its deteriora- 
 tion to its prohibitory law. There is little hope for 
 Bloomington so long as the surrounding cities keep 
 open saloons. On the other hand, Tiny Town, only 
 a distance of ten miles from Bloomington, prospers 
 and flourishes under the wet measure. I am stating 
 these facts, Mr. Drew, in order to show you how 
 prohibition may be harmful to a city or town rather 
 than beneficial. A dry city within a wet State is at 
 a great disadvantage on account of rival prosperity 
 of neighboring cities that are not dry. Mr. Drew, 
 this is a matter which the State should settle, not 
 the city. I hope that I have made my reason plain 
 why it is not wise for us to enact prohibitory laws 
 for New Gate. However, the cause which you advo- 
 cate is certainly a worthy one, and if you are per- 
 sistent enough to carry the matter before the State 
 Legislature, I promise you my support." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 69 
 
 Bitter disappointment on account of this repeated 
 shift of responsibility took possession of John Drew's 
 heart at first, then slowly this feeling began to ebb 
 slowly it dawned upon him that the purpose for 
 which he had come to New Gate was not to take the 
 life of one man in revenge for his son's death, but to 
 save the lives of thousands by removing the evil 
 cause of their destruction. 
 
 He had a private interview with Mr. Anderson, 
 and expressed his determination to take the matter 
 before the State legislature. Mr. Anderson again 
 pledged his support. 
 
 One morning, a few days later, Mr. Anderson sat 
 in his office pondering over the situation in which he 
 found himself placed, when a young lady was an- 
 nounced. Miss Grace King, her color heightened by 
 a rapid walk against a frigid wind, entered the office. 
 There was a lack of the accustomed breeziness about 
 her. Her uncle noticed this as he took her hands and 
 looked deep into her clouded eyes. 
 
 The natural Grace was always so full of sunshine 
 and withal such a merry twinkle in her eyes that no 
 wonder her uncle noticed the change. He refrained 
 from questioning her, however, knowing that what- 
 ever the trouble was, she would be certain to confide 
 in him. 
 
 Sitting by the fire, she seemed to forget his pres- 
 ence, and her thoughts were evidently heavy and 
 gloomy. 
 
 Whatever it is, he mused, it is the biggest thing 
 that has ever come into her life. Something very 
 serious is troubling the child, no doubt of that. 
 Grace troubled and old why, it is preposterous! 
 
70 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 yet that clouded brow, that sad droop of her lovely 
 shoulders that black dress! Her uncle started in 
 alarm as he noted the last suggestion of deep, un- 
 fathomable sorrow. "They're all wearing black 
 nowadays," he reflected. Whatever it was, he 
 wished with all his heart that she would reveal it. 
 He was plunged into deepest concern when he saw 
 two bright, big tears hang on her lids a moment, 
 then splash upon her folded hands. The ice was 
 broken. In wild abandon of grief, Grace threw her- 
 self upon her uncle's bosom and gave vent to a pas- 
 sion of tears. 
 
 "Oh uncle, I'm the most miserable creature on 
 the globe!" she wailed. "My very heart is broken!" 
 
 "There, there," he soothed; then waited. 
 
 In passionate words which tore at her listener's 
 heart-strings, Miss Grace told the story of her love 
 and loss every minute detail from beginning to end, 
 not sparing her own part in the tragedy. When she 
 had finished, her uncle knew that her woman's love 
 the love that comes to every woman but once in 
 life had been given too late. 
 
 The thought overwhelmed him with tender sym- 
 pathy and pity that to this child, as dear to him as 
 a daughter, there should come such a monstrous 
 grief. He was utterly at a loss how to comfort her. 
 In the presence of such overwhelming, sacred grief 
 he was awed and silent. Tenderly he stroked her 
 bowed head and mingled his tears with hers, praying 
 that God would give her strength to bear this crown- 
 ing sorrow of her life. They stood silent until she 
 became calmer, then he gently placed her in a chair 
 and waited for whatever else she had to tell. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 71 
 
 Outside the wind swept around the corner of the 
 house in frigid fury. Miss Grace shivered and clung 
 to her uncle. She felt cold and alone. Suddenly 
 the half-burnt logs in the fireplace tumbled together, 
 and then the flames leaped up anew and crackled. 
 
 Mr. Anderson's thoughts reverted to that other 
 story. "How strangely similar," he said quietly. 
 Then he said to Miss Grace, "You haven't told me 
 his name, dear child." 
 
 "Robert Drew," she whispered softly. 
 
 "Robert Drew? John Drew's son of Holly- 
 ville?" 
 
 "You knew him, uncle?" she asked, wistful as a 
 child. 
 
 "Knew him? er no not before to-day. I 
 learned of him to-day in a very singular way. Grace, 
 darling, the death of that young man has caused me 
 to enter into a great undertaking." Then he told 
 her the father's story, and finally of his promised 
 support. "Grace," he said, "the story of that young 
 man touched me deeper than anybody knew. And 
 now, since it is the story that is nearest and dearest 
 to your heart, so it becomes of first importance to 
 me. I shall leave no stone unturned till I shall have 
 done all that is within my power to obliterate the 
 cause which has brought such a lasting sorrow upon 
 your head, and which, if allowed to continue, is 
 destined to bring sorrow upon so many others." 
 
 "Oh, uncle! God is just and wise. That was my 
 mission here to-day. The hope of securing your aid 
 in this great undertaking, which I myself have re- 
 solved to take up, brought me here to-day. I am so 
 ignorant in affairs of this kind; but I knew you 
 
72 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 would help me: you have never denied me anything." 
 Then for a brief space they sat silent, each deep in 
 the thought and feeling of the moment. 
 
 The deeper the feeling, the less demonstrative 
 will be the expression of it. 
 
 Finally Miss Grace spoke again: "Do you think 
 the undertaking most difficult, dear uncle?" 
 
 "Aye, little one very much so. The thing is 
 possible with a very improbable outlook. However, 
 we will do our best nothing short of our best. A 
 man is especially and divinely fortunate, not when 
 his conditions are easy, but when they are such that 
 they evoke the very best that is within him, even if 
 they provoke him to nobleness and sting him to 
 strength. Any condition is fortunate that kindles his 
 enthusiasm and inspires his will. I am glad to be 
 instrumental in this work, for I, too, have a just 
 cause for hating intoxicants, as you well know." 
 
 Again there was silence. Miss Grace remembered 
 well the sad fate of her only cousin and playfellow. 
 They had been like brother and sister until the 
 awful drink habit had caught the young man in its 
 clutches and hurled him to ruin and despair. 
 
 The painful silence was broken when her uncle 
 looked at his watch and said: "I am to have a visitor 
 this morning, my dear. Would you care to remain 
 and meet John Drew Robert's father? Or per- 
 haps you'd rather not just now." 
 
 "I'll meet him now, uncle," said Miss Grace. 
 Already his steps sounded in the hall. When John 
 Drew entered, he noticed the deep embarrassment of 
 the strange and lovely young woman, and wondered 
 who she was. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 73 
 
 "Mr. Drew, this is Miss Grace King, my niece," 
 said her uncle. John Drew expressed his delight at 
 meeting the young lady, but became somewhat per- 
 turbed when several minutes passed and still she did 
 not depart. He secretly wished her a thousand miles 
 away so that he and Mr. Anderson could be free 
 to discuss their all-important topic. 
 
 To Miss Grace the resemblance of this man to 
 Robert was striking. She began to wonder how she 
 could make this man know that her love for his son 
 was no light infatuation. 
 
 "Sit down," said Mr. Anderson and straightway 
 he began to lay his plans before John Drew. "I 
 have a friend, a boyhood chum, who is a member of 
 the legislature. I think he will be willing to draft a 
 bill for us. He is one of my closest friends; was a 
 special friend of mine when I was a lad. He loved 
 my boy. I know that he will do all within his power 
 for us. His influence is marked, and if anyone can be 
 successful in getting an anti-liquor bill passed, he can." 
 
 "Then let us communicate with him at once and 
 start about this work. My heart is full of it. I can 
 do nothing but plan it day and night." John Drew 
 caught the eager look on Miss Grace's face just then, 
 and quickly curbed his excessive vehemence. 
 
 "We must go at this in a sensible way if we wish 
 to be successful," said Mr. Anderson, thoughtfully. 
 
 "Grace, dear, our plan is to have my friend Howard 
 draft this anti-liquor bill and present it to the legis- 
 lature. He will, I am very certain, urge its consid- 
 eration, doing everything in his power to create 
 waves of sentiment that will influence its getting 
 passed." 
 
74 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Seeing the look of wonderment on John Drew's 
 face as he thus freely conversed with Miss Grace, 
 Mr. Anderson thought it best to reveal the young 
 woman's delicate relation to the matter. 
 
 "Mr. Drew," he said, changing the subject 
 somewhat, "did it ever occur to you that your son 
 might have left a young love somewhere to secretly 
 mourn away her youth because of that young man's 
 untimely death? Such has been the case. A young 
 girl whose soul is as white as an angel's gave her 
 love to your son, and although he loved her and 
 declared his love, he died before he could make her 
 his wife. That young woman, like yourself, has 
 resolved to devote the rest of her life to the prohi- 
 bition cause. That young woman is as dear to me 
 as a daughter. So you see why the accomplishment of 
 this work is almost as important to me as it is to 
 you." 
 
 John Drew looked at the young woman in aston- 
 ishment. This, then, was the Grace King, daughter 
 of Raymond King, the spendthrift. He had known 
 Raymond King all his life, but was not aware that 
 he had a daughter until sometime before Robert's 
 illness he had heard it whispered that Raymond 
 King's daughter had become infatuated with his 
 son Robert; but since Robert had never mentioned 
 the matter to him, he had discredited the rumor 
 altogether. It was no doubt, and no wonder then, 
 that Robert had been lured into habits of intemper- 
 ance. He loved this girl, daughter of a man whose 
 entire house reeked with alcoholic drinks. It was a 
 natural revulsion of feeling as he looked at Miss Grace. 
 Under that gaze, which was not altogether kindly, the 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 75 
 
 poor young woman cringed. She knew that there was 
 a certain amount of guilt connected with her love. 
 She thought she read a verdict of condemnation in 
 that burning glance of Robert's father. She cowered 
 for a moment; but that great, deep love for Robert 
 surged her soul. It gave her courage. She took a 
 step toward John Drew, her head held high in queenly 
 beauty, her bosom heaved under the tumult which 
 stirred her soul. 
 
 "I love him!" she cried; "I will always love him! 
 For this reason I shall devote the best that is within 
 me to the temperance cause. No one shall do more 
 towards purifying society, ridding it from alcohol's 
 venom sting, than I shall do. I know alcohol's subtle 
 power. I know youth's weaknesses. Trust me to do 
 much towards remedying the evil that alcohol has 
 brought to so many homes." 
 
 John Drew's heart was touched was melted by 
 her words. The hard feeling against her softened. 
 After all, it was not his to judge her. She loved 
 Robert, and since Robert had loved her, she must 
 be all that a good woman should be. He went to 
 her, took one of her little hands in his and reverently 
 kissed it. Turning to Mr. Anderson, he said rever- 
 ently: "Happy man to have won the love of such a 
 maiden." 
 
 Miss Grace's uncle took her other hand, and the 
 two men found themselves with the same vow, that 
 each would do his utmost in wiping out the curse 
 which was destined to rob so many other women of 
 their lovers and their husbands. 
 
76 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 The interview with Mr. Howard was not very 
 encouraging to our friends at first. He did not mani- 
 fest, in the beginning, the enthusiasm that they had 
 hoped for. 
 
 "It is a preposterous idea," he said, "to hope to 
 rid the State of alcohol in a short time. Then, too, 
 I was not elected from a prohibition platform, as 
 you know, and for me to ally myself with prohibition, 
 it might injure my political future." 
 
 "But think what a great benefit to humanity you 
 would render should you be successful in getting the 
 bill passed. You would stop a traffic which injures 
 everyone in each community of the State by disturb- 
 ing public order, by endangering personal safety, by 
 demoralizing legitimate productive industries, and by 
 cursing the homes on which, in the last analysis, a 
 nation is built, and on which its future citizens re- 
 ceive their bent toward virtue. Think what it would 
 mean to you to be able to prevent this injury, posi- 
 tive and enormous, to the State as a whole and to 
 every individual in it. Does your fear of political 
 injury outweigh your interest in humanity? Is it 
 not enough to make you blush with shame when 
 you realize that you are a member of the legislature 
 which legalizes such a traffic, protects it with its 
 courts, its police, its militia if necessary nay, may 
 even summon any citizen to take up arms in its de- 
 fense? This is an opportunity for you to win for 
 yourself as great glory as your future hopes could 
 wish. A prohibitory law effectively enforced would 
 serve to improve the character and lives of so many 
 people. Saloonkeepers of the State would be forced 
 to go into some decent business, which would make 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 77 
 
 them and their wives and children better. Many a 
 young man who has been subjected to temptation 
 and has just started out on the road to ruin would 
 be saved by a law shutting up the saloons. Two 
 thirds of the arrests made are for drunkenness. We 
 cannot honor a Government which legalizes saloons, 
 making men immoral by law. We must have a law 
 that will shield and protect the young, the habit- 
 bound and the helpless. Howard, the ultimate good 
 accomplished by such a law will surpass your most 
 sanguine dreams." 
 
 After listening quietly to what was being said, 
 Mr. Howard spoke: "Success in this undertaking, as 
 I see it, is very improbable. There is no doubt that 
 nearly every member of the legislature looks upon 
 saloonkeeping as a legitimate business. They will 
 object on the account of the effect of a prohibitory 
 law on the revenue of the State. Many of them hold 
 that the liquor traffic has a natural right to exist, and 
 that prohibition is opposed to personal liberty. 
 They advance the argument that because one man 
 out of ten becomes a drunkard and makes a fool of 
 himself, there is no reason that the other nine should 
 be deprived of the pleasure of drink.'* 
 
 "But you are able to meet such argument with 
 good, sound reasoning," said Mr. Anderson. "So 
 far as revenue is concerned, the saloon must pick 
 the pockets of the poor to pour a thin golden stream 
 of revenue. The man who thinks the saloon helps 
 him to pay his taxes is in sad error. You can readily 
 make it clear that saloonkeeping is not a legitimate 
 business but a crime. Business is a service for 
 profit; saloonkeeping is a profit without service. 
 
78 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 If a man spends his money at the grocer's he 
 has a supply of provisions in his pantry. If he 
 deposits it in the bank he has a bank account to his 
 credit. But if he spends his money at a saloon he 
 has nothing to show for it but a brutal temper. 
 Business is for public good, but crime leaves one the 
 victim and the other the victor. The sale of liquor, 
 therefore, is not a business but a crime against the 
 man, the church, and the State. Those who think 
 the liquor traffic has a natural right to exist are also 
 in great error. There is no such thing as a natural 
 right to commit wrong; nor should there be a legal 
 right to injure society. Consideration of the public 
 welfare overshadows the rights of the individual. 
 On this account the so-called personal liberty argu- 
 ment in behalf of alcoholic drinks loses its force. The 
 drink traffic of any State should be suppressed if the 
 public welfare demands its suppression. Any con- 
 dition that threatens and menaces society should be 
 suppressed. In this way, Howard, you can meet 
 these objections to prohibition impressively, I am 
 sure. Come, give me your promise to do your best 
 toward the passing of this much-needed law. Given 
 a prohibitory law in the State, men like yourself can 
 bring on a reign of righteousness that will do honor 
 to your name forever." 
 
 Mr. Anderson extended an irresistible hand, and 
 Mr. Howard grasped it in a heart clasp. 
 
 What the passing of that bill meant to John 
 Drew, no one knew but himself. He hated alcohol 
 as he hated no other substance in all creation. There 
 could be no rest for him till he could see the entire 
 State rid of it forever, 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 79 
 
 Miss Grace realized the responsibility which 
 rested upon her, and the part she must take in the 
 accomplishment of their undertaking. Knowing 
 this, she resolved to do her best loyally and cheer- 
 fully, and suffer herself to feel no anxiety and fear. 
 "My time and destiny are in God's hands," she said. 
 "He has assigned me my place; he will direct my 
 paths; he will accept my efforts if they be faithful." 
 
 And they were faithful. For a woman of Miss 
 Grace's social standing to assume the r61e of leadership 
 of a temperance movement is neither an easy task 
 nor a very pleasant one. The fact that she was 
 Raymond King's daughter had its disadvantages for 
 her. The general statement that Miss Grace King 
 had turned moralist and headed a temperance move- 
 ment was discredited by most of her friends and 
 viewed askance by several of them. The fact of her 
 parentage had its effect in another channel. Having 
 been a natural social favorite, she had little trouble in 
 getting an audience when she wanted one. In spite of 
 all handicap, she worked wisely and well. There seemed 
 to be some inward wisdom working within her. She 
 never took the wrong step; but every movement of 
 hers was a carefully laid plan worked out methods of 
 handling the situation. Each effort was crowned with 
 success. 
 
 Miss Grace at once became a member of the 
 Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Heretofore 
 she had looked with absolute indifference upon the 
 work which this great society is accomplishing. Her 
 constant study and increasing knowledge of the work 
 done by that society opened her eyes. The knowledge 
 imbibed a new determination within her: it created a 
 
80 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 hope of what she might be able to do if allied with 
 this great union. She took pride in reading the 
 glowing accounts of its varied achievements in the 
 uplifting of humanity. And well she might, for the 
 great Woman's Christian Temperance Union, during 
 the forty- two years of its existence, has done a great 
 deal more for society than the average citizen realizes. 
 In fact, few of the best informed are aware of the 
 great work which it has accomplished. It has worked 
 silently but very effectively. Besides the aggressive 
 warfare it has waged against the alcohol evil, it has 
 been instrumental in having many States enact laws 
 prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors ; laws raising 
 the age of consent and providing for better protection 
 for women and girls. In this way it has accomplished 
 much for the promotion of social purity. 
 
 Miss Grace organized a local Woman's Christian 
 Temperance Union and the effect of that movement 
 was satisfactory. The women, reluctant at first, 
 soon responded with enthusiasm. Miss Grace rented 
 an office in one of the most attractive buildings in 
 the city, furnished rooms at her own expense, pur- 
 chased literature the best that could be procured 
 literature that would stimulate their interest in the 
 prohibition movement, and at the same time was of 
 educational value. The importance of prohibition as 
 an educational factor was not minimized by any 
 means. The work accomplished by Miss Grace 
 during those days and weeks and months will ever 
 be remembered by New Gate. 
 
 Mr. Anderson observed all Miss Grace's move- 
 ments with a great deal of pride. He admired her 
 patience, gentleness, sweetness, and unfailing energy; 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 81 
 
 he even found himself renewed and invigorated and 
 inspired by the higher spirituality of her spiritu- 
 ality which is the power that displaces falsehood with 
 truth, selfishness with generosity, and transforms the 
 hard, cold, designing, worldly minx to a tender, 
 sweet-souled, divine woman. 
 
 Her love and interest in her work brought such 
 a degree of pleasure to Miss Grace that it served to 
 purify, strengthen, and beautify her nature. There 
 was never a time that she was idle. Her life and 
 work gave her such a mental impetus that it filled 
 her with a sense of both surprise and pleasure. She 
 could hold an audience spellbound in her temperance 
 lectures. It seemed that each thought expressed 
 stirred her to fuller forms of expression full and 
 rich and deep, and never failed to arouse the interest 
 of the least of her hearers. 
 
 At home and alone in her beautiful room, after 
 some of those effective meetings, she often reviewed 
 the events of the last few months of her life and then 
 a consciousness of growth and change would occur 
 to her. She felt as though some distinct boundary 
 line had been passed, and realized that forces which 
 she had not been conscious of possessing had been 
 aroused. Hitherto the grooves of her life had been 
 all too easy and careless. Thought, action, controll- 
 ing power had been extended, it is true, but on matters 
 where the mechanical part was easily arranged, and 
 all that had been required of her was the executive 
 faculty, which it is easy enough to employ with 
 every facility at hand. Her life as a socialist had 
 been entirely too light, too easy to bring out the best 
 that was within her. 
 
82 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Now all that was changed. The problem of this 
 new life and undertaking dealt with the stern realities. 
 She had to awaken to many things: that nothing 
 worth while is accomplished without great labor; 
 that in order to realize one's hopes one must begin, 
 live, aspire, realize the best ideal of the moment, and 
 every earnest effort should lead the way to greater 
 achievement. 
 
 Often her thoughts reverted to that short period of 
 her life which marked its turning point that wonder- 
 ful, vibrating, palpitating starlight time of her awaken- 
 ing, against the memory of which there was always 
 her careless flirtation; then the marvelous but gentle 
 leading of God's hand. How short a time ago some- 
 thing akin to despair had seemed to belong to her 
 lover's death! Something of that, of course, re- 
 mained would always be a grief to be borne, like 
 any other visitation from the hand which is the 
 Father's despite its discipline. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 ONE afternoon, after a very busy morning, Miss 
 Grace decided to get a bit of recreation by taking a 
 little pleasure trip of a few hours' duration. She 
 wanted to be alone and quiet, therefore she chose to 
 go away out beyond the extremity of the car line 
 which ran past her home "West End" they called 
 it the borderland of woods and hills and valleys. 
 West End afforded a wealth of picturesque landscape, 
 fresh air, and sunshine. The view of the landscape 
 from the window all along she knew would be pleas- 
 ing and refreshing. 
 
 It was a fine day: the temperature springlike, the 
 air cool but delightfully bracing. Exquisite and 
 indefinable indeed was the charm of the early eve- 
 ning, exhilarating alike to mind and body, communi- 
 cating its ineffable buoyancy to the young lady's 
 somewhat jaded energies; and for a creature so re- 
 sponsive as Miss Grace to resist its influence was 
 impossible. Her spirits rose like mercury: the 
 journey before her assumed the promise of one 
 abounding in possibilities of interest and pleasure. 
 
 The trees, still naked, were nevertheless restful 
 to look at. Such hidden promise in their millions of 
 branches promise of abundant life and beauty, sure 
 of fulfillment. The fields, low hills, and woodlands, 
 stretching away into the distance, were fairly magical 
 in color color which seemed to her a more delicate, 
 ethereal, divine thing than she had ever seen or 
 imagined before. Rounding a curve about two miles 
 
 83 
 
84 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 beyond the city's limit brought her into full view of 
 the city she had left behind. Here and there at vari- 
 ous distances apart rose the graceful campaniles of 
 distant churches. The sunlight glittered on mag- 
 nificent architecture, and bathed the low, wooded 
 parks in dreamlike beauty. Miss Grace felt her 
 senses thrilled by the spell of the association 
 uniting the wild freshness of nature with the charm 
 of civilization. 
 
 At the end of the car line she got off the car and 
 aimlessly followed a little path which led up into the 
 woods. The air was so fine, the sunshine so bright, 
 that she found herself worked up into a transport of 
 joy. She was glad that she had chosen this for her 
 route. Out here she could be alone away from the 
 din of the city to wander where she pleased. Little 
 birds twittered among the naked branches as she 
 walked on up the narrow path. She walked slowly, 
 quite content to listen to their suggestive prattle. 
 Her brain was wondrously quick to catch the promise 
 of hope which they told of the promise of spring 
 and little warm nests full of darling young birds. 
 Now and then she paused as if to better understand 
 their chatter, then sauntered on up the path, trying 
 as she went to understand something of the hushed 
 and spiritual beauty of the land and the silent woods. 
 
 Two great, naked trees whispered mysteriously 
 and mingled their sighs with the warbling of the little 
 birds. There was no living soul to be seen as yet. 
 That hour of solemn quietude and rest seemed all 
 for her and her alone. She continued to walk on up 
 the path until at a sudden turn she leaned forward 
 in breathless surprise, for she found herself only a 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 85 
 
 few yards from a queer little hut. The thin spiral of 
 blue smoke issuing from the rickety chimney told 
 plainly that there were inmates. Miss Grace had 
 never known anything about the life of the lowly. 
 She had never entertained a thought concerning the 
 lives of the ragged waifs who helped to make up the 
 number of inhabitants of the city. Moved by a 
 strange impulse, she went up to the house and 
 knocked at the door, wondering in the same instant 
 what she was going to say when her summons was 
 answered. 
 
 A few moments passed in fruitless expectancy, 
 then she knocked again, more loudly this time. 
 Suddenly there was a slight shuffling sound, and 
 then another sound of objects falling on the floor. 
 Then she heard the soft footfalls of someone coming 
 to the door. It was opened only a little way, just 
 enough for Miss Grace to catch a glimpse of two 
 piercing, wondering, half-frightened eyes of a child. 
 A little boy regarded her in silence without opening 
 the door any wider, then, reassured by the stranger's 
 smile, he slowly opened it wider and stood looking at 
 Miss Grace in open-eyed amazement. 
 
 "You live here?" asked Miss Grace sweetly. 
 
 "Yes, my lady," answered the boy, still regarding 
 her in wonder. "Will you please er come in?" he 
 asked presently in a little voice breathless with awe. 
 The intelligence which marked the child's speech 
 surprised the young lady very much. She had always 
 associated coarseness and ignorance with peasant 
 life. 
 
 She followed the boy into the cabin, the interior 
 of which was of the very poorest, but scrupulously 
 
86 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 neat and clean. That the little family which resided 
 there was composed of people of gentle manners 
 Miss Grace never for a moment doubted. She began 
 to talk freely with her little, bashful host, soon gain- 
 ing his confidence by her simple questions concerning 
 his woodland surroundings. 
 
 He was soon telling her some of the wonderful 
 secrets of his favorite haunts. He told her of many 
 nooky paths and quiet corners down under the trees 
 by the edge of the brook, where one might bask for 
 whole hours in happy solitude a solitude so complete 
 that one might easily imagine himself miles and miles 
 away from any city. "Often and often do I wander 
 there,'* he told her, "stopping under the sweet, cool 
 shade to read some favorite book, or giving myself to 
 pleasant day-dreaming and air-castle building. "You 
 just ought to see the brook," he continued; "it makes 
 a musical, rushing and gurgling sound as it flows 
 along." He told her how the moonbeams silvered 
 the trees above it and transformed its waters to a 
 sparkling stream of light. Then he told her of 
 another dell where a little spring bubbled. "In the 
 summer the bush creepers make a tangled tapestry 
 around it, and crimson and blue wild flowers form 
 dew-beaded chalices above it. Squirrels leap and 
 frisk in the leafy boughs above; a few feet below it 
 the tallest ferns grow," he said in this thrilly, poetic 
 treble. 
 
 While the boy talked, Miss Grace noted his 
 striking personality. She felt a thrill whenever he 
 turned upon her his beautiful eyes eyes habitually 
 earnest and grave in expression, and holding in their 
 brave, brown depths a sweet, childlike reliance and 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 87 
 
 dependency; eyes with a certain deprecating droop 
 as if the child had known the bitterest sorrow, yet 
 eyes which seemed to say, "I am truthful; I am born 
 a gentleman." 
 
 Just in front of him, on a shabby table, there lay 
 a book worn and ragged about the edges. Several 
 others lay upon the floor. It was the sound of books 
 dropping on the floor that she had heard while she 
 stood outside the door awaiting admittance. 
 
 Miss Grace stooped and picked up one which lay 
 near her. She gave a slight gasp of surprise when 
 she read the title. "Plutarch's Lives" in a home like 
 this seemed incredible. 
 
 Suddenly the door was darkened by the entrance 
 of a woman, who did not try to conceal her look of 
 surprise at the presence of a stranger. The little 
 host rose hastily, saying, "Mother, dearest, this is 
 Miss " he hesitated, remembering that he had not 
 yet learned his fair visitor's name. 
 
 "Miss King," said Miss Grace, smiling one of 
 her dazzling smiles, which never failed to warm the 
 coldest heart. 
 
 "I am delighted to meet you and your little son," 
 she said in half apology for her strange and unusual 
 presence in this house. 
 
 The touch of hauteur which at first marked the 
 woman's bearing melted away and she beamed a 
 mother's smile of welcome as she attributed this 
 lovely young woman's presence to the fact of some 
 secret intimacy with her little son. He was always 
 making friends that little son of hers. 
 
 Miss Grace took in the woman's personality at a 
 glance, and was convinced of her gentle breeding. 
 
88 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Hers was a personality which mere words of descrip- 
 tion here cannot give justice. Her rare combination 
 of gentle dignity with profound force, of a set reso- 
 luteness of purpose with a philosophical patience, 
 her physical equipoise, even in the mere details of 
 her simple dress, indicated a certain aristocratic 
 exclusiveness. She somehow gave to Miss Grace the 
 presentment of a queen who by the irony of circum- 
 stance was exiled in this lonely cabin of the woods 
 this solitary cabin of such pauperish mien. From 
 the crown of her proud head to the soles of her shapely 
 feet, she gave distinct evidence of gentle breeding. 
 
 Miss Grace's bearing quite innocent of any pry- 
 ing curiosity or priggishness soon evoked a spirit of 
 friendliness and hospitality. "Jean," said the mother, 
 addressing her little son, "bring the lady some of 
 your nice brown nuts. The yield of nuts this year 
 has been unusual,'* she said to Miss Grace, "and I 
 have been fortunate in finding a ready sale for them. 
 Jean and I have been especially proud of that fact 
 since it has enabled us to buy another one of Jean's 
 favorite books." 
 
 "Does your little son read those?" asked Miss 
 Grace, pointing to the volumes of "Plutarch's Lives," 
 Scott's "Lady of the Lake," and Hawthorne's "Twice- 
 told Tales." 
 
 "O yes, and it is remarkable how appreciative 
 he is. He has such quick perception. My little 
 Jean has a passion for books. I cannot keep him 
 supplied." Her voice and smile were so frank and 
 pleasant, so free from the previous restraint, yet so 
 respectful, so gentle and womanly, so tender in her 
 praise of her son, that Miss Grace found her own 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 89 
 
 heart glowing. While they talked, Jean returned, 
 bringing a bag of the greatest, brownest, most per- 
 fect pecans she had ever seen. 
 
 "O, thank you, thank you what perfect beau- 
 ties!" she said; and Jean's little heart glowed. 
 
 Miss Grace had spent an hour in the little cabin 
 before she realized that the perfect evening was 
 drawing to a close. In the midst of their happy 
 chatter she received a sudden suggestion of coming 
 night, and she also noticed that the mother's atti- 
 tude toward her became mitigated with a certain 
 uneasy apprehension which she could not conceal. 
 She kept turning her eyes toward the door as if she 
 expected someone. A certain fear crept into the 
 eyes of little Jean. He gathered all his books and 
 put them away. Over the mother's face there seemed 
 to creep an expression of suffering. Miss Grace felt 
 an oppression in the air, and wishing to avoid further 
 intrusion, she arose to go. 
 
 She went swiftly to Jean, bent and kissed his 
 high forehead which bore such a strong mark of in- 
 telligence; thanked him again for his rich gift 
 longing to slip a shining gold piece into the little 
 hand. But thinking it might wound the little donor's 
 pride to offer him gold for his generous gift, she 
 thought of another plan and turned to say a parting 
 word to Jean's mother. 
 
 "I shall see to it that Jean gets all the books he 
 wants may I?" she said, as she went towards the 
 door. 
 
 "A-rr-r books blamed b-books! I'll burn hell 
 out of 'em!" 
 
90 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Both women started and looked toward the door. 
 Rage, humiliation, fear, scorn all struggled to gain 
 supremacy in this mother's face. 
 
 Jean sprang up, his two small fists clinched in 
 anger as he confronted the red-eyed brute-man who 
 staggered into the room. It was his drunken father! 
 Miss Grace fell back against the wall astounded. 
 She could not have received a greater shock if a lion 
 had walked in at the door. 
 
 The drunken man made one stride toward the 
 rigid, defiant form of his little son. Suddenly the 
 mother hurled her body with all force against him 
 a blow which sent him crashing to the floor, knock- 
 ing his head against the table as he fell. Miss Grace 
 stared at this tragedy in frozen horror. All at once 
 the woman turned to her: 
 
 "Go!" she said, "this is no place for you!" 
 
 Miss Grace moved swiftly out of the door and 
 fled down the narrow road. The evening had length- 
 ened into early twilight. She heard the plaintive, 
 sad-sweet melody of the wood dove. 
 
 While she was hurrying along toward the street 
 car, she heard the rapid approach of footsteps in 
 pursuit. She started to run faster, but thought of 
 little Jean and turned to look back without checking 
 her pace. It was Jean's mother. Her beautiful face 
 was pale and melancholy, her lovely eyes moist with 
 recent tears; an expression of troubled passion lurked 
 within their depths. What a piteous look she gave 
 the wondering Miss Grace! What speechless sorrow 
 swam suddenly into her lovely eyes! She strove to 
 speak, but her lips only trembled. The tears began 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 91 
 
 to rain down her cheeks. Her tears, the sincere out- 
 flow of a pure woman's grief, fell like dew upon the 
 younger woman's heart, and for the moment Miss 
 Grace was stricken with sympathy. 
 
 "Oh, I do hope you can forgive me forgive us, 
 you beautiful creature!" she said between her violent 
 sobs. "It was such a cruel blow to our happy little 
 meeting his coming in like that and threatening 
 Jean my little Jean! O, why did you ever come 
 to our little cabin of sorrow? Forgive me for detain- 
 ing you," she said, forcing herself to calmness. "I 
 simply could not bear to have you leave without 
 knowing something of our unhappy life without 
 warning you never to come again so long as my 
 husband continues to drink as he does." 
 
 Miss Grace started involuntarily. That brute 
 the husband of this queen the father of little Jean 
 impossible ! 
 
 "It is true," the poor mother moaned, as if an- 
 swering Miss Grace's thought. "He is my unhappy 
 husband my little Jean's father. He was a good 
 man once. He was honest, intelligent, upright, and 
 a gentleman. He came from one of the best families, 
 and was a man of great promise until he took to 
 drink. He began his downward career a few months 
 after our little Jean was born. His many friends 
 induced him to join their fashionable clubs. He was 
 so frank and open-hearted that they all loved him. 
 He soon became a social favorite, falling in with all 
 their ways, drank beer and whisky, and gambled. 
 He continued to go on in this way until finally I 
 awoke to the terrible truth that I was a drunkard's 
 wife too late! He went from bad to worse. All 
 
92 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 we possessed was soon swallowed up in drink. Unable 
 to bear the shame and the humiliation, I induced 
 him to move here away from my former friends 
 to see if I could cure him of the awful habit. I have 
 only succeeded in seeing ourselves reduced to abject 
 poverty, with no hopes of his recovery. Were it not 
 for poor little Jean, I could commit suicide. Jean 
 is my only hope of happiness in this life my one 
 ray of sunshine. He is an unusual child precocious 
 to the point of genius. If I can only succeed in keep- 
 ing him from following in the footsteps of his poor 
 father, he will be a wonderful man some day. Now 
 you have learned our sad story, and for my son's 
 sake I will ask you to please think kindly of us 
 Jean and me, especially Jean. Your coming to us 
 in our poor cabin was like having a visitor from 
 another world. Our grateful hearts shall never for- 
 get you. Jean will dream of you night and day; the 
 memory of you will be an inspiration to him. Now 
 good-bye forever, sweet young woman. May God 
 bless you always!" With those words she turned and 
 hurried back along the narrow road to her lonely 
 home of sorrow, shame, and patient endurance. 
 
 Miss Grace's journey to her own home was a sad 
 one. She could never forget the poor mother's story 
 and little Jean's danger. Little Jean had impressed 
 her deeply. Here was a lad peculiarly endowed with 
 personal power. What a magnificent specimen of 
 manhood this youth promised; what infinite possi- 
 bilities beckoned him onward! What a sublime 
 spectacle it would be to watch this youth going 
 straight to his goal working his way up through 
 difficulties, surmounting every obstacle, encounter- 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 93 
 
 ing dangers but never turning his eye from the 
 goal! How beautiful was that mother's love! What 
 a pity if this good woman's life should never be re- 
 stored to its original height from which it had been 
 so cruelly dethroned by alcohol! That possibility 
 lay in the son's future attainments. It lay within 
 his power to finish the wreck or to rebuild it into an 
 elegant mansion. How Miss Grace adored the mother 
 for cultivating her son's aesthetic faculties! It was 
 evident that she had taught him to find in the land- 
 scape, the valley, the hills, the fields, the meadows, 
 the flowers, the laughing brook which ran back of 
 their house, riches that no money could buy 
 beauties that enchant the angels. How good the 
 fact that she was teaching him every day to see them, 
 appreciate them, to read their message, and to re- 
 spond to their affinity! Surely this mother's beauti- 
 ful patience, love, and endurance would have its 
 reward. Surely O God! surely the idolized little 
 Jean would not one day become like his father a 
 physiological hulk wrecked on passion's seas and fit 
 only for a danger signal to warn others. Surely this 
 lad of such wonderful promise, and this beautiful, 
 refined mother, were not destined to perish like lovely 
 flowers plucked by the hand of a grim destroyer. 
 Yet this thing, terrible as it seemed, was a probable 
 possibility as long as alcohol flowed freely in the land. 
 A vision of another little boy that had once been her 
 beloved Robert rose before her. That young man, so 
 beautifully endowed with manly qualities, in spite of 
 his father's utmost caution, had fallen a victim to 
 alcohol. No, there was no sure hope of escape for the 
 little Jean. Under the prevailing circumstances only a 
 
94 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 miracle could save him. But Miss Grace resolved 
 that, if the proud mother would allow, she would aid 
 largely in creating a chance for the boy. 
 
 A degree of sadness crept into Miss Grace's heart 
 as she awoke to the sad realization of all the splendid 
 opportunities which she had lost opportunities for 
 helping the struggling, ambitious poor to work their 
 way to success. She thought of the many glorious 
 hours she had ruthlessly wasted in frivolous pastime; 
 the riches spent in useless pleasure riches which 
 might have helped some youth of promise like little 
 Jean. Her heart ached with pain when she thought 
 of how those two, the mother and son, had to grapple 
 with hardships, wrestle with poverty, in order to 
 buy a book for Jean's hungry little soul. He would 
 never starve for books again so long as she had a 
 penny. She shuddered again when she thought of 
 the awful danger in which he stood. Something 
 must be done to save him. It could be done and it 
 must be done. Alcohol must no longer continue to 
 rob the world of its children of genius. 
 
 It was a very determined young woman who 
 stepped off the car in the gathering dusk and ascended 
 the elegant steps of her home. Henceforth nothing 
 should daunt her courage. She felt that if she had 
 a thousand lives to give, she would gladly surrender 
 them all to the work of destroying the evil which 
 threatened little Jean, and thousands of others like 
 him. Now in her thought of active work for the good 
 of humanity, all seemed to be moving toward peace; 
 and Miss Grace could almost hear her lover's voice 
 bidding her to be of good cheer and go on with the 
 work which lay so plainly before her. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 AT last the time came for the attempt at passing 
 the all-important bill. The day the very hour ar- 
 rived. The bill had been formulated by Mr. Howard 
 and started out on its interesting and intricate course 
 through which all bills must pass before they are 
 enacted. 
 
 It was referred to a committee for its critical con- 
 sideration. Many of the enemies of the cause hoped 
 that it would never be recorded; but through the in- 
 fluence of Mr. Howard, the bill was reported with 
 the recommendation that "It do pass." It was then 
 set as the special order for Thursday three days 
 hence. 
 
 The site of the State capitol was beautiful. It 
 was built upon a gradual summit, from which there 
 was a charming panoramic view of the whole neigh- 
 borhood. 
 
 Thursday dawned a fine day, with plenty of 
 sunshine; an Italian sky above, and the air so clear 
 and bright on every side made the handsome walls 
 of the capitol glitter in such dazzling splendor that 
 it hurt the eyes. 
 
 In obedience to the summons of the three ardent 
 workers for the prohibition cause, there was a gen- 
 eral gathering of rank, wealth, and beauty; and the 
 doors of the capitol had never given admittance to 
 more numerous guests than on that particular occa- 
 sion. Without any extravagance of eulogy, the 
 spectacle must be termed splendid. The most 
 
 95 
 
96 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 beautiful sight of all was the turnout of the Woman's 
 Christian Temperance Union. There came repre- 
 sentatives from all over the State. They came 
 wearing their badges of white ribbon, and their 
 merry eyes twinkled in excitement born of expectancy 
 and hope. Their cheeks were brought into full 
 bloom by the clear, frosty air. 
 
 The day was uncommonly fine being a day 
 which stood on the borderland between winter and 
 spring. The air was just cold enough to be bracing, 
 and lent its aid in making the whole aspect of the 
 stirring citizens cheerful and full of hope. They heeded 
 not the cold, for the air was so intensely clear and dry 
 and bright that the temperature was not only endur- 
 able but delicious. Finally, when they occupied 
 every space in the galleries, everybody seemed in- 
 tensely interested and hopeful in the outcome of the 
 prohibition bill. 
 
 John Drew, all his faculties stretched to a dan- 
 gerous tension, sat near Miss King. His brain was 
 a chamber of conflicting emotions. He sat tense, 
 his hands clinched as if he would be ready to grapple 
 with some foe. Miss Grace and her uncle never 
 dreamed of the state of excitement their companion 
 was in. Had they been cognizant of that fact they 
 would have been somewhat alarmed for his safety. 
 
 Miss Grace herself was calm, confident, and 
 hopeful. She had done her best loyally and cheer- 
 fully, suffering herself to feel no anxiety or fear. 
 "My time and destiny are in God's hands," was her 
 constant thought. "He has assigned me my place; 
 he will direct my paths; he will accept my efforts if 
 they be faithful." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 97 
 
 The hour arrived. After devotion and the House 
 had been declared ready for business, Mr. Howard 
 immediately called for a reading of the bill. After 
 it had been read, he made a short speech in which 
 he gave logical reasons why this bill should be written 
 in the statute books of the State. Then a general 
 debate commenced. The ardor and enthusiasm 
 manifested soon reached its height; the outlook for 
 the passage of the bill seemed favorable. The weak- 
 kneed arguments advanced by those who opposed 
 State prohibition were met with denunciation and 
 sound reasoning by the friends of prohibition such 
 arguments as these: "The liquor traffic has a natural 
 right to exist"; "It is opposed to personal liberty"; 
 "Prohibiton don't prohibit" (a statement which is as 
 faulty in logic as it is in grammar); "Saloonkeeping 
 is a legitimate business," etc. Some even advanced 
 the argument that prohibition attempts to remove 
 temptation from men, while God's plan is to permit 
 temptation to exist in order to strengthen man's 
 moral power, therefore prohibition is not in accord 
 with God's method (as if man must take sides with 
 the devil in order to prove the Lord a true prophet). 
 "You can't make a man good by law," another as- 
 serted. 
 
 "But we have made men bad by law," was the 
 answer. "The purpose of a prohibitory law is not 
 to make the drunkard moral and the saloonkeeper 
 virtuous, but it is to protect the public against wrong- 
 doing. The supposition of any criminal law is that 
 it should have a restraining influence among men. 
 No doubt there is a good deal less of crime in the 
 State than there would be if we had no criminal code, 
 
98 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 By so much are men made better by means of law. 
 A good prohibition law enforced would serve to pro- 
 tect the community against crime. Every com- 
 munity has this right to protect itself. You assert 
 that we cannot make men moral by law: we assert 
 that we certainly ought to stop making men immoral 
 by law, for that is what we do when we tolerate laws 
 which allow citizens to procure poisons which we 
 know will destroy every vestige of morality in man." 
 
 "It is a bad thing to have laws that are not en- 
 forced," said another. "After all, a prohibitory law 
 will not keep liquor out of the State. It will find its 
 way anyhow and set up in the form of blind tigers." 
 
 "You make the assertion that it is a bad thing to 
 have laws that are not enforced," came the answer; 
 "we assert that it is a worse thing to have laws that 
 decent people cannot respect; enactments which, in- 
 stead of reflecting the sentiments of the best classes, 
 only mark the level of morality among the lowest 
 and vilest. Shall we put into our statute books only 
 laws that can be enforced without difficulty? When- 
 ever we discover an existing evil that is particularly 
 favored by thieves, robbers, and all classes of crim- 
 inals, something that will make trouble if we try to 
 enforce laws that will prohibit it, should we legalize 
 the thing, encourage it, promote and protect it in 
 spite of the mischief it will do among men? No! 
 Then we ought not to assume that attitude toward 
 the sale of liquor. There is no menace to society 
 more dangerous than the saloon. It is more dan- 
 gerous than the gambling house ; it is more dangerous 
 than counterfeiting more dangerous than any other 
 evil in existence now placed under the ban of law. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSI BLE ? 99 
 
 Liquor is an evil that demoralizes everybody it 
 touches from the time it issues from the distillery 
 until it empties into the hell of death, dishonor, and 
 crime. Think of the suicides, the insanity, the 
 abject poverty, ignorance, and destitution all over 
 the State. Think of the little naked children clinging 
 to the sunken breasts of starved, cringing mothers, 
 made cowards on account of dastardly husbands. 
 Think of the talented men of genius, whose fine 
 brains have been wrecked by the devil's agent 
 alcohol. It behooves us to be consistent and treat 
 liquor selling as we treat any other dangerous evil 
 itself the most dangerous of all, because it has for 
 its accursed merchandise men and women and their 
 unborn children." 
 
 In this manner rival sentiment passed until the 
 enthusiasm reached its height. Fortune seemed to 
 smile in favor of prohibition. But there was one 
 present who had not spoken. Pearson was an aged, 
 gray-haired member of the legislature a man whose 
 influence was remarkable a fact due to his age and 
 experience. Hitherto he had been silent, listening to 
 their arguments with a great deal of interest. Now 
 he arose in all the calm dignity of his bearing and 
 made some remarks which decided the fate of the 
 anti-liquor bill almost instantly. 
 
 "In making the State dry/' he said, "we will be 
 doing it a much greater injury than benefit. We will 
 succeed in checking the State's progress in a large 
 measure cutting off revenue, transferring our trade 
 and yet only leaving a very small clean spot on 
 the liquor map. If a State prohibition law is passed, 
 it faces a hostile attitude on the part of the Federal 
 
100 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Government in many particulars. The regulation of 
 interstate commerce belongs to the national Govern- 
 ment. A dry State cannot prevent other States 
 shipping liquor into its territory. You are all aware 
 of the fact that internal revenue collectors repre- 
 sentatives of the national Government do issue 
 license to sell liquor in dry States. The friends of 
 prohibition will accomplish a greater work the 
 most effective work, and, as I see it, the only effective 
 work by ridding the nation of this evil. Let the 
 Government, in which it is most largely vested, de- 
 stroy it. Upon the Federal Government rests the 
 responsibility of this traffic's red-handed crimes. 
 Make the nation dry, and you will not only bring 
 about complete prohibition, but you accomplish it 
 without disturbing the State's commercial ecuii- 
 librium." 
 
 John Drew had listened to the discussion, his 
 heart buoyed up with hope one moment only to be 
 followed by the next moment pregnant with uncom- 
 fortable doubts and presentiments. Toward the last 
 he became uplifted again so much so that his heart 
 sang in his bosom. He even sat there looking down 
 the vista of future years, seeing their untiring efforts 
 crowned with success. He saw himself walking in 
 the midst of it, happy and content all the rest of his 
 life happy in the glorious compensation for his 
 son's death: a condition which not only gave him 
 peace, but afforded a wellspring of joy to thousands. 
 He beheld himself in a happy old age, gliding on 
 through peace and prosperity to a last and holy 
 reward, in which he would gain Robert, Alice, and 
 everlasting life. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 101 
 
 This ecstasy of thought carried him to the very 
 pinnacle of hope then the words of Pearson cast 
 him back down down to despair. As he hung 
 upon Pearson's words, his intuition warned him that 
 this man had blocked the way of the State prohi- 
 bition law almost completely. Before Pearson ended 
 his speech before the vote was taken even, John 
 Drew knew that all was lost. Suddenly he stopped 
 up his ears, but in sheer fascination removed his 
 fingers just in time to catch the words: ''Let that 
 Government in which it is most largely vested de- 
 stroy it. Upon the Federal Government rests the 
 responsibility of the traffic's red-handed crimes." 
 
 John Drew shuddered. An involuntary groan 
 escaped his lips; his hands clinched themselves in 
 stonelike rigidity. "My God!" he cried, "who is 
 responsible?" 
 
 The vote was taken: prohibition was defeated. 
 
 John Drew never quite realized when or how he 
 reached his room. All the old, pent-up grief and 
 hurt which his hope of victory had kept quelled dur- 
 ing the campaign now burst loose with redoubled 
 force. All the terrible misery, the madness, the reck- 
 less despair crushed him with a greater force than 
 ever. 
 
 He went and sat in a chair by the window. The 
 sunlight streamed in upon him as if it strove to melt 
 the heart fast turning to stone. "Is there a God 
 actually a God?" he cried. "Yes; but a cruel, un- 
 forgiving, awful Being and he, in all his omnipotence 
 has set himself against me one poor, miserable 
 soul! He whose proud will evolves the universe. 
 He has arrayed his mighty forces of heaven and hell 
 
102 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 against one miserable atom of his own creation, and 
 the titanic wheels of life, time, and eternity are all 
 whirling into motion to grind me, a poor worm, down 
 to destruction! Why? Simply because of the ful- 
 fillment of that terrible promise 'Visiting the iniqui- 
 ties of the fathers upon the children unto the third 
 and fourth generation.' God! What infinite pains 
 he has taken to destroy me! My last hope my last 
 avenue to peace gone!" 
 
 At that moment of John Drew's despair, Grace 
 King and her uncle were engaged in a conference in 
 which they formulated plans destined to plant hope 
 once more in that heart of utter despondency. 
 
 As soon as possible, Miss Grace hastened to find 
 John Drew. As she drew near to his lodging, her 
 heart quivered with apprehension and fear of danger 
 to her friend. Her steps sounded upon the threshold, 
 and John Drew started as if he feared some fresh 
 and final stroke from the hand of the Almighty a 
 final punishment avenging his profane thoughts of a 
 moment ago. Without looking around, he sat quak- 
 ing expectant. A tender hand was laid upon his 
 shoulder, a sweet voice which he had learned to 
 recognize and to love came from the tender soul of 
 Miss Grace: "Don't grieve so, dear friend; all is not 
 lost indeed, not so." 
 
 What was it she was saying? All not lost! How 
 was that? 
 
 "We have been defeated in this only to make a 
 bigger attempt. A brighter hope the most glorious 
 of all lies before us. It is the hope for the greatest, 
 most everlasting victory of all national prohibition." 
 
 While John Drew listened, slowly the tension of 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 103 
 
 his nerves relaxed. A scalding moisture of unfailing 
 tears blinded his eyes. He turned his face upward 
 and looked at Miss Grace for the first time since her 
 coming. As he looked up at her, the sunshine glit- 
 tered on two great drops, as large as a child's tear. 
 
 Miss Grace was moved with tenderest compas- 
 sion. Grief, disappointment, and sorrow had made 
 this once strong man almost as helpless as a child. 
 He regarded her with the wistfulness of a little child. 
 She saw the dawn of a new interest in his eyes. She 
 noted how white his hair had become during the last 
 few months. She noticed how his hands shook: how 
 weak he seemed, and helpless. 
 
 But she could not guess how her words planted 
 new hope in his heart. How he loved her for giving 
 him this hope! It was not false hope, either, and 
 slowly his half-dazed brain comprehended her mean- 
 ing. This, then, was God's mysterious plan of 
 bringing about a greater achievement. It was in- 
 deed a new hope the brightest ever. 
 
 Miss Grace was beautiful comely and quiet, as 
 if all her emotions had been subdued to the peaceful 
 tenor of her life. Another step sounded upon the 
 threshold, and Anderson entered. The sight of him 
 gave John Drew even more assurance. Together the 
 three talked and planned until the daylight length- 
 ened into evening. This rejuvenated interest wrought 
 wonders toward restoring John Drew's mind to equi- 
 librium. 
 
 "Now let us walk somewhere in the evening sun- 
 light," he said to Miss Grace, after their conference 
 was over and Mr. Anderson had departed. "Exer- 
 cise, fresh air, and sunshine are what I need." 
 
104 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 As they walked down the street there was a 
 singular contrast in their two figures: he dark and 
 picturesque, one who had battled with the world, 
 whom all suns had shone upon, and whom all winds 
 had blown in a varied course; yet their faces, all 
 unlike as they were, had an expression not so alien 
 a glow of kindred feeling flashed outward, born of 
 one common interest. John Drew felt inspired by 
 her patience and untiring energy. If this slip of a 
 girl could bear up so bravely, why could not he? 
 For her sake he must make a strenuous effort to 
 overcome those periods of unreasoning madness. 
 "We will fight this evil with all our might," he said 
 to her; "neither shall we be at peace until we see 
 this country free of its poison. Our country's pros- 
 perity and glory shall be our reward. There shall 
 be no more brutal homes for young wives; no more 
 shall the homecoming of the drunken wretch assassi- 
 nate joy and murder happiness in that sanctuary of 
 love the home. Better homes shall mean better 
 citizens; and out from ideal homes shall come ideal 
 men who shall hold the highest offices of this country. 
 May God give us strength to fight to tear down 
 the temple of Bacchus and lay the foundation of the 
 magnificent temple of righteousness, wherein, with 
 appropriate rites, there will be celebrated the re- 
 ligion of humanity! Little girl, we shall see it you 
 and I." John Drew had spoken more to himself 
 than to Miss Grace; but now he turned to her and 
 said: "I am glad you are interested as you are. 
 Had it not been for your kindly words of hope, I 
 would now be in the deepest, darkest despair. No- 
 body knows what the loss of Robert is to me. He 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 105 
 
 was all I had to live for the center around which 
 my life revolved. His happiness was the aim of my 
 life. The love of him made up for everything else 
 that I had lost. I loved him with a passion such as 
 the angels know. His childhood was my sunshine 
 my springtime of life. All that I had missed in my 
 own boyhood was made up for in Robert's. 
 
 " Robert was a perfect child and youth. I often 
 wondered at God's mercy in choosing me for the 
 father of such a son then I'd remember that he was 
 Alice's son, too; that he was the offspring of her 
 great love for me. I could never feel myself worthy 
 of such a wife as Alice and such a son as Robert. 
 God was indeed merciful: my life, which could never 
 have survived the loss of my young wife, was bright- 
 ened and blessed by this perfect son of hers. My 
 love for him helped me through all the long, dark 
 years which followed helped me when I needed 
 help most, helped me not to lose sight of God! His 
 young manhood was perfect and was my glory. 
 Do you wonder then that I bear an everlasting hatred 
 to the thing that wrecked his life? I shall never be 
 content until alcohol be slaughtered in his stronghold. 
 Your serene, confident, and hopeful energy serves to 
 magnetize one's will and draw power toward one." 
 
 "Triumph of success comes not to doubt and dis- 
 belief," said Miss Grace softly. "It comes to sunny 
 expectation, eager purpose, and to noble and gen- 
 erous aspiration. O, I have never regretted for one 
 moment the step I have taken. I thank you for 
 your faith and utmost confidence in me. O, I am 
 so glad that I did not go all through my life with a 
 selfish, purposeless heart. I am glad that my soul 
 
106 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 had its awakening, even though it took sorrow to 
 awaken it." 
 
 They walked on down the street slowly and in 
 silence then. There was little need of words. These 
 two had so much in common. When they had thus 
 walked in silence for a few blocks, Miss Grace spoke: 
 "How fortunate for us to have secured the co-opera- 
 tion of Mr. Pearson, of the legislature. He is a man 
 of marked influence and a gentleman. It was 
 through his influence that. we failed to-day, yet he 
 afterwards destroyed all our bitter feelings against 
 him by declaring his willingness to render all the aid 
 in his power, should we make an attempt at national 
 prohibition. He showed us wherein the task of get- 
 ting a national prohibition bill passed is an enormous 
 one, due to the fact that the world has not been 
 prejudiced enough against alcohol. 
 
 " 'It is apt to be set aside as an issue of minor 
 importance. Perhaps we may not be able to accom- 
 plish much for a long time,' he told us." 
 
 Miss Grace paused, then continued: "If this 
 should be so using the words of Catherine of Russia, 
 'I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend 
 even disaster.' ' 
 
 Miss Grace had been acquainted with Robert's 
 father only a few months, but her intuition told her 
 that he would need such advice often. His mind 
 and heart, wrenched and torn as they had been by 
 grief and disappointment, were on the verge of 
 breakdown. 
 
 He answered not a word, but turned his eyes upon 
 her a gaze that was eloquent and deep in gratitude 
 and admiration. He thought he had never seen her 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 107 
 
 so glorious. Her beauty was like the noonday sun 
 it made him glad, it made him resolute, it imbibed 
 him with new courage. This woman of Robert's 
 choice was not only very beautiful, but very intelli- 
 gent. For a woman to be wise and at the same time 
 womanly is to wield a tremendous influence which 
 may be felt for good in the lives of generations to 
 come. 
 
 Time passed. Weeks lengthened into months, 
 and the months slipped by until a whole year had 
 passed. In the meantime the advocates for national 
 prohibition made preparations for their ultimate 
 effort. The first step they took was to confer with 
 members of Congress who were from their State. 
 Unfortunately, each senator and representative ab- 
 solutely refused to take the initiative in introducing 
 a national prohibition bill before Congress. Their 
 main reason was, that prohibition was not in their 
 party platform. Each of them feared that such a 
 measure might mean his political assassination. 
 
 Let me beg of my readers not to be too harsh in 
 their judgment and dub these men as cowards be- 
 cause they feared political injury. Remember that 
 self-preservation is the first law of nature. It takes 
 a hero to brave any kind of danger. 
 
 But in providing heroes in time of crisis, America 
 has been most fortunate. In the dark days of the 
 new Republic, when a hero was needed to lead the 
 untrained soldiers against the British troops there 
 was a Washington. When that great curse, human 
 slavery, threatened to rend the American Govern- 
 ment asunder, there was a Lincoln to avert the 
 disaster. 
 
108 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Nor did the friends of national prohibition have 
 to wait long to find a champion for their cause. In 
 an adjoining State there resided a man who had 
 already startled the world with his daring and patri- 
 otism when he, an officer in the American navy, at 
 the risk of his own life, braved the perils of the sea 
 and the deadly fire of the enemy in order to render 
 his country a service which should always live in the 
 hearts of a grateful people. By this brave deed he 
 had already sprung into nobility, worth, and service. 
 
 For months the heroic deeds of this man had 
 been on the lips of every American. He was now a 
 member of Congress, a representative from his State, 
 and his voice had often been heard in Congress in 
 favor of social and political purity. He was also 
 known to be a friend to the temperance cause. Miss 
 Grace had recently heard him deliver an eloquent 
 speech before the Woman's National Temperance 
 Union. In this speech he had declared himself in 
 favor of national prohibition. She had never before 
 heard words used as such powerful weapons in the 
 denunciation of wrong and the exposition of fraud. 
 His scathing denunciation of alcohol had made a deep 
 impression upon her. 
 
 After they had failed to secure the consent of the 
 congressmen from their own State, they became 
 somewhat baffled; but Miss Grace, remembering the 
 eloquent speech from the noted hero of the State of 
 
 G , remarked : "If we only possessed claim enough 
 
 upon the friendship of Mr. Gibson of the State of 
 
 G to approach him with this proposition, I feel 
 
 sure that we would be successful. But perhaps it 
 would not be just to ask him to hazard his political 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 109 
 
 future by serving us, since he is not a representative 
 from our State." 
 
 "But Mr. Gibson is a personal friend of mine," 
 said Mr. Pearson. "I've known him ever since he 
 was a child. His father was my boyhood chum. 
 Gibson is not the man to fear political death or any 
 other death when he feels that the sacrifice is for the 
 cause of righteousness." 
 
 They communicated with Mr. Gibson as soon as 
 time permitted, and received the very encouraging 
 information that he would gladly serve them in 
 fact, was himself planning to prepare a bill to be 
 presented at the next session of Congress. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 ONE week before the time of that session of Con- 
 gress in which the national prohibition bill was to be 
 introduced, John Drew went to Washington. His 
 impatience to be there got the better of him. Not 
 that he cared for the city itself, but he had an inde- 
 scribable longing to get in sight of the National Cap- 
 itol wherein in a very few days a bill was to begin 
 its intricate journey. Whether the outcome would 
 be favorable or not, John Drew could not tell. He 
 was only sure of the intense longing in his heart, the 
 burning wish which seemed to consume his soul. 
 
 It was in the month of December and very cold. 
 The day of John Drew's arrival in the city of Wash- 
 ington was bright and crisp and exceedingly cold. 
 At first sight of the city an indescribable thrill passed 
 all over his body. It was the mingling of a thrill and 
 a chill, and it made him shiver. His intense eager- 
 ness to see the Capitol was childish. Presently when 
 he stood in full view of the magnificent building, a 
 glow of delight overspread his whole countenance. 
 He had a perfect view from where he stood. It im- 
 pressed him as a very fine building indeed, placed 
 as it ought to be upon a noble and commanding 
 eminence, from which one could have a splendid 
 bird's-eye view of all the adjacent surroundings. 
 
 John Drew gazed long and earnestly upon that 
 great structure wherein only a few days hence he 
 hoped to realize the greatest wish of his heart. He 
 had yet to view the interior; but just now the ex- 
 
 110 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? Ill 
 
 terior was quite enough. His imagination penetrated 
 the magnificent walls and handsome pillars of stone 
 and created impressions of the live pillars of the 
 great Capitol. His imagination pictured this public 
 body, an assembly of men bound together in the 
 sacred names of Liberty and Freedom a body of 
 men who applied themselves in this new century to 
 correct some of the vices of the old, to purify the ave- 
 nues of public life, pave the dishonest, dirty ways to 
 position and power; and who made laws for the 
 common good of mankind. He saw among them in- 
 telligence and refinement; the true, honest, patriot 
 heart of America men of highest character and 
 great abilities; men who stood hand in hand, shoulder to 
 shoulder for the benefit and progress of their country. 
 Seeing this vision, John Drew smiled a most 
 gracious and benevolent smile upon the great Capitol. 
 Reluctantly he turned his face toward the city. To 
 him it represented the whole country. His gaze 
 became fixed upon its mass of buildings, while again 
 his imagination penetrated the walls of brick and 
 stone, and conjured visions of the lives of the in- 
 mates. From every chimney the blue smoke curled 
 upward in the frosty air like incense from the altar 
 of domestic peace. In every home he beheld Bacchus 
 lying dead his evil cup shattered into a thousand 
 fragments. On every hearth he saw bright fires 
 crackling fires that cast ruddy lights upon glowing 
 children, offsprings of healthy, temperate parents. 
 Their childish laughter filled his soul with sym- 
 phonies, soft and sweet laughter which fills the eyes 
 with light and the heart with joy, laughter which 
 catches, holds, and glorifies all the tears of grief. 
 
112 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 In every home he saw Queen Love the morning and 
 the evening star shedding her radiance upon the 
 parent and the child Love, the mother of beauty, 
 the mother of melody, the builder of every hope, 
 the kindler of every fire on every hearth Love that 
 makes earth heaven and men gods. And there was 
 an ache of joy in John Drew's heart, for the whole 
 of the horizon was filled with glory and all the air 
 was filled with wings. 
 
 With this twin vision in his soul, John Drew went 
 on his journey to the hotel where he was to abide 
 until that day should come when that dignified and 
 decorous body of Congress should confirm his hopes 
 and send him forth along the long-sought avenue to 
 peace. The evening of his first day in Washington 
 came to a happy close. Midnight and sleep blotted 
 out those happy thoughts and visions, and John Drew 
 slept the peaceful sleep of a tired child. 
 
 For the first day or two after his arrival the city 
 provided many objects of interest which kept him 
 well occupied. On the third day there occurred an 
 incident which, trivial as it seemed to everybody 
 else, caused such a turmoil of feeling to arise in the 
 heart of John Drew that it threatened to shatter all 
 his glorious dreams of the future. When he took his 
 place at the table for dinner, he noticed the presence 
 of a strange gentleman of striking appearance at the 
 table opposite his own. This table was set for one, 
 and an expression of expectancy lighted up the face 
 of the head waiter who himself brought a bottle of 
 most carefully decanted red wine, examining the 
 delicate color through the fine glass with the air of a 
 great connoisseur. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 113 
 
 To a less casual observer the man's appearance 
 would have been less marked. He was a man of 
 about forty-five perhaps, carefully dressed a superb 
 figure, with a strong face and eyes of gray velvet, 
 lighted at times with curious little steel points. A 
 very attractive and gentlemanly person to an ordi- 
 nary observer; but somehow the man caught and 
 held John Drew's attention in a magnetic grasp. 
 John Drew also noticed the obsequiousness of the 
 waiters, who passed everything to the dignified 
 servant, to be placed before the gentleman by his 
 hand. After the red wine had been poured into his 
 glass, the gentleman lifted it up to the light to see 
 the clear ruby, then swallowed a single gulp, and 
 nodded his approval to the waiter, who stood anx- 
 iously waiting his verdict the while. 
 
 John Drew watched every movement of the 
 strange gentleman watched without knowing why: 
 saw him finish his fourth glass of wine, and seeing, 
 shuddered. But why should he shudder? Wine had 
 been served daily though perhaps not such expensive 
 sort ever since he had been there at the hotel. 
 Why should not this man take it? Why not? 
 
 It was not until after the stranger had finished 
 his meal and had passed out that John Drew had the 
 question answered for him, by learning the identity 
 
 of the man. "It is Senator B , of K ," he was 
 
 informed. 
 
 Senator B . One of that chosen number! 
 
 John Drew almost rushed out the door into the open. 
 It was a miserable day chilly and raw, a damp mist 
 falling, cold and wintry. John Drew had seen a very 
 ordinary thing a senator partaking of alcoholics 
 
114 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 that was all ; but when he reached the cold pavement 
 he seejned to feel the ground tremble beneath his 
 feet. The cold mist shivered his frame: fear gripped 
 his heart vague and terrible. 
 
 But that was not all he was to see. Other mem- 
 bers of the legislative body arrived. Several of them 
 drank freely of alcoholic drinks expensive wine and 
 beer. 
 
 John Drew watched the actions of these men as 
 a child might watch and wonder at the deeds of some 
 worshiped hero, suddenly caught in the act of doing 
 those things which he himself had been forbidden to 
 do. He watched, fascinated struck with horror. 
 
 When Miss Grace and her uncle reached Wash- 
 ington, they found him in a peculiar state of mind 
 which neither was able to fathom. They could not 
 account for the wistful, childish expression in his 
 eyes. The groping, searching way he had was puz- 
 zling. They were unable to analyze the peculiar 
 expression which came over his face whenever he was 
 thrown into the presence of any member of that 
 distinguished body. 
 
 Miss Grace observed all this with a secret dread, 
 fearing that John Drew's mind might give way under 
 the strain. She strove with all her might to divert 
 his attention as much as possible by going about the 
 city, visiting places of interest, pointing out to him 
 many interesting curios and mementos of historic 
 events. After such jaunts he would always seem to 
 be restored almost to normality at least he tried 
 hard to make a brave showing before his friends. 
 But in his room, alone, he would pace the floor for 
 hours until he would almost fall from exhaustion. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 115 
 
 After that he would go to his bed to sleep and dream, 
 sometimes of turbulent waters and violent earth- 
 quakes then again he would dream of a vast as- 
 sembly where sat many legislators, who uttered 
 coarse threats, who passed words and even blows 
 such as drunken men deal upon each other; men who 
 practiced despicable trickery against one another, and 
 engaged in dishonest faction in its utmost depraved 
 and unblushing form. 
 
 Those first days of Congress' session were very 
 anxious ones for John Drew. Even Pearson, Ander- 
 son, and Miss Grace found their blood tingling with 
 intense excitement. But never in the history of his 
 life had John Drew passed through such an ordeal of 
 hope and despair. 
 
 At last the day came then the very hour, when 
 the Gibson bill for national prohibition, prohibiting 
 the sale, manufacture, transportation, exportation, 
 and importation for sale of intoxicating liquors for 
 beverage purposes not only in the United States, but 
 in all territory subject to the United States, was pre- 
 sented and voted upon in the House of Representa- 
 tives. It was on the 23d of December, a day remem- 
 bered ever afterwards by the friends of national 
 prohibition. 
 
 The vote was taken ; but those who were in favor 
 of national prohibition were in the minority. The 
 enemies to the cause, using principally the States' 
 rights theory as a bulwark against national prohibi- 
 tion, had won. 
 
 But in spite of the fact that the Gibson bill had 
 been defeated, the vote in Congress showed a great 
 triumph for the national prohibition movement, 386 
 
116 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 of the 433 members of the House declared themselves 
 on the Gibson resolution for constitutional prohibi- 
 tion. The significance of the action was striking. 
 The vote in favor of the amendment, according to 
 statistics, was 197 to 189 against, making a majority 
 of only eight of those voting. 
 
 But perhaps more striking than the bare majority 
 of the membership voting is the fact that seventeen 
 State delegations voted solidly for prohibition, and 
 twelve were for it by a majority vote. Only eight 
 States voted solidly against prohibition, and only 
 nine additional States gave a majority against. 
 
 In view of the fact that only thirty-six States 
 are needed to ratify a constitutional amendment 
 providing for national prohibition, the significance of 
 the action which placed the congressional delegation 
 of twenty-nine commonwealths out of forty-eight 
 behind the Gibson bill is very striking. 
 
 ''This achievement far surpasses my expectation," 
 said Mr. Pearson. "It makes me believe that the 
 liquor traffic in America is doomed beyond doubt. 
 Another such glorious achievement and the victory 
 is won. The States' rights theory will be compara- 
 tively easy to overpower. There is nothing more 
 insincere than the statement that national prohibi- 
 tion will violate the doctrine of States' rights." 
 
 Suddenly they thought of John Drew. A simul- 
 taneous spasm of alarm passed over each of their 
 faces. Without another word they hastened to his 
 apartment, where they hoped to find him and give 
 him comfort. With heart almost sick with misgiv- 
 ing, Miss Grace led the way upstairs to his room. 
 There they found him in a most pitiful state. The 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 117 
 
 look of despair on his face was touching indeed. A 
 great wave of pity swept the tender heart of Miss 
 Grace. 
 
 "O, my dear, my dear!" she murmured as she 
 knelt by his chair and stroked his trembling hands. 
 "You must not give way like this. Try, O try hard 
 not to give way! Don't you see that it could not all 
 be accomplished at once? There must be time a 
 long time, perhaps, and the victory will be more 
 complete. Do you realize just what this one single 
 effort of ours has done? Tell him, uncle tell him 
 just how much ground we have covered." 
 
 All the while the two men talked, John Drew sat 
 still his eyes dilated, his breath coming and going 
 quickly, but saying not a word. Any man of more 
 rational mind would have rejoiced in the achieve- 
 ments of the day. Miss Grace and the others sought 
 wildly for words of comfort, striving to show him 
 the folly of giving up in despair, now that they had 
 accomplished so much and the future looked so 
 bright. 
 
 But John Drew made no response whatever to 
 their cheering words. This alarming attitude of his 
 made it evident that a physician was needed at once. 
 
 But there was no real healing for John Drew. 
 His hurts had gone too deep. His passionate heart, 
 ever secretly brooding on the grief he had borne, had 
 caused his mind to weaken and to almost give way. 
 
 All was still in the bedchamber at Hollyville 
 where John Drew lay faded, weary, and still. Weeks 
 had passed; but with him their progress had been 
 scarcely noticed. He had lived in a sort of semi- 
 
118 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 somnolence a state of stupid, dull indifferentism as 
 to what went on around him. A sort of dream-daze, 
 wherein hazy recollections, dubious wonderments, 
 vague speculations hovered to and fro without his 
 clearly perceiving their drift or meaning. He was 
 not in any pain but was calm with the dreadful 
 calmness of stupefaction and exhaustion. His once 
 splendid body had worn to emaciation. His eyes 
 were large and eloquent of calm despair, born of 
 defeat. 
 
 Miss Grace rarely left his bedside, but sat waiting 
 for what she knew must come soon. She wanted to 
 be near when the soul of John Drew, the patient long- 
 sufferer, should enter into that mysterious Beyond. 
 
 One evening the last that John Drew spent on 
 earth Miss Grace sat quietly by the window in the 
 invalid's room looking out over the landscape of 
 barren fields and hills. The sun had sunk low in the 
 west, its slanting rays streamed in the window under 
 the half-lowered shade and reached across to the 
 bed where the sick man lay. Miss Grace had not 
 observed that it shone full on his face. 
 
 From the window one could always have a per- 
 fect view of the setting sun. Away in the distance, 
 and rising above all the suburban housetops, there 
 was a long range of hills. Many a time had Robert 
 stood there watching the perfect disk of fire as it 
 slipped slowly behind these hills out of sight. 
 
 All was quiet and John Drew lay watching the 
 sun's dazzling, blinding splendor as it sank lower and 
 lower. The light did not seem to affect his eyes in 
 the least, and there was a rapt expression on his 
 face. Suddenly Miss Grace looked around and 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 119 
 
 started up in reproach at her neglect hastily reach- 
 ing to pull down the shade and shut the offending 
 sunlight from the sick man's eyes. 
 
 "Please do not!" John Drew's voice was strik- 
 ingly clear and distinct in spite of his weakness. 
 Miss Grace stood transfixed at the divine expression 
 of his face as he watched with unblinking eyes the 
 sun as it went down. Somehow she knew that John 
 Drew was at last fulfilling his day and was passing 
 away just as the sun was passing. The whole room 
 was lit up with a holy radiance not of earth, but of 
 heaven as the sun sank steadily, slowly, round and 
 shining, without a single cloud in the horizon 
 beautiful as she had never seen it before. The air 
 was so clear that she could note the very instant that 
 it touched the horizon. Slowly it journeyed down 
 to its setting, lower and lower still. 
 
 All of a sudden John Drew stretched out his 
 arms and cried in a clear, triumphant voice: "Alice 
 Robert Christ!" 
 
 Of the sun there remained a crescent, a line, a 
 sparkle of light, then the sun was gone and at that 
 very moment John Drew entered into eternity. 
 
 The death of John Drew was a shock to Holly- 
 ville, and to New Gate especially. Everyone who 
 resided in those two towns had become acquainted 
 with his sad story. By some he was regarded as a 
 crank: but others knew that he suffered a real grief. 
 
 The next day after his death the newspapers of 
 Hollyville and of New Gate gave brief accounts of 
 his career, and a detailed account of that part which 
 related to the death of his son, and the effect of 
 young Drew's death upon the father. The account 
 
120 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 in the New Gate paper told how the parent, crazed 
 by grief after his son's death, visited Croggs's saloon 
 with vengeance uppermost in his mind. But the 
 saloonkeeper pleaded that he was not the guilty one. 
 Pointing to his license, he maintained that if wrong 
 had been done, those who commissioned him must be 
 guilty. Drew then went to the city clerk, the city 
 council, the State's legislature, and finally carried 
 the matter before the national Congress each of 
 which disclaimed the responsibility: the city claiming 
 that this matter should be referred to the State; the 
 State, that it should be referred to the Federal Gov- 
 ernment, and Congress claimed that national prohibi- 
 tion would violate the doctrine of States' rights, that it 
 is a matter which the States should settle themselves. 
 
 These conflicting contentions on the part of the 
 lawmaking bodies, from the city council to the 
 National Congress; the perpetual shifting of re- 
 sponsibility for the great alcoholic evil, together with 
 his recent bereavement, wrought so heavily upon his 
 failing strength that he succumbed beneath the 
 burden, which was too heavy to bear. "Thus ended 
 the life of one of the most respected citizens of Holly- 
 ville." 
 
 In the Sentinel of Holly ville there appeared the 
 following editorial, under the caption of 
 
 "WHO Is RESPONSIBLE?" 
 
 "The Sentinel desires its readers to answer the 
 above question each for himself. We will state the 
 facts in John Drew's case as they were presented 
 to us: 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 121 
 
 "About thirty years ago there moved to Holly- 
 ville, from an adjoining county, a man and his wife. 
 The woman was young, beautiful, and accomplished. 
 The man was a descendant of one of the best and 
 oldest families in the State. But through heredity 
 and environment he was in great danger of becoming 
 a drunkard. In order to avoid this, his wife induced 
 him to move to this county, which, as you know, was 
 the first county in the State to go dry by local option. 
 These two made their home here in Hollyville and 
 the man became engaged in the mercantile business, 
 afterward becoming one of the most successful mer- 
 chants of the town. This man was none other than 
 John Drew, son of the well-known Colonel Hamilton 
 Drew, of New Gate. In less than two years after 
 their coming to Hollyville, the young wife died in 
 giving birth to their first child a boy. John Drew 
 quite naturally bestowed all his affection upon his 
 child. As this boy grew, the father was scrupulously 
 careful about his training, seeing to it that he re- 
 ceived not only the proper intellectual training, but 
 the proper physical and moral instruction as well. 
 In the careful training which the lad received the 
 question of alcoholics was omitted altogether. The 
 father had, as he thought, a good reason for this. 
 The boy was heir to the inherited tendency to drunk- 
 enness; and the father, fearing to arouse the boy's 
 curiosity with a great amount of which he was 
 especially endowed he thought it best to omit the 
 subject of alcoholics altogether. This may have 
 been a sad error; but it was thought to be the best 
 policy. 
 
 In this manner the son grew to young manhood 
 
122 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 with practically no knowledge concerning the great, 
 impending evil. He finished his college course in 
 Hollyville College a few months before he was 
 twenty-one years old. He graduated with honors, 
 and was not only the idol of his father's heart, but 
 was the pride of all Hollyville. 
 
 "Shortly after he had finished his course in 
 school, he accepted a position in New Gate, the 
 former home of his father. Here, through a combi- 
 nation of circumstances, he learned to drink; and 
 drink led to his death, for it was while under the 
 influence of whisky that he was exposed to excessive 
 cold weather, the result of which exposure caused 
 him to contract a fatal illness which resulted in his 
 death. The story of that young man's death- is the 
 saddest that has ever occurred in the history of 
 Hollyville. 
 
 "The terrible idea of revenge murder took pos- 
 session of the grief-crazed father, and led him to seek 
 the man who sold his son the poison, and to make 
 him pay for the deed with his own life. 
 
 "But when confronted by the irate father, the 
 saloonkeeper lost no time in showing him the com- 
 mission or license which he had obtained at the 
 City Hall. The city clerk,' he pleaded, 'is the one 
 who is responsible.' 
 
 "John Drew visited the city clerk, who in turn 
 pleaded that he was only a servant of the city gov- 
 ernment. After hearing the city clerk's story, John 
 Drew decided to give up the idea of revenge, and re- 
 solved to dedicate both his time and his fortune to 
 the work of ridding the State entirely of this evil. 
 
 "His attention had been directed to the city coun- 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 123 
 
 cil by the city clerk, but this body disclaimed all 
 responsibility, and directed him to the State legis- 
 lature. 
 
 "The State legislature said that the responsibility 
 for the liquor traffic rested with the National Gov- 
 ernment. Then John Drew, with certain other 
 sympathizers, took the matter before the United 
 States Congress. But Congress claimed that pro- 
 hibition is a matter which the States should settle. 
 
 'Then John Drew lost all hope. Disappointed, 
 discouraged, unable to longer endure the strain, he 
 died, leaving the whisky evil still in the country ' 
 the mystery still unraveled. 
 
 "There has always been a tendency for people to 
 disclaim responsibility for public evils. Perhaps in 
 countries where the government exists for the benefit 
 of the royal families; where the expressed will of a 
 king is the only law, everybody except the king him- 
 self can claim immunity from responsibility: but in 
 a Republic like ours, where the government is of the 
 people, for the people, and by the people, it is quite 
 different. 
 
 "But it is not our purpose to accuse. We leave 
 to our readers to say who is responsible for this liquor 
 evil who is responsible for that recent tragedy 
 which wrecked the lives of that honest, industrious 
 father and that beloved son. 
 
 "To be candid and just, although it is humiliating 
 to do so, we must claim a part of the responsibility 
 as our own. The Sentinel has always been an advo- 
 cate of prohibition: but after saloons had been 
 driven from Hollyville and Marshall County, we 
 regarded our task as finished. In this we were mis- 
 
124 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 taken. The press is largely responsible for the 
 death of thousands of young men who fill drunkards' 
 graves, and for a great deal of the ignorance, poverty, 
 and suffering throughout this country yes, we are 
 responsible. Now, since God has given us light to 
 see our duty, we pray him to give us strength to dis- 
 charge it." 
 
 The above editorial, read by hundreds of people, 
 had its effect. It was the aim of the editor to set 
 the minds of his readers pondering the liquor situ- 
 ation, and in this he was successful. 
 
 The minister of St. Mark's Church, in Hollyville, 
 and who was the pastor of the two deceased, read 
 the editorial, and felt that a great measure of the 
 responsibility rested upon him. Although he had 
 often availed himself of the opportunity of denounc- 
 ing the liquor evil from his pulpit, he knew that he 
 had not done his whole duty. He had not done his 
 very best in pledging the youth and populace of his 
 own parish to do their utmost toward the elimination 
 of alcohol from their own homes and the homes of 
 their various friends. 
 
 When he thought of how he had neglected so 
 glorious an opportunity, he felt ashamed and with 
 this there came a resolution to henceforth make his 
 pulpit the freest forum from which his voice should 
 constantly ring in denunciation of alcohol. 
 
 Doctor Morris, the family physician of the Drews, 
 after reading the editorial, and after reviewing the 
 pathetic actions of his half-demented patient during 
 the last year of his life, found it impossible to sleep 
 that night. Every time he closed his eyes, that 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 125 
 
 question, "Who is responsible?" would force itself 
 upon him in such a tormenting and accusing way 
 that he began to feel very like a fugitive from justice 
 who is being sought to answer some serious charge. 
 The fact is, Doctor Morris was being arraigned be- 
 fore the bar of his own conscience ; and the indictment 
 was: "Thou art responsible for the conditions which 
 led to young Drew's death." So strong was the evi- 
 dence in the form of what appeared to Doctor Morris 
 as neglect of professional and official duties, that he 
 was oppressed with a sense of guilt. 
 
 Doctor Morris had served as a city and county 
 health officer, and was at this time a member of the 
 State board of health. He was regarded as a very 
 efficient officer aggressive in the fight for better 
 sanitary conditions, untiring in his efforts toward 
 the eradication of preventable diseases. Upon the 
 suggestion of the board of health the legislature had 
 enacted laws seeking to protect the people from those 
 diseases supposed to be caused by flies, rats, the 
 bites of rabid animals, mosquitoes, etc. But not 
 one word of warning against the diseases caused by 
 alcohol had ever been issued by him or any other 
 member of the board. Why should alcohol enjoy such 
 immunity from the attack of the guardians of the State? 
 
 No one knew better than Doctor Morris of the 
 different forms of mental and nervous diseases due to 
 the use of alcohol. He was fully cognizant of the fact 
 that the majority of the inmates of the insane hos- 
 pital, almshouses, and sanitariums, suffering from 
 the different mental and nervous psychoses, are pri- 
 marily victims of alcohol. 
 
 "There is no doubt about it, Doctor Morris," he 
 
126 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 said, addressing himself as he rose to a sitting pos- 
 ture in his bed, "you are in a large measure guilty, 
 not only of the death of young Drew and many 
 others, but you are equally responsible for the con- 
 ditions in which the inmates of the insane asylum 
 yonder is found responsible, quite responsible," he 
 repeated. "It is quite evident that I am guilty of a 
 neglect of duty that I am not only under obligation 
 to perform, but a duty for which I am being paid to 
 perform. The ta.sk of ridding the State of the saloon 
 is primarily the work of the medical profession." 
 That night Doctor Morris got consolation only by 
 making the resolution to bring the matter up at the 
 next meeting of the board of health. He would 
 induce the board to suggest a State-wide prohibition 
 law as a health measure. He also decided to prepare 
 a paper to be read before the next session of the 
 State Medical Association on the subject, "INEBRIETY 
 AS A DISEASE." He would perhaps be invited to 
 read it also before the American Medical Association. 
 "I will not rest," he said, "until not only my State 
 but my country shall be free from alcoholism." 
 
 The next morning after the editorial appeared in 
 the Sentinel, Mr. Douglas, secretary and executive 
 officer of united charities of New Gate, on reaching 
 his office, met a strange visitor a man attired in 
 the garb of a workman. He presented the aspect of 
 an engineer, a fireman or perhaps a blacksmith. 
 It was evident that he had been and was even then 
 suffering great mental anguish. Mr. Douglas thought 
 that his visitor was a poor man, without employment 
 a man who had sickness or perhaps death in his 
 family, and was there for the purpose of seeking aid. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 127 
 
 "What can I do for you?" asked Mr. Douglas. 
 
 "I want to ask a favor of you," was the visitor's 
 reply. 
 
 "I know that," said Mr. Douglas somewhat im- 
 patiently; "but what do you want?" 
 
 "I want to leave $1,500 with you, which I want 
 you to accept; and in the name of the trustees of 
 this institution, the titles to two tenement houses on 
 Fifth Street. The income from the rent of these 
 houses, together with this $1,500, I want you to use 
 for the relief of destitute families of drunkards, in- 
 cluding orphans and widows of drunkards." 
 
 This stranger was none other than Croggs the 
 Croggs whom we formerly knew as the saloonkeeper. 
 He was now employed in a blacksmith's shop. Croggs 
 gave up his barroom business shortly after his ex- 
 perience with John Drew. Until then he had not 
 thought very seriously on the comparative merits 
 of the different professions or of the different forms 
 of business. He had never studied political economy. 
 He had been brought up in a saloon. His father had 
 been a saloonkeeper, and at his father's death he 
 of course came into possession of the business by 
 inheritance. 
 
 Croggs heretofore had never stopped to think of 
 where he would be listed in the catalogue of laborers 
 whether he would be classed as a productive or 
 as a non-productive laborer. He had not considered 
 whether it was right or wrong to conduct a saloon. 
 It was not until after his interview with John Drew 
 that he realized the fact that the wealth of the com- 
 munity was not increased by his labor, but, on the 
 other hand, his business served to incapacitate real 
 
128 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 productive laborers. He could not remember ever 
 having made anybody happy, but had spent his 
 whole life spreading misery and wretchedness. 
 
 At first Croggs tried to console himself by saying 
 that society permitted the saloon seemed to de- 
 mand it why should he care? But somehow Croggs 
 never did become reconciled to his liquor dispensa- 
 tion again. He had, as I think most individuals 
 have, an innate desire to be useful. Being now thor- 
 oughly convinced that he was engaged in a business 
 which was worse than useless, he decided to sell out. 
 This he did, and secured employment in a black- 
 smith's shop. Here he put forth every effort to 
 master the trade. When he had made an inventory 
 of his resources, Croggs found that he was worth 
 $1,500 in cash, and had two tenement houses which 
 would yield him an income of not less than thirty 
 dollars a month. He first decided that he would put 
 this away in reserve against a rainy day, but after 
 reading the editorial, "Who Is Responsible?" in the 
 Holly vi lie Sentinel and realizing the part which he 
 had played in that tragedy and in hundreds of 
 others he decided on another use for the little for- 
 tune which he had laid up for himself. 
 
 Said he: "Others may have been indirectly re- 
 sponsible for young Drew's death, but I am directly 
 responsible. I sold him the pois6n which ended his 
 life. I am responsible for hundreds of widows and 
 thousands of fatherless children. My whisky and 
 my beer have washed away a great deal more happi- 
 ness than my little fortune can ever replace. But 
 this is the very best that I can do toward righting 
 the wrong that I have done." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 129 
 
 In this act was not Croggs bringing forth fruits 
 meet for repentance? The true penitent is not only 
 sorry for his wrongdoings. He resolves to turn 
 away from them; nor does he stop there, but tries 
 to correct as much as possible the wrong which he 
 has committed. 
 
 Our sympathy goes out to Robert Drew and his 
 father, to little Jean and his unhappy mother all 
 victims of one of America's institutions, the saloon; 
 but how many are in sympathy with Croggs? Is he 
 not also a victim of the same institution? No doubt, 
 many men like Croggs, who have within them the 
 possibilities which would have developed them into 
 useful men, benefactors of mankind, ornaments to 
 the human race, had not circumstances and environ- 
 ment forced them to become agents of destruction. 
 
 In her room at New Gate, Miss Grace King read 
 the editorial with thought and feeling too deep for 
 words. How vividly it brought back to her mem- 
 ories of the years now passed memories of all that 
 was lost to her; memories of their short struggle, and 
 memories of that last- day of John Drew's life. 
 
 Overwhelmed, she laid the paper aside, rose and 
 walked over to the window. Resting her head 
 against the casement, she looked out. The wonder- 
 ful witchery of the solemn night wove its spell around 
 her. Great, glittering stars clustered in the heavens. 
 A crescent moon swung high in the eastern sky and 
 threw a weird light along the marble palace next 
 door, and down on the dark evergreen trees of her 
 own garden on the lilac bush, snow-powdered with 
 splendid, fragrant bloom, 
 
130 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 In that wan, mysterious, and melancholy light 
 New Gate was sleeping. Miss Grace's thoughts 
 wandered down the little path to the cabin where 
 she had gotten her first glimpse of lowly life. She 
 wondered how the lonely inmates fared if all was 
 well with Jean and his beautiful, sad-eyed mother. 
 Her heart beat in tenderest sympathy with those 
 two victims of misfortune and bitter sorrow. She 
 shuddered when she thought of all the two must 
 have had to undergo since her visit to them. Thoughts 
 of the poor, wretched father filled her with pity. 
 Pitiful indeed was the story of that once good life 
 now wrecked by alcohol. How numerous were the 
 stories of others all over the city all over the coun- 
 try, and would continue so long as that chief cur- 
 tailer of human happiness was allowed to exist. 
 
 As Miss Grace looked out over the slumbering 
 city her heart groaned. But her brave spirit was 
 not one which brooded long in morbid fancies. 
 With penetrating, clairvoyant vision she looked 
 down the vista of coming years (let us hope the 
 distance was not far) and saw the people of her 
 beloved country come into national prohibition as 
 their rightful heritage from the diligent sowing, the 
 faithful prayers, the many sacrifices of the friends 
 of the prohibition cause. 
 
 In this new condition she saw millions of young 
 people coming out of schools and colleges, standing 
 on the threshold of actual life, their high ideals and 
 glorious visions unthreatened by alcohol's curse, 
 their hearts full of hope and big with promise, in no 
 danger of alcohol's fatal germ being spread through- 
 out their whole natures, inoculating their ambitions 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 131 
 
 with its vicious virus, causing the high moral standard 
 to drop warping and wrenching the whole nature 
 out of its legitimate orbit. The mind of the young 
 would be left free to develop in its natural manner; 
 eyes unblurred by poison, left free to discover oppor- 
 tunities everywhere; ears of sympathy would be 
 attuned to the cries of those who are perishing for 
 the want of assistance ; open hearts, which would not 
 want for worthy objects upon which to bestow their 
 gifts; willing hands, which would never lack for 
 noble work to do. < 
 
 She saw the hands of progress touch the villages, 
 the towns, the cities the whole country; for all 
 those places formerly occupied by saloons would be 
 displaced by business of worthy character. Under 
 the new condition she saw her country waxing 
 bounteous in wealth gloriously bountiful in its pro- 
 duction of efficient manhood and perfect woman- 
 hood. 
 
 To consecrate her life to the work which should 
 bring about a realization of this mental vision seemed 
 to Miss Grace at that moment a mission far grander 
 than the conquest of empires, and infinitely more to 
 be desired than the crown and heritage of Solomon. 
 
 The night wore on while she planned her work 
 for the coming years. While her brain was at work, 
 she walked back and forth with slow, uncertain steps, 
 like one who, peering at distant objects, sees nothing 
 close at hand. Her beautiful face was pale and fixed 
 not flushed with the gush of enthusiasm, like the 
 jets of a violent flame, but calm and fixed and full 
 of thought thought that was a crystallized and 
 consecrated purpose. 
 
132 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 At last, when the feeble light of the sinking moon 
 admonished her that the night was growing old, she 
 stopped again to look out over the slumbering city 
 her heart no longer light, careless, and free, but bur- 
 dened with grave responsibility. 
 
 Miss Grace knew deep down in her heart that the 
 disreputable rum-hole or saloon in the cheaper dis- 
 tricts of the city is not the chief place which is re- 
 sponsible for the creation of the "drunken sot"; but 
 it is at the so-called respectable bar, the fashionable 
 rooms at these big hotels, the cafs at men's clubs, 
 the harmless beverages always served at social 
 gatherings in the homes of respectable people these 
 are the places that are really responsible for the 
 wrecks that are "drunken sots." They invariably 
 get the beginning of their downfall at one or all of 
 these high places before, in the end, they are seen 
 frequenting the low saloons. 
 
 The history of nearly every drunkard may be 
 traced back to the first glass in one or the other of 
 these places. Few men ever become habitual drunk- 
 ards by being induced to take their first drink at a 
 saloon. The first step is taken perhaps in the home, 
 where only a harmless glass of wine is served ; or the 
 iniquitous cocktail at the club or caf6, or in the 
 fashionable bar. The truth, that in these high places 
 is where the big evil lies, forced itself upon Miss 
 Grace. 
 
 "Ah!" she said in mournful tones of deep regret, 
 "the greatest responsibility rests upon society. The 
 civilization which begot this evil must destroy it or 
 else be forever branded with the scarlet letter of its 
 own crime." 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 133 
 
 Being firmly convinced of this, she saw clearly the 
 long, stony path in which she must henceforth choose 
 to labor. 
 
 While she stood there her lips moved in prayer: 
 "Be pleased, O God, to make me a fit instrument 
 for thy work; sanctify my heart; quicken and en- 
 lighten my mind; let me be endowed with patience, 
 perseverance, and unwavering faith; of all things, 
 let me labor with an eye single to thy glory. Let me 
 not labor for any worldly applause, but for the sole 
 purpose of bringing about righteousness upon this 
 earth. O, my Father, crown my efforts with success 
 in thine own good time thou knowest best." 
 
 The still, solemn splendor of the night spoke to 
 her soul; and out from the depth of the starlit sky 
 there seemed to come a sacred voice which soothed 
 her anxious spirit: "Let not your heart be troubled, 
 neither let it be afraid." 
 
 Calm and hopeful now, Miss Grace retired to her 
 rest. Nothing broke the sweet repose which settled 
 upon her quiet spirit. She slept on until out of the 
 whitening east the new day rose, radiant in bridal 
 garments, wearing a single gleaming star upon its 
 pearly brow. Then the sky flushed and the hilltops 
 glowed, and the abundant sunshine streamed over 
 the world once more streamed over the world in 
 glorious promise of a new fulfillment. 
 
 The first rays flashed into Miss Grace's room, 
 falling warm and bright upon her closed eyelids, 
 kissing them to wakefulness and the golden radiance 
 of a new day. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 ON a beautiful day in July, several years after 
 the death of John Drew, Miss Grace King stood on 
 deck of a great liner which plowed her way up the 
 English channel. For many weeks she had been on 
 a tour about the country. Feeling that a recluse life 
 would give her only partial glimpses of that part of 
 humanity whom she wished to help, she had decided 
 to spend several months in travel, for the special 
 purpose of making a study of peasant life. Her 
 chief purpose in doing this was to gain a thorough 
 knowledge concerning the effects of alcoholism upon 
 the peasants. Having done extensive travel about 
 the United States, she was now about to spend a few 
 weeks in Europe for the same purpose. 
 
 As the great liner plowed her way up that historic 
 strip of water toward the Hook of Holland, Miss 
 Grace was struck with the extraordinary spectacle 
 presented to her eyes. The channel was crowded 
 with vessels, ranging from the tiniest submarine to 
 the most ponderous dreadnought. In the narrowest 
 part of the strait, between Calais and Dover, there 
 lay a long line of torpedo boats, gunboats, light 
 cruisers, and destroyers. Unanchored, they extended 
 an unbroken front, like a regiment of cavalry. It 
 was the British fleet, the main line of defense and 
 offense of the empire. As the liner made her way 
 through those floating forts of steel, those who stood 
 on her deck saw in that display only a pageant of 
 peace. The warm sun shone in splendor upon the 
 
 134 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? _ 135 
 
 spectacle, and the sea slipped past the great liner 
 with a swish of molten gold, while the sky overhead 
 was blue with a hue which can hardly be described. 
 
 It was the birthday of King George of England, 
 and the main feature of the celebration was the 
 mobilization and review of the British fleet, the pride 
 of the nation. 
 
 It was a spectacle which caught and held the eyes 
 of all the voyagers; but none of those who watched 
 that peaceful scene suspected or even dreamed that 
 in the background of this beautiful picture of pomp 
 and splendor there already lurked the grim brute- 
 visage of war immediate war, which would involve 
 all Europe and eventually the whole world. 
 
 A few days later, at The Hague, wherein is situ- 
 ated the Temple of Peace, while she with other 
 tourists wandered through that magnificent struc- 
 ture of international harmony which the munificence 
 of an American millionaire has given to the world, 
 they had no dreams that at that very moment the 
 ambition of an imperial nation was operating to 
 plunge the world into the most hideous war that 
 has ever been known to civilization. 
 
 However, those happy holiday makers were not 
 destined to remain long in ignorance, for not many 
 days passed before they caught rumors of war and 
 were warned to return to America immediately. 
 
 August 1st, a few days after Miss Grace's arrival 
 at New Gate, marked the beginning of the world's 
 struggle, when Germany declared war upon Russia. 
 The reader knows that for a period of five months 
 the world looked in wonder upon that nation's 
 almost uninterrupted success; and looked in horror 
 
136 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 upon that period of France's greatest peril, and 
 Belgium's supreme agony. We know also that, so 
 far as America's relation in the struggle was con- 
 cerned, it looked at first upon the European nations' 
 strife with somewhat indifferent eyes; but as the 
 struggle progressed, America began to watch with 
 increasing abhorrence and amazement those methods 
 of war employed by the imperial German govern- 
 ment methods which gave evidence more and more 
 of that government's character and aim. 
 
 Soon the time came when American citizens, 
 sailing on American ships, under American flags, 
 were slain by German submarines in absolute and 
 vicious disregard of a nation's rights. Then indeed 
 did America awake to the appalling fact that not 
 only was the freedom of the European nations 
 menaced, but the rights, the liberty of every demo- 
 cratic nation was imperiled by the purpose of these 
 people to rule the world. 
 
 We know further that at last America, thoroughly 
 aroused from its dream of peace, becoming fully 
 awake to the dangers which threatened all those 
 sacred ideals for which democracy stands, arose in 
 splendid determination that absolutism must go 
 down in defeat. 
 
 So great a national cause naturally evoked the 
 patriotic service of every true American. For a 
 short period the prohibition cause became somewhat 
 obscure before the more vital questions which agi- 
 tated the country. All America became absorbed in 
 the one great task of winning the war for humanity. 
 
 Opportunity for patriotic service rapped upon all 
 doors, from the richest to the poorest. It fell to the 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 137 
 
 lot of some to make munitions; others, to run ships 
 and railroads; others, to work in the mines and in 
 the forests; others, to plant, cultivate, and harvest, 
 and still others, to fight on land and sea. 
 
 Miss Grace King, being a true daughter of Amer- 
 ica, at once began to take inventory of herself to see 
 what service she could offer that would prove most 
 beneficial to her country. 
 
 The most important thing in life is bread, the 
 primeval struggle being always to appease hunger. 
 To the American housewife was consigned the great 
 business of economy. On this one task of the Amer- 
 ican woman seemed to hang the fate of humanity. 
 Knowing this fact, the housewives arose as a single 
 unit in the great task of conserving the nation's food. 
 
 Miss Grace, regarding food conservation as the 
 woman's vital problem, at once formed the deter- 
 mination to do her utmost along that line. Having 
 made up her mind as to the work she intended to 
 do, she plunged into it with religious enthusi- 
 asm. After first offering her services to the Woman's 
 Committee, Counsel of Defense, she began to take in- 
 finite care in acquainting herself with every possible 
 means of conserving food. She organized a Woman's 
 Home Committee at New Gate, canning clubs and 
 various other clubs of patriotic origin, and began 
 work in real earnest. 
 
 The women of New Gate, witnessing the patriotic 
 zeal of Miss Grace, were determined not to be out- 
 done by her; therefore it was not long before every 
 woman in the city, of whatever station, became 
 enamored with the idea of "doing her bit." The 
 season of play and lightsome mood was over for the 
 
138 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 woman force at New Gate; the time for sterner 
 thought and vital action had come. Even those 
 most prosperous ones, who had all their lives basked 
 in their conditions of ease, selfishness, and self- 
 complacency, became patriotic to the point of self- 
 denial and personal sacrifice. 
 
 During those times New Gate underwent a sort 
 of transformation. The influence of the women's 
 committees penetrated every home, and the spirit, 
 finally taken up by adjoining cities and towns, soon 
 became spread over a vast territory in the South. 
 
 In this strenuous time of worldwide strife and 
 turmoil, it seems that the only institution in America 
 which remained deaf to all appeals of patriotism, 
 and which continued to ally with the enemies against 
 those subjects vitally related to the successful prose- 
 cuting of the nation's war, was the selfish, unscrupu- 
 lous liquor traffic. This fact caught the attention of 
 Miss Grace and stirred all her dormant hatred 
 against this curse of the American people. She ob- 
 served with jealous hatred the continued work "of 
 this ruthless industry, took strict notice of the vast 
 amount of the nation's much needed food which it 
 consumed. 
 
 "Uncle," she remarked to her kinsman one day, 
 "the desire to continue the fight for national pro- 
 hibition has been woven into the very warp and 
 woof of my life. I am drawn to it by the irresistible 
 force of my everlasting hatred against alcohol." 
 
 She was standing by the window, looking out 
 over the smoking factories, past the thick masses of 
 buildings, over and beyond the restless surge and 
 grind of the city's traffic, to the lovely hills and woods, 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 139 
 
 where nestled the tiny hut of her friends, Jean and 
 his beautiful, sad-eyed mother. She was silent, 
 thinking of the little family, and of her own blighted 
 hopes. Her fond uncle looked up at her and was 
 moved with compassion. The girl seemed to radiate 
 a new beauty. As he looked at her he thought he 
 had never seen a more perfect profile, nor a counte- 
 nance that expressed such a beautiful blending of 
 wistful longing, of patient fortitude, and saintly 
 resignation. Hers was the face of a madonna after 
 the crucifixion pathetic in its lonely sorrow, but 
 inspiring in its spiritual strength and holy in its 
 purity and depth of character. Her beauty was of 
 the kind which is revealed only in the faces of those 
 who have been fortunate enough to have experienced 
 the one grand passion to the utmost bounds of the 
 human capacity all its exquisite joy, all its ex- 
 quisite pain, all its tenderness, all its cruelties, all 
 its high idealism, all its broken hopes. This young 
 woman, in that one brief period of her awakened 
 love, from the time that she had opened her eyes 
 that first dazzling instant and the spirit of unbridled, 
 irresistible youth had burned brightly and had com- 
 pletely captivated young Drew, had felt love's 
 keenest delight, its most stinging pain; had sounded 
 its profoundest depths, and found it of a quality 
 that is as sublime as it is human. 
 
 Her uncle knew that this great love had proved 
 a blessing to her, for it had been the means of trans- 
 forming his beloved kinswoman into the being who 
 stood before him now a woman of broadest sym- 
 pathies and great kindness of heart. How he wished 
 her mother, his only sister, might have been like her! 
 
140 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Turning her glorious eyes, brimful of hidden 
 purpose, upon him, she said: "Uncle, the Govern- 
 ment tells us, and rightly, that saving is a patriotic 
 duty. During these strenuous times every living 
 thing in the United States is feeling the pressure of 
 economy. Increased taxation, the high price of food 
 and clothing, the need of aiding America's soldiers in 
 their self-sacrifice, the complete disarrangement of 
 ordinary industrial and commercial conditions, have 
 made rigid economy necessary. But bearing this 
 yoke of economy gives a sort of pleasure, because we 
 feel that we are doing it for the grand purpose of 
 making all the people and all the resources of the 
 country supremely effective in this fight for hu- 
 manity. The Federal Department of Agriculture is 
 urging the increase of food production. The United 
 States Food Commissioner is busily engaged in its 
 effort to conserve and control the consumption of 
 food. The food that America saves will go far 
 toward winning the war. The American housewives 
 realize this and are everywhere striving to steer their 
 domestic crafts to the port of wartime economy. In 
 response to the Federal Department of Agriculture, 
 the farmers all over the country are making special 
 efforts to produce full crops from every acre under 
 tillage in the United States. War gardens are being 
 planted, canning clubs organized all for the purpose 
 of taking care of the nation's food. But there is no 
 doubt that with all our efforts to economize, the food 
 situation, as the months shall advance, is going to 
 become most critical. Proper economy makes it our 
 duty to cut out every expenditure that does not 
 definitely contribute toward American efficiency. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 141 
 
 But while all this patriotic response to the request of 
 the authorities is going on, does it seem just and fair 
 that our Federal Government should allow any 
 traffic to exist which persists in manufacturing the 
 nation's much needed food into a poison which robs 
 the country of its efficient manhood and patriotic 
 womanhood, and which continues to strike bread 
 from the lips of our men, women, and children? 
 
 "I have been making a special effort to estimate 
 the amount of food which this ruthless traffic is con- 
 suming while we are struggling along with our great 
 problem of economy. Of the principal grain crops of 
 the United States, barley, wheat, rye, corn, and oats, 
 it is estimated that the liquor traffic uses annually 
 2.25 per cent: the grain destroyed by being con- 
 verted into liquor, if conserved, will save 11,000,000 
 loaves of bread a day. The brewing of beer alone 
 destroys from fifty to sixty million bushels of grain 
 and the fanners are urged to produce more grain!" 
 
 "There is no doubt about it, Grace, my daughter," 
 said her uncle; "the loss of the liquor industry would 
 mean a tremendous gain in foodstuffs. The pro- 
 hibitionists are not blind to the fact of this great 
 waste, and are already urging the adoption of na- 
 tional prohibition as a war measure." 
 
 "If national prohibition is adopted now, it will 
 be adopted as a war measure exclusively, I suppose," 
 said Miss Grace, thoughtfully. 
 
 "No doubt this will be the case," said her uncle. 
 "The Anti-Saloon League deems it unwise to press 
 any further prohibition proposal that might delay 
 the passage of any other important issues, They 
 
142 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 believe that the operation of emergency war pro- 
 hibition will so prepare the public for permanent 
 prohibition that the amendment will easily become 
 operative. And Grace, dear, I think this is a wise 
 step no doubt, the best step, because, on account of 
 the inevitable strain upon the Government, the at- 
 tempts of the prohibitionists to force the adoption of 
 permanent prohibition at present would not be good 
 political strategy or statesmanship." 
 
 After a long silence, Miss Grace spoke again: 
 "Uncle, I'm wondering what can be done to focus 
 the attention of our Federal Government upon the 
 fact that in this huge, unparalleled job of winning the 
 war, this agent of destruction to both physical and 
 moral forces ought no longer be tolerated ; that it is 
 the height of folly to continue to maintain under its 
 protection this oppressive trade, this greatest enemy 
 to America. I wonder what I, a lone woman, can 
 do. If I were only a man!" 
 
 "Grace, dear, whatever a woman of your char- 
 acter wishes to do for the welfare of a community 
 or a nation, if she does it with the zeal and religious 
 enthusiasm which you have manifested in all that 
 you have already done, will be far-reaching in its 
 influence. I believe you have the will and the courage 
 to do all that is within your power. Continue to do 
 as you have always done, and ask God to bless every 
 effort you may put forth." 
 
 One evening Miss Grace walked back and forth 
 in her elegant library, her thought concentrated upon 
 a manuscript which she was preparing. The room 
 lent its charm to her queenly figure as she moved 
 amid its efficient spaciousness like a goddess within 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 143 
 
 her habitual temple. There came a timid knock at 
 her door, and she opened it to find Jean of the cabin 
 standing there. 
 
 Miss Grace could not avoid remarking the ashen 
 pallor and troubled expression of the boy's face. 
 "What is the matter, child? You look as if you are 
 either ill or dreadfully fatigued. How is the dear 
 mother?" she asked, drawing the boy to a chair and 
 looking anxiously into his wistful face, while she 
 tenderly stroked back the glossy hair from his high 
 forehead. This youth had become very dear to her, 
 like a young brother. Jean's lips trembled, and 
 Miss Grace waited 
 
 "My poor father is dead," he said simply, and a 
 great tear stood in each eye. Miss Grace's tender 
 heart was deeply moved. She kissed the boy, whose 
 soft eyes held much misery. Suddenly she left his 
 side and for a long time stood looking out the library 
 window. The sun was just going down behind a 
 fleecy cloud-mountain: great rays of scarlet shot up 
 from its silver rim, while lurid beams of light streamed 
 down toward the horizon. Vacantly her eyes rested 
 on this glorious picture, but its splendor passed away 
 unheeded, for she was looking far beyond the western 
 gates of day and seeing a ghastly, distorted face 
 turned up toward heaven a coffined corpse ready 
 for its last resting place of dishonor and shame. A 
 slight movement of the bereaved lad roused her and 
 she turned to him again. There was an inner light 
 from her soul shining in her eyes, a look tender, 
 loving, and kind in their clear depths as she drew 
 the boy's head against her breast. 
 
 Suddenly she thought of the poor mother alone 
 
144 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 with all her deep misery, and bade the boy come with 
 her at once to their little hut. So they hastened to 
 her, whose proud head was bowed almost to the 
 earth under the weight of its grief, loneliness, and 
 shame. 
 
 The man had met his death in a tragic, dishonor- 
 able way, and the poor, proud wife, thus so sorrow- 
 fully humiliated, oppressed with an intolerable sense 
 of desolation and isolation, had sat all day, her 
 aching head pressed close against the window 
 silent and awed by the terrible loneliness which sur- 
 rounded her. All through the long hours of the day 
 she had sat there unmoved, like a statue. Intermin- 
 able seemed the dreary day to her son, who, unable 
 to longer bear the sight of his mother's stony grief, 
 stole away to find his beloved Miss Grace. 
 
 The day finally drew to a close and still the poor 
 woman sat there until the red light of day died in 
 the west, and until a young moon hung her crescent 
 among the treetops and the stars flashed out thick 
 and fast. Softly the door opened and Miss Grace 
 and Jean entered. 
 
 The young woman drew the bowed head of the 
 older woman to her breast, letting it rest there while 
 she strove to soothe the troubled heart with words 
 of love and comfort. She felt strangely drawn to 
 this mother and child. Out of her own heart there 
 seemed to issue an electric chain of sympathy. 
 
 Outside, God's changeless stars looked down upon 
 that lonely cabin where alcohol's cruel hand had 
 added one more crime to its enormous list; one more 
 example of manhood destroyed, another character 
 debauched, the wreck of love and happiness to 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 145 
 
 another one of America's homes. A deep stillness 
 reigned, broken only by the stifled sobbing of the 
 child. The crescent moon swung low over the tree- 
 tops and threw a weird light down on the cabin 
 with its dead and bereaved ones. Presently through 
 that wan, mysterious, and melancholy light a bell 
 sounded from a distant section of the city. 
 
 Gradually Miss Grace's troubled spirit revived 
 and the light of reason pointed further along the 
 stony path before her. Mechanically her hands 
 caressed the bowed head upon her breast, while her 
 countenance became eloquent with determination 
 and with humble gratitude to God for giving her 
 wisdom to choose that path, with grace and courage 
 and strength to pursue it. 
 
 "O, my Father!" she whispered, "bless the 
 work which thy servant is doing. Endow me with 
 wisdom and strength to do whatever I can to help 
 lead the way to my country's future peace and 
 happiness." 
 
 A few days after the quiet funeral of Jean's father, 
 Miss Grace set out to her uncle's home on a mission 
 of love. It was one of those rare afternoons in 
 September when summer, conscious that her reign is 
 ended, with a final exultant effort brings together 
 all her gorgeous colors and decks the world in regal 
 pomp and short-lived splendor. The shade trees all 
 along the streets stood thus splendidly arrayed, 
 while a strong, steady southern breeze caught the 
 leaves which had fallen and whirled them here and 
 there in a mad, merry dance. Hosts of gay children 
 tripped merrily home from school, and it was a de- 
 lightful picture to see them darting here and there 
 
146 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 in pursuit of some scarlet pinnated beauty which, 
 bewitched with an elfin spirit of wickedness, whirled 
 away at the very moment when the dimpled fingers 
 thought them secure and fast. 
 
 As Miss Grace hurried along, the sight of the 
 ruddy-faced boys and girls heightened her deter- 
 mination to be successful in her mission, for it per- 
 tained to the future welfare of her little friend. 
 Success in what she had undertaken meant an op- 
 portunity for his development and education, at the 
 same time protection from future misfortune. The 
 boy should have a chance to rise above the humili- 
 ating station in which society's curse had placed him 
 a chance to climb up beyond the reach of that 
 subtle menace which threatened to destroy him. A 
 divine smile lit up the young woman's face in the 
 satisfaction of knowing that she was adding another 
 effort to her list of trying to help the struggling poor 
 to better environment, and in so doing repairing 
 her own wrongs to society during that period of her 
 reckless, thoughtless girlhood. O, what a blessed 
 thing it is to feel that you are doing some good in 
 the world: how dim in contrast does the light of 
 sinful pleasure shine to the divine light of usefulness 
 helping somebody to find life and opportunities in 
 which to grow to perfection! 
 
 She found her uncle alone. With a smile of wel- 
 come he came to greet her, who, ever since the death 
 of his only son, followed shortly after by the death 
 of his beloved wife, had been the only means of 
 bringing sunshine into his lonely home. He had 
 always loved this daughter of his only sister with a 
 fatherly devotion. From the time that she could 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 147 
 
 toddle she had been a favorite in his home. The 
 dear wife, having no daughter of her own, had lav- 
 ished a motherly affection upon this child, who often 
 seemed to prefer their home to her own. And the 
 son of theirs, who through the influence of alcohol 
 had wrung their hearts with grief and bitter dis- 
 appointment, had been her playfellow all through her 
 childhood and girlhood. After the uncle was de- 
 prived of both his nearest and dearest, he naturally 
 turned to Grace for sunshine, love, and comfort. 
 
 "How is my daughter getting on with her work?" 
 he asked, smiling genially upon her. 
 
 "O, famously, uncle. But there is another very 
 important matter which brings me here to-day a 
 request which I want you to grant me, uncle." She 
 paused, assuming an air of gravity, while her uncle 
 waited expectantly with the air of a doting father 
 who is ever ready to listen to the request of an idol- 
 ized son a request which, even before the asking, 
 the father knows he is going to grant. 
 
 "Uncle, suppose the opportunity should come to 
 you to take as a protege a boy of great promise, of 
 rare intellectual ability but who is a child of very 
 unfortunate circumstances. Would you do it?" 
 
 "Well, that depends, my dear. I shouldn't like 
 to become responsible for the future of a child of a 
 criminal or a drunkard. If the child is the offspring 
 of clean, honest, but poor parents, I shouldn't hesi- 
 tate to take the responsibility, but " 
 
 "Suppose, uncle, the boy's father is a victim of 
 drink a misfortune which may be acquired, you 
 know, through a combination of circumstances of 
 
148 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 which the poor victim may not be altogether to 
 blame. What then?" 
 
 Since her uncle vouchsafed no answer, she con- 
 tinued: "I have never told you about a lad a 
 family whom I learned to know a few years ago, just 
 after the sad incident at Hollyville, uncle. Since 
 then I've watched this boy, to see his fine nature 
 struggling through the most pitiable conditions in its 
 attempt to come into its rightful heritage of beauti- 
 ful, efficient young manhood. I have rendered him 
 all the assistance I could without wounding their 
 pride. His mother would accept no further aid than 
 that of providing books for the boy's education. 
 Not that she is a woman who is inculcated with 
 antipathetical ideas regarding people of wealth and 
 high social standing, but she is just one of those 
 women who is too proud to beg and too independent 
 to complain or lament. She is a very remarkable 
 woman, uncle one of those rare creatures one often 
 discovers here and there among the extremely poor, 
 a woman who naturally carries herself with an air 
 of conscious self-respect which her shabby dress 
 cannot hide, nor a robe of silk could not enhance." 
 
 "And the father?" 
 
 "The father? O, uncle, another one of those 
 debauched characters, a most wretched victim of 
 alcohol, a poor, wretched fellow who, under the in- 
 fluence of that diabolical curse, has dragged into the 
 very dust the name of Jean Richter." 
 
 "Jean Richter! Grace, jmy daughter, what is 
 this you are asking of me? What! Take Jean 
 Richter's son under my roof as my protege? The 
 very idea is preposterous!'* 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 149 
 
 Mr. Anderson arose and began pacing the floor. 
 He knew that this strange request of his niece's was 
 no idle one. But believing that the young woman's 
 great love for humanity and sympathy for the un- 
 fortunate and suffering ones had prompted her in 
 this charitable idea, he felt that he must be gentle 
 with her. His restless agitation did not arise from 
 mental debate as to whether he would grant her 
 request, because it never occurred to him to grant 
 it. But his mind was puzzled as to a best method of 
 refusal without hurting her. He was convinced that 
 observation of the misery of these people and the 
 hope that she might be instrumental in relieving it 
 had determined her course. 
 
 Presently he stopped in front of the fireplace and 
 leaned his great form against the mantel. The blood 
 throbbed in Miss Grace's heart while she sat waiting. 
 
 Instantly the answer had sprung to Mr. Ander- 
 son's lips, but he had checked it in order to acquaint 
 her with its negative in the gentlest manner. If she 
 had been anybody else, he would have brought down 
 his fist upon the table with a most emphatic "No!" 
 
 At last he came and sat beside her while he said : 
 "Grace, dearest, do not ask me to do that which my 
 reason will not permit. I have seen many phases of 
 human nature, and watched the development of 
 many characters, and have found that the law of 
 heredity is strong sure. Think of what I have 
 already suffered from the hand of this terrible evil. 
 Grace, this is asking too much of me. The fatal 
 outcome for the boy is inevitable on account of the 
 law of heredity. If my own son with his honest 
 parentage did not escape, what can I hope for this 
 
150 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 boy, born with the fatal thirst woven into the very 
 warp and woof of his life? Suppose I should learn 
 to love him, as undoubtedly I would if he is the rare 
 character you say he is. Another disappointment 
 would kill me. You don't wish me to undergo such 
 another ordeal as the first. Grace, my dear, nothing 
 could save the boy from a drunkard's ruin. Experi- 
 ence has taught me that the fate of the inebriate is 
 hopeless. In spite of what this boy's mother is, 
 think what his father was think, Grace!" 
 
 "But, uncle," the young woman pleaded, "I'll 
 admit that Richter was a man of the very lowest 
 type; but was he always so? His wife tells me that 
 he was from one of the best families. He became 
 what he was after Jean was born. Can you hold 
 him exactly responsible for the deeds done under 
 the influence of alcohol? The thing for which I hold 
 him responsible is for allowing himself to take those 
 first drinks, which he knew would perpetuate into 
 debauchery and crime. He ought to be held re- 
 sponsible for his first yielding to temptation, espe- 
 cially if he was wise concerning alcohol's evil effects. 
 He merits punishment for deliberately surrendering his 
 will and intelligence to the drink habit, thus accept- 
 ing the chance to commit grave crimes. But in the 
 end his own responsibility, as with all drunkards, 
 vanishes and he became a victim of license issued 
 under the sanction of a supreme government. 
 
 "I believe that this boy, given the proper environ- 
 ment, will develop into splendid manhood, of which 
 the nation will one day be proud. He certainly 
 shows marked evidence of his blessed faculties: 
 whether they are of maternal or paternal origin, we 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 151 
 
 are not able to say, nor should it matter. The fact 
 that he possesses them is sufficient. I am sure, 
 uncle, that here, within the pure atmosphere of your 
 home, you will witness the perfect unfolding of this 
 boy's great abilities into usefulness and power, as the 
 sun unfolds into beauty and fragrance the tender 
 petals of a flower." 
 
 Mr. Anderson was not unmoved by the young 
 woman's pleading, nor insensible to her logic. 
 
 "But, Grace, darling, think of that other life no 
 less promising perhaps I do not say this to wound 
 you," he said, quickly observing the look of pain 
 which passed over her face "but I mention it as a 
 sort of reminder, you know. The chances of escape 
 for children born under the best environment are 
 little enough; what could you hope for this child, 
 born with the inherited tendency toward inebriety?" 
 
 "Uncle, I do not believe that the appetite for 
 liquor is inherited. This, I know, is contrary to the 
 general belief. I do believe that there is inherited a 
 predisposition to such weakness, so that if the child 
 of drunken parents gains access to alcohol, the appe- 
 tite is much more rapidly developed than would be 
 with the child of abstaining parents. I verily believe 
 that if the child with the bad heritage abstains abso- 
 lutely, he will never crave liquor. I do not believe 
 that the appetite for liquor is a natural demand. 
 Naturally the physical being rebels against the first 
 drink of any alcoholic beverages. I have seen (and 
 I blush with shame to say it) green youths sicken 
 with the first drink, many of whom could be traced 
 to drunken parentage. O uncle! I know to my 
 great shame that it is through the social instinct, 
 
152 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 through very natural and healthy impulses, that an 
 appetite is engendered, which in turn pays such 
 dividends of ruin to its victim. It makes me shudder 
 to think of how much responsibility lies at my own 
 door for having lured young and innocent men on 
 to the formation of this most disgraceful habit. It 
 is a sin for which I shall give the service of all the 
 rest of my life in atonement. With most young men 
 the habit of drinking liquor originates in social 
 pressure, and the habit is the result of persistent 
 social temptation. Of course, after the habit has 
 once been acquired it is exceedingly probable that 
 the drunkard will continue the practice in order to 
 satisfy the appetite. Once the habit takes posses- 
 sion, alcohol becomes the master and man becomes 
 the slave. After all, the great question, 'Who Is Re- 
 sponsible?' is not a hard one to answer. The false 
 friends of society who bombard the tender youth 
 with alcoholic drinks could answer the question if 
 they would; the wily barkeeper, who picks the 
 pockets of the poor, robs men of their money and 
 honor, who ruthlessly commits crime against the 
 man, the home, the church, the State, and the 
 country, could answer the question. The members of 
 our Federal Government who refuse to enact a law 
 against drunkenness, and allow alcohol to continue 
 to dispense its evil effects throughout the entire 
 population, could answer the question. This boy's 
 father was no more born a drunkard than you or I. 
 His wife tells me that he was once an honest, re- 
 spectable gentleman. I feel a deep conviction that 
 if we can rescue this boy from the curse of this sin 
 which threatens his life, we will be rendering our 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 153 
 
 country a service which will be long remembered. 
 The effort is certainly worth while, uncle, and you 
 will agree with me when you learn to know the lad. 
 Give him a trial for my sake, dearest uncle. I will 
 be responsible for his conduct. If he shows the 
 slightest tendency to deteriorate morally, I'll see to 
 it that he is speedily removed from your home." 
 
 "Grace, I may seem to be hard brutal, but I fear 
 that I must be obstinate in this. I couldn't have Rich- 
 ter's boy here! Think of all his being in my home 
 would involve a host of low kinfolks hanging 
 around " 
 
 "There are no kinfolks but his mother, uncle, 
 and you need fear nothing from that proud, reserved 
 woman." 
 
 "You don't know, Grace, what these people of 
 her class will do if you give them a chance. You had 
 better keep them at a greater distance yourself. A 
 certain kind of charity work among them, such as 
 donating funds for the improvement of their school 
 facilities, or for community improvement would be 
 all right; but actually taking them up with all their 
 rags and filth and dirt into your very arms is quite 
 another matter. I'll give these people money no, 
 I can't think of having Richter's son here!" 
 
 Raising her face, Miss Grace looked steadfastly at 
 her uncle, and pain, compassion, dread, and misery 
 filled her soft eyes. The stout heart melted. He 
 had never refused her anything; and she had never 
 asked for anything unreasonable. It seemed that she 
 had never desired anything half so much as that he 
 should befriend Richter's son. Her heart was set 
 upon succoring this child, and he knew it would be 
 
154 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 no easy matter to dissuade her from her purpose. 
 Her tremulous, compassionate face showed how very 
 earnest was her wish; and should he refuse to grant 
 it, she would resort to some other means. 
 
 Without another word, Miss Grace arose, drew 
 on her gloves, and started toward the door. 
 
 Unable to bear the sight of her disappointment 
 and grief, her uncle laid a detaining hand upon her 
 shoulder, saying: "Very well, Grace, I will let you 
 persuade me in this, though it is against my better 
 judgment. Remember, you have asked me to do a 
 difficult thing. Everybody around here knows Jean 
 Richter, and his son's lot is going to be a hard one. 
 I wonder if you are doing the best thing for the boy, 
 after all." 
 
 "I have thought of how hard it would be for him 
 at school, therefore I think best to provide for his 
 private education," said Miss Grace. 
 
 "Very well. I think this would be the best for 
 all concerned. I'll give the lad employment here in 
 the office, and the salary which I pay him will help 
 support his mother. If the boy proves worthy 
 well, the future will tell." 
 
 "O uncle!" said the grateful Miss Grace, "I 
 can never love you enough for doing this for my 
 little friend. I am sure that you will never regret 
 doing this for him." 
 
 "I am doing this for your sake, Grace; but you 
 must bear in mind that life is a long series of dis- 
 appointments. The failure to meet with your own 
 ideals both in private affairs and in the affairs of the 
 nation is sore disappointment. But such things are 
 inevitable; you must make up your mind to them." 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 ALL was very quiet in the little cabin under the 
 hills. Early dusk and twilight dimly revealed two 
 figures huddled close and silent by the low window. 
 They had been sitting there for hours the mother 
 holding the form of her darling boy close up against 
 her heart as if she feared that death's cruel hand 
 might tear him from her side. Now and then her 
 body quivered as if in pain. Perhaps she was think- 
 ing of the long, weary years of sorrow which stretched 
 out before them years of crucial suffering and per- 
 haps unfilled hopes. How to support herself and 
 boy was a problem which she must face. Drink had 
 swallowed up almost their last penny. To secure 
 employment that would pay enough to support 
 them both and provide for Jean's education would 
 be almost impossible. It seemed that her husband's 
 dishonesty and crime had blocked every avenue. 
 Jean, suddenly peering up through the semi-darkness 
 into his mother's face, thought he saw tears in her 
 eyes. Very sadly he watched the sweet, sad face 
 with its light of love and devotion; and with his 
 desire to see her happy, free from care, and in per- 
 fect safety; with his manly longing to shield her from 
 danger and suffering, his heart was made to feel an 
 anxiety far beyond his years. Presently he laid a 
 timid hand upon her cheek and said, "It is such a 
 blessed thing to love, isn't it, mother?" 
 
 A fierce, almost jealous love clutched at the 
 mother's heart. 
 
 155 
 
156 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 "I am glad, mother, that I'm big enough to work 
 for you. I shall go over to New Gate and find em- 
 ployment at once to-morrow." 
 
 Mrs. Richter shuddered involuntarily. Life had 
 brought some fair things for her boy in the last few 
 years, in spite of the terror which had constantly 
 hung over them. She had managed in some way to 
 keep things as cheerful as possible, taking infinite 
 care in teaching him to find beauty and sunshine in 
 life in spite of the gloom which overshadowed them. 
 The woods, the fields, the hills, ever abounding in 
 nature's wealth of treasures and pleasures, had been 
 the means of keeping this mother and child above 
 the life of utter despair. Then, at the very time he 
 needed it most, God had sent Jean a new friend, 
 Miss Grace King, from the city. The beautiful 
 friendship between these two had broadened and 
 deepened until the mother had at last consented to 
 allow the young woman to provide books which the 
 hungry soul of her boy needed so. No further aid 
 would she accept, jealously guarding as her own the 
 task of feeding and clothing his precious growing 
 young body. 
 
 But now accepting any aid, or any notice even, 
 from the beautiful young woman, after everything 
 happening as it did, seemed imposition and in- 
 gratitude. If she only had somewhere else to go in 
 order to begin again, perhaps her lot would be easier. 
 
 "I am sure there is somebody over at New Gate 
 who wants a boy," Jean went on. "We shall not 
 need much just you and I, mother you know 
 now. And we can save so much now. We won't 
 have to leave here, shall we, mother?" There was 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 157 
 
 a sort of pleading in his voice which the mother-heart 
 understood. In spite of his father's cruelty and 
 drinking, the boy's life here had been his happiest. 
 He was by nature a child with the homing instinct. 
 To him this little hut was home and he loved it pas- 
 sionately. The mother understood her boy's longing 
 for the hills, the woods, the little spring with the 
 tangled tapestry around it, the friendly squirrels 
 which frisked and leaped among the boughs above 
 his head, the rabbits hopping unafraid in the tall, 
 cool grass and fallen leaves, the gossiping birds, and 
 all the other forms of animal life; his deep longing 
 for mother earth and country life the life that gives 
 vitality, stamina, courage, and all those other quali- 
 ties which make for happy boyhood. There was 
 nothing about her boy that this mother did not 
 understand. Suddenly the firm resolve that he 
 should have his wish took possession of her. All at 
 once she was able to glory in the fact that she was 
 to give him at least his soul's desire to remain in the 
 country, in the midst of mother nature's perpetual 
 miracle, where he could not open his eyes without 
 seeing a more magnificent picture than Raphael or 
 Michael Angelo could have created in a lifetime 
 pictures not only beautiful but perfect, breathing, 
 and throbbing with life. 
 
 In this the mother-heart was wise, for during those 
 few years there in the country he had already acquired 
 a rich amount of that superior stamina and mental 
 caliber that makes the stuff which rises to the top 
 in all vocations of life. He already possessed a peculiar 
 quality of superiority which would later be a power- 
 ful factor in the shaping of a nation's destiny per- 
 
158 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 haps. There was within him a sufficient hunger for 
 knowledge that would stimulate him to self-educa- 
 tion. He was ever athirst for learning, having a 
 peculiar yearning to know the history of men and 
 women who had made a nation, to know the history 
 of his country, and above all, he had that all-absorbent 
 ambition to be somebody in the world. At that 
 moment the heart of this mother, coming into full 
 realization of the bigness of her charge, arose out of 
 her condition of perplexity and doubt, and stood 
 ready to take up her burden. 
 
 She began by first setting the house in order 
 making those thousand little touches of taste that 
 were needed to drive the darkness out of the corners 
 and the stiffness and gloom out of the house. She 
 cleaned and polished the dim lamp, cooked a simple 
 and appetizing supper, and sat down with her boy 
 to a table spread with a snow-white linen cloth. 
 
 Jean, with a peculiar understanding of his mother's 
 sudden show of bravery, looked at her across the 
 table with eyes which worshiped, eloquent with 
 promise of fulfillment. 
 
 They chatted pleasantly over their frugal meal 
 until a knock on the door caused a look of fright to 
 leap into Mrs. Richter's eyes. Instantly both mother 
 and son leaped to their feet. 
 
 Again the knock. 
 
 Jean started forward, but the mother sprang 
 ahead of him, and instinctively putting herself in 
 front of her child, she opened the door. 
 
 "Miss Grace!" Jean sprang forward, his young 
 face beaming his pleasure while with due courtesy 
 he greeted his beloved lady. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 159 
 
 "Come in, uncle!" called out Miss Grace to the 
 waiting gentleman outside. The light faded from 
 the faces of both mother and son when they saw 
 Lawyer Anderson. A vague fear filled Mrs. Richter's 
 breast, while complete wonder overwhelmed the 
 child. 
 
 ''Mrs. Richter, this is my uncle, Lawyer Ander- 
 son." 
 
 With her characteristic regal dignity, Mrs. Richter 
 greeted Lawyer Anderson, never for a moment losing 
 sight of the fact that the gentleman's keen eyes were 
 in constant scrutiny of her young son. 
 
 One glance at the youth, whose magnetic per- 
 sonality was intangible, had sent a peculiar thrill 
 through the man's heart, causing him to experience 
 a sense of relief, as if a great weight which pressed 
 upon him had been suddenly removed. Miss Grace's 
 perceptive genius quickly understood the apprehen- 
 sion in the mother's eyes, so, very tactfully, she made 
 known to her the object of their visit. Lawyer An- 
 derson also explained to her the kind of work he 
 would give her son, for which he promised to pay a 
 liberal salary, to be increased as the boy's efficiency 
 should merit such. He also made known his inten- 
 tion of providing for Jean's private education. 
 Gradually the mother's fear and timidity vanished 
 and she was able to converse with ease and confi- 
 dence, while her heart swelled with gratitude to 
 these two good people whom God had sent in the 
 very hour of her sorest need. The fact that she 
 would have her boy with her during those hours 
 when he would not be at work was very pleasing to 
 her. 
 
160 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 Miss Grace, with her wonderful understanding of 
 human nature, did not think of urging removal 
 from their quiet cabin home, but was already laying 
 secret plans to help this noble woman to make this 
 humble spot a home a sanctuary of love, filled with 
 that subtle and powerful spirit which affords inspira- 
 tion to the heart, comfort and contentment to the 
 restless spirit. 
 
 "What is your opinion of my friends?" asked 
 Miss Grace, as they pursued their way home. 
 
 "They are unusual," said her uncle, thought- 
 fully. "The boy has great ability, which is strik- 
 ingly revealed in his charming personality. 
 
 "And the mother?" 
 
 "She is very beautiful and queenly." 
 
 "So beautiful," said Miss Grace, "that one 
 would dread to think of her leaving that quiet country 
 home where she can be so sheltered from the cruel 
 unkindness of the foolish society people here within 
 New Gate. And she is as good as she is beautiful, 
 yet there is about her nothing stiff and narrow or 
 what you might call Puritanic, except it be the purity 
 of her heart and life. I would be the last to take her 
 away from her quiet, simple manner of living. Her 
 greatest ambition is to see Jean properly educated; 
 and she shall have her heart's desire, uncle." 
 
 Mr. Anderson watched with some curiosity the 
 process of Jean's development. For the first few 
 weeks his employer left him very much to himself, 
 exacting implicit obedience, but taking care to issue 
 but few commands. He also established and in- 
 creased his influence over him by showing interest 
 in all his concerns, and at times treating him with 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 161 
 
 affection, which bound the boy to him as nothing 
 else could have done. 
 
 Jean was awed by the great wisdom of his em- 
 ployer, and fascinated by his brilliant conversation, 
 in which he was not yet able to take part, for he was 
 as yet only in that pleasant borderland where, with 
 suspended judgment and ready observation, it was 
 his part to listen and learn and study, and to hold 
 his tongue, regarding it as a positive duty to keep 
 his own opinions to himself, or when questioned, to 
 put them forward with all due modesty and confes- 
 sion of ignorance. This trait of his endeared him to 
 Mr. Anderson all the more; and that gentleman was 
 never so happy as when the boy began to rely less 
 on books and more on him for interest and com- 
 panionship. 
 
 Many weeks passed: still the hearts and hands 
 of America's patriotic sons and daughters applied 
 diligently to the task of adhering strictly to every 
 command from Washington pertaining to the econ- 
 omy of time, labor, money, or food. In the mean- 
 time America's curse kept up its ruthless waste, 
 snatching its loaf of bread a day from 15,000,000 
 American families and handing them in exchange 
 complete ruin to both body and soul, while at the 
 same time it continued to gloat over the swiftness 
 and certainty with which it would wreck the whole 
 land: continued to mock at the hollow hope of the 
 American people for democracy in truth for peace, 
 happiness, and freedom for themselves and their 
 children when the nation's struggle should be at an 
 end. 
 
 All during these times Jean continued to grow 
 
162 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 more and more in both physical and mental strength. 
 As even in their sports children seem to be aware of 
 the events which agitate the outer world, so in the 
 quiet of his life of employment and study Jean could 
 not fail to be aware of the great national struggle 
 going on, nor could he fail to take keen interest in it. 
 Life seemed to grow bigger, and he became growingly 
 conscious that there was much indeed to learn. He 
 had come into the realization that there is a living 
 history which can be daily and hourly studied a 
 history in which we all have a share, our infinitesimal 
 yet priceless share of influence and responsibility. 
 
 Therefore the lad was very watchful lest he should 
 do something that might in the least destroy the 
 beautiful confidence which his dearly loved Miss 
 Grace and her uncle placed in him. Not that he was 
 one of those pale, soft, girlish youths with a long 
 face and mushy timidity, which is disgusting; but 
 he was a strong, vigorous, natural country boy, full 
 of self-reliance, energy, and grit, sound judgment 
 and pure nature, which recoiled from anything that 
 weakens, impairs, or pollutes the human mind and 
 body. 
 
 Somehow he felt a secret consciousness that he 
 was in a great measure contributing to Miss Grace's 
 effort in providing the reading public with facts 
 taken directly from life facts which could not fail 
 to show what great possibilities there are for Young 
 America, provided the country can be rid of those 
 polluting evils of society, the greatest of which is 
 alcohol. 
 
 In this he was correct, for he was indeed the in- 
 spirer of all that was best and true in her writings. 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 163 
 
 His exalted sense of truth and right, his strict ad- 
 herence to all that was noble, and marked abhorrence 
 for the ignoble, were her strongest incitement. With 
 her hand clasped in the warm, strong hand of this 
 son of lowly birth but most exalted principle, she was 
 able to put into her articles knowledge of facts ex- 
 emplified. Through him she was able to throttle the 
 furies whose accursed fingers clutched at Young 
 America in order to destroy. 
 
 Mr. Anderson watched with increasing interest 
 and pride the unconscious growth and development 
 of both his loved ones. He was aware of the immense 
 pleasure which his niece found in her work of useful- 
 ness. She was forever busy, working in the various 
 well-organized clubs, in the church, in everything 
 which pertained to the improvement of the city. 
 All during those weeks in which she worked so as- 
 siduously, so efficiently, she was unconsciously 
 drawing from the faithfulness of her work, from the 
 grand spirit which she carried into it, the high pur- 
 pose which emanated from her in its performance, 
 a recompense so munificent that her countenance 
 lost a great amount of its wistful longing for all that 
 she had lost in life those joys which might have 
 been. Her work constantly enabled her to gain in 
 much valuable experience, in fine training, in increased 
 efficiency, in splendid discipline, in self-expression, 
 and in the strengthening of her beautiful character. 
 From time to time newspaper articles appeared in 
 most glowing praise of this young woman's work and 
 beautiful patriotic spirit. 
 
 One afternoon Miss Grace was busily engaged in 
 looking over a great stack of registration cards for 
 
164 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 the Woman's Home Committee Council of National 
 Defense. There was a smile of satisfaction upon her 
 face as she noted the great number of these cards 
 signed by the patriotic women of the city. A ray of 
 sunshine stole through the fluttering curtain and 
 made golden ripples upon the floor. Upon the table 
 there lay a magazine a special copy of an American 
 periodical renowned for the lofty tone of its articles, 
 the asperity of its criticisms, the wholesomeness and 
 cleanliness of its fiction. Within this copy there was 
 an article written by Miss Grace. This article, 
 which was the first of hers to be published in this 
 magazine, had been read with avidity by people all 
 over the country. In it she had aimed an effective 
 blow at alcoholism. 
 
 Presently, the cards finished, she settled herself 
 in her comfortable "thinking chair," as she called it, 
 and surrendered herself to a few moments of reverie. 
 Such moments were almost invariably spent in work- 
 ing out some plan or perfecting some philanthropic 
 scheme, or mental scrutiny of a charitable project. 
 But this evening her mind dwelt upon recent occur- 
 rences which marked rapid progress toward the 
 secret goal of her heart's desire national prohi- 
 bition. 
 
 Within the last few months America had learned 
 the lesson that alcohol could not be tolerated among 
 the men who were engaged in the death struggle for 
 liberty. This lesson no doubt had been doubly en- 
 forced by America having witnessed the spectacle of 
 Russia abolishing vodga, France suppressing ab- 
 sinthe, and England grappling with its beer problem. 
 The lesson had been enforced to the extent that the 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 165 
 
 people of America agreed with the Government in 
 its decision to make it a punishable offense to sell 
 liquor to the soldiers. And now the constant cry of 
 the prohibitionists to down the liquor interest and 
 save the nation's grain made it imperative that 
 Congress consider a bill which would make it un- 
 lawful for any person, firm, or corporation to use in 
 the manufacture of any intoxicating liquor for bev- 
 erage purpose any perishable or non-perishable feeds, 
 foods, or food materials. 
 
 As Miss Grace reviewed the summary of the ad- 
 vance toward the overthrow of her most hated 
 enemy, suddenly a glory illumined the future. The 
 vision caught and held her in a fascinating reverie 
 in which she beheld much of the world's darkness 
 dispelled by sunshine, sorrow dispelled by happiness, 
 that which is base and low and deceitful displaced by 
 the lofty and the true; those things which breed filth 
 and unrighteousness displaced by those things which 
 beget cleanliness and righteousness: the fathers of 
 little children returned from haunts of vice and crime, 
 back to the shrine of prayer at their own hearthstone ; 
 womanhood, the glory of America, made divine by 
 the halo of faithful wifehood and sacred motherhood; 
 manhood, the pride of America, purified and exalted 
 by strength of intellect and depth of moral char- 
 acter; youth, the hope of America, vigorous, superbly 
 equipped with physical and mental strength which 
 characterizes the youth who is destined to do great 
 and worthy things in the world youth endowed 
 with great beauty, not superficial beauty, but heart 
 beauty, soul beauty, which marks the spirit of kind- 
 ness, helpfulness, and unselfishness youth, possessed 
 
166 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 with character of the superior sort which develops 
 into undefiled manhood and womanhood. 
 
 Thus Miss Grace beheld the future in a dazzling 
 glory which lured and charmed. Reluctant to part 
 from the vision, she sat and dreamed on until eve- 
 ning and mellow sunset filled the world with a last 
 glory ere the darkness set in. A knock on the door 
 startled her from her reverie. What could be more 
 pleasant than a visit from her uncle and Jean. There 
 was a certain youthfulness about her uncle as he 
 came into the room. This pleased the young lady 
 very much, and she marked the growing friendship 
 between the man and boy with increasing interest 
 and pleasure. Their friendship proved of immense 
 benefit to both. Under her uncle's guidance Jean 
 was growing rapidly, both mentally and physically, 
 and to a keen observer nothing is more fascinating 
 than to watch this sort of growth. In the anxieties 
 of the national struggles at that time Mr. Anderson 
 was able to interest himself keenly through the 
 frequent contact with a young, fresh, vigorous mind 
 feeling its way into greater things. 
 
 The evening was most pleasantly spent. Her 
 uncle and Jean's visit to her home being of limited 
 frequency made those visits all the more pleasurable. 
 They usually came together at those times when 
 Miss Grace's parents were absent, for neither of the 
 two proud people could become quite reconciled to 
 their daughter's and brother's intimacy with "com- 
 mon folks," as they called Jean and his mother. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE advance toward national prohibition was 
 destined to make another stride in a very short 
 while. As soon as the law was passed making it a 
 punishable offense to sell liquor to the soldiers, the 
 prohibitionist commenced ^to urge the fact that 
 what is bad for the soldiers is bad for all American 
 citizens, whether they are soldiers or not. Once 
 started in this direction, the whole temperance force 
 combined to keep up the agitation, nor did they 
 languish in the least until Congress passed a resolu- 
 tion embodying an amendment to the Constitution 
 which, if ratified by the separate States, would pro- 
 hibit the manufacture, sale, transportation, impor- 
 tation, or exportation of all alcoholic beverages. 
 The Constitution itself provided that such an amend- 
 ment must be ratified by three-fourths of the States 
 by legislative action, and the congressional amend- 
 ment gave them seven years in which to make this 
 ratification, stating that the amendment should take 
 effect one year after its ratification. 
 
 At last the great issue was transferred from 
 Congress and made to become an issue on which the 
 people should have an opportunity to express their 
 will. Although the passing of this amendment 
 marked one of the most effective legislative actions 
 in the whole history of the temperance movement, it 
 served to create a new issue which would bring to 
 exercise the will and mind of the American people to 
 their fullest extent. 
 
 167 
 
168 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 The passing of such an amendment raised a new 
 issue in every one of the forty-eight States. 
 
 "Uncle," said Miss Grace one day while they 
 were discussing the subject, "this places a double 
 duty upon us brings us face to face with both our 
 enemies, imposing upon the American people a double 
 duty which means: conducting the forty-eight cam- 
 paigns on prohibition, and seeing the war against 
 Germany victorious." 
 
 "There is one thing which may aid in this two- 
 fold duty," said her uncle, thoughtfully; "if the 
 States can be made to see in the ratification of the 
 amendment an opportunity to aid in the war, they 
 can also be made to see that promptness in ratifica- 
 tion is essential to that end." 
 
 "This is the great work which must be done," 
 said the young woman, earnestly. "As the thing 
 stands now, national prohibition is not effective in 
 the least, for such a resolution does not close a single 
 saloon, nor does it render the sale of liquor illegal. 
 O, uncle! Somebody's got to fight this thing to a 
 finish. I'm certainly going to do my part." 
 
 "It is going to be a great fight, my daughter 
 one that will require statesmanship and leadership of 
 the very highest order, to be able to carry on the 
 prohibition amendment campaign and at the same 
 time refrain from detracting the people's interest from 
 their great duty of helping to terminate this war suc- 
 cessfully." 
 
 "I believe, uncle, that our State can be made the 
 very first to ratify the amendment." 
 
 "You are thinking chiefly of New Gate and the 
 rapid stride she has made toward high idealism; but 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 169 
 
 remember that New Gate is but a very small portion 
 of the State." 
 
 "Yes, I do remember that, uncle, but I also 
 realize that her influence is vastly more far-reaching 
 than her territory. How is Jean these days?" she 
 asked, remembering that she had not seen the lad 
 in several days. 
 
 "That boy has no equal. I am proud of him, 
 Grace. A father could not be more proud." 
 
 "Anyone looking at that handsome boy, bearing 
 all the marks of good parentage, with those strong 
 features and that refined and sensitive nature, would 
 never dream that his father was who he was, would 
 they?" asked Miss Grace. "It is for his sake and 
 all like him that I am determined to keep up this 
 fight for national prohibiton complete." 
 
 During all these years the editor of the Hollyville 
 Sentinel, who, immediately after the death of John 
 Drew, wrote the editorial, "Who Is Responsible?" 
 had adhered strictly to his promise that so long as 
 the liquor evil should exist in America he would 
 never fail to use the columns of his paper in denunci- 
 ation of it. Numerous and forceful had been those 
 articles, in which the author took the most radical 
 stand in favor of prohibition. Therefore, when the 
 prohibition amendment was passed, and his State was 
 the very first to ratify it, he could not help but feel 
 a secret satisfaction in the knowledge that he had 
 been most faithful to his promise. He also had the 
 secret belief that the relentless fight which he had 
 carried on through his paper was largely responsible 
 for the prompt ratification by his State, 
 
 There was great rejoicing over the State's action, 
 
170 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 and the pages of the Sentinel were eloquent in praise 
 of the people for taking the lead in the final stride 
 for national prohibition. The Sentinel paid special 
 tribute to the faithful activity of the pastor of the 
 church where the Drews had worshiped. Since the 
 death of John Drew, this minister had striven to 
 make his entire church a solidified, active, aggressive, 
 and obedient unit in the warfare on intemperance. 
 He had been most successful in this attempt, for 
 total abstinence in its membership had been the 
 result. 
 
 To Dr. Morris, the old family physician of the 
 Drews, it also paid a glowing tribute for the manner 
 in which he had faithfully established the facts that, 
 contrary to the general belief, alcohol has a very 
 small place in medicine: that alcohol when taken 
 into the system acts as a definite poison to the brain 
 and other tissues, and that the effects of this poison 
 are directly or indirectly responsible for the greater 
 portion of the insane, epileptic, feeble-minded, and 
 many other forms of mental, moral, and physical 
 degeneracy : that either as a food or as a drug, alcohol 
 is of no service, and that it is a virulent poison which 
 should be placed on the list with arsenic, mercury, 
 and other dangerous drugs, and that a system of 
 legislation should be enacted whereby the sale and 
 use of alcohol should be prevented and prohibited. 
 
 Although their State had been the first to ratify 
 the amendment, the prohibitionists of Hollyville did 
 not consider their work ended. They realized that 
 they had only made a very effective beginning in 
 the fight. Therefore, for the purpose of discussing 
 plans which might prove beneficial in conducting a 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 171 
 
 further campaign, they appointed a meeting, to 
 which they invited Lawyer Anderson, Miss Grace 
 King, and several others from New Gate and other 
 towns and cities. 
 
 "Our safety lies in going forward," wrote the 
 editor of the Sentinel. "If we stop now, we stand in 
 danger of losing all we have gained." 
 
 The day before Miss Grace was to leave for 
 Hollyville was so beautiful that she decided to run 
 out to Peace Villa (the name which Jean had given 
 their dear home up in the woods) and see Mrs. 
 Richter. The faintest trace of approaching spring 
 was in the air, and as she went along the path she 
 thought of that very first day, years ago, when her 
 wandering footsteps had led her to discover the 
 little hut and its interesting family. She recalled 
 how the cabin had sprung into view at the sudden 
 turn of the road a few yards ahead. Her heart 
 leaped in exultation when she thought of what that 
 turn in the road would reveal to her to-day. She 
 quickened her pace in order to gain sight of the 
 house, and at the proper angle it leaped into view 
 and seemed to beckon her with a triumphant smile 
 of welcome. 
 
 "It is perfect!" she breathed while she stood 
 watching it nestled there among clinging vines and 
 hardy shrubbery amidst a sort of peaceful repose 
 which seemed ever to rest like a benediction upon it. 
 
 An intense desire burned within her heart a 
 deep yearning for a house like that, on the edge of 
 something that was grand and close to nature 
 something wonderful yet real. 
 
172 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 "Spring in such a house would be divine," she 
 whispered. "Spring a husband and little children 
 to toddle in the dear little path cutting its way so 
 cleanly through the velvet grass children to romp 
 on the level stretch of lawn at the foot of the sloping 
 background of low hills and graceful trees." 
 
 She could almost see the riot of color in the 
 darling garden in front of the house a profusion of 
 yellow jonquils, crocuses, violets, and lilacs; and 
 sweet, sweet roses ; the hundreds of little wild beauties 
 upon the lawns; the gleam of white dogwood blos- 
 soms among the trees in the background. With a 
 little catch of breath she suddenly clasped one hand 
 over her left side to soothe the ache of longing in her 
 heart, then went on up to the house. 
 
 Joy swept over her when the door opened and 
 Jean's beautiful mother stood there with a smile of 
 welcome. "O, if more dear mothers could be like 
 that!" was Miss Grace's inward thought, and she 
 looked lovingly at this woman so beautifully endowed 
 with purity, intelligence, simplicity of manner, and 
 dignity of bearing in fact, was all that a perfect 
 mother should be. What a wonderful woman to 
 have maintained her loveliness, her superior intelli- 
 gence in spite of the wilderness of trials through 
 which she had struggled; who had not allowed 
 poverty nor social standing to paralyze her ambition 
 to improve herself in every way she could, so that 
 now she was able to surround her home with an 
 atmosphere of refinement, culture, and purity. 
 
 "I was expecting you to-day," she said in her 
 charming, soft voice. "Jean is away just now off 
 down yonder somewhere," she continued, pointing 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 173 
 
 toward a long stretch of deep, cool woods. "Spring 
 is in the air, and he's sure to find the first violet he 
 always does." 
 
 "I wonder if there's any place on earth half so 
 beautiful as this," said Miss Grace, as she went 
 about from room to room and noted the exquisite 
 taste which made the whole interior of the house a 
 sort of alluring personality. The place was indeed 
 lovely not with the cold, soulless elegance abound- 
 ing in high-priced furniture, fine paintings, rare col- 
 lections of art in the form of artful nudities; but 
 clean, chaste, simple elegance, such as intelligence 
 and refinement can impart to the most humble cabin 
 a radiance of beauty which a rich and noble spirit 
 will cast over the humblest home, regardless to situ- 
 ation a perfection which the upholsterer and deco- 
 rator can never approach. 
 
 A deep thankfulness filled the young woman's 
 heart. She felt that having restored peace and 
 happiness to this good woman was a sort of repara- 
 tion for some of those thoughtless, frivolous actions 
 of her own girlhood. What a blessed thing it was 
 to be able to bring sunshine instead of shadows to 
 the lives of people! 
 
 Miss Grace was very proud of Jean, loving him 
 as a young brother. Indeed, the youth was one to 
 be proud of and worthy of anybody's love and ad- 
 miration. Everybody liked him who knew him. 
 The people of New Gate had almost abandoned the 
 habit of looking at him askance because of his lowly 
 birth. They liked him because he was original and 
 not quite like the rest of the world: fresh and un- 
 spoiled, superior in intellect, but void of the smallest 
 
174 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 particle of conceit. Many of them were sometimes 
 amazed how he would dexterously avoid doing any- 
 thing which was low and mean, and how he religiously 
 strove to merit the goodwill, confidence, and ap- 
 proval of his employer, whom he reverenced; and 
 how above all he loved Miss Grace King and adored 
 his sweet mother. 
 
 In spite of Jean's youth, he had already begun 
 to show keen interest in the affairs of the nation. 
 His interest in political events was growing so keen 
 and strong that it was no longer possible to remain 
 silent. When he returned from his ramble in the 
 woods and found his beloved Miss Grace there with 
 his mother, the fact pleased him very much. But 
 there was an air of perplexed gravity about the boy 
 which Miss Grace did not fail to notice. Perhaps 
 his passion for books and reading was being over- 
 indulged. 
 
 "Jean, what are you reading these days?" she 
 asked, noticing the magazine he had in his hand and 
 had evidently been reading. 
 
 He handed it to her, saying as he did so: "Miss 
 Grace, this is a very great country in which we 
 live. I'm intensely interested in the splendid spirit 
 of devotion and self-sacrifice the people of this 
 country are exhibiting in this time of national trial. 
 It makes me regret that I am not more advanced in 
 years so that I might have a hand in my country's 
 fight for humanity and right." 
 
 "My son has been regretting his years very much 
 of late," said Mrs. Richter. "He, like the rest of us, 
 is very anxious to 'do his bit.' He has already 
 bought a Liberty Bond, and now his patriotic young 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 175 
 
 soul is seeking broader avenues of usefulness to his 
 country." 
 
 Miss Grace went to the dear boy and, placing 
 both her hands on his broad young shoulders, said: 
 1 'Jean, dear, you are doing more for your country 
 than you realize. Every day you are making your- 
 self an example of what young America should be. 
 Every day of your life you are paying a magnificent 
 compliment to America's effort to produce ideal, 
 capable, efficient men, who are to hold the highest 
 places in the future men whose principles of right, 
 honest, lofty idealism shall create a new era when 
 this war is ended. You are demonstrating to the 
 world what sober America can be. Ah! be satisfied 
 that in this you are 'doing your bit'!" 
 
 The young woman was not mistaken in saying 
 this, for the coming years would prove the truth of 
 her statement, when this boy, born under the curse 
 of America's greatest evil, but liberated and reared 
 in the blessed atmosphere of sobriety and purity, 
 should become a man of whom America would be 
 most proud because of being able to boast of him as 
 one of the grandest combinations of heart, conscience, 
 and brain beneath her flag. And it would become 
 the proud boast of New Gate that this leader of men, 
 whose spotless character had become the dowry of 
 the nation, snatched the name of Jean Richter, 
 which alcohol trailed in the dust, and made of it a 
 name ever to be remembered, loved, and honored. 
 
 The meeting at Hollyville proved to be most in- 
 teresting. It was well attended by prohibitionists 
 from all over the State, and many from adjoining 
 States. In all the Southland there has never been a 
 
176 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 more effective meeting of its kind. It proved to be 
 most beneficial in that it gave those who attended 
 the opportunity to form into an effective unit for 
 the grand purpose of making a final and successful 
 warfare against the liquor industry in America. 
 
 A few weeks after this meeting there appeared in 
 one of the leading magazines of the country an article 
 written by Miss Grace King. This article, in which 
 her purest thought, her holiest aspirations, her 
 grandest and noblest spirit of patriotism were ex- 
 pressed, was prized by the prohibitionists of America 
 as among the most effective factors in the final vic- 
 tory. 
 
 Ruthlessly she assaulted America's pet, soft- 
 footed, velvet-masked folly of society, demanding 
 that all intelligent Christian citizens pause in their 
 headlong career, then decide once for all whether a 
 God-fearing nation, under the white banner of the 
 Christian religion, would further tolerate this mortal 
 enemy of peace and order, this despoiler of all that is 
 best in man. 
 
 The following paragraphs of her article made a 
 fitting and effective closing: 
 
 "The time has come at last when the great ques- 
 tion, 'WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIQUOR EVIL?' 
 
 hangs in letters of scarlet before the eyes of every 
 American citizen, and the long-standing issue must 
 be settled once for all NOW! 
 
 "The world no longer remains blind to facts con- 
 cerning alcohol facts too often vindicated by living 
 examples, and facts which have been proven beyond 
 doubt. The world knows that greater calamities are 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 177 
 
 inflicted on mankind by intemperance than by any 
 other scourge. Facts to prove this have been dis- 
 covered, reported, and established beyond all con- 
 troversy. 
 
 "For these, if for no other reasons, the American 
 people must eradicate this evil; and, in view of the 
 fact that no attempt to regulate it has been suc- 
 cessful, the only thing which remains to be done is 
 to eradicate the evil, root and branch. For so long 
 as it exists, all classes are in danger of becoming its 
 victims. It is an evil genius which may bring the 
 most exalted down to wallow in filth and rags. 
 
 "But there are still other reasons why America 
 should no longer tolerate the liquor evil. Our coun- 
 try is at war: the eternal principles of justice, free- 
 dom, and right those sacred ideals upon which 
 America was founded are in jeopardy. It is a holy 
 heritage that we have been called upon to defend. 
 America is now in the struggle which means life or 
 death: every American is facing the supreme test 
 the test of souls and brains. The genius that does 
 not enlist for victory is treason. Wealth that is not 
 funded for the great cause is spurious. Every Amer- 
 ican who is not giving the very best of every ability 
 for the purpose of winning this victory for humanity 
 is disloyal. Every American mother who shrinks 
 from allowing her son to shoulder arms in defense of 
 freedom and honor is a coward. Every expenditure 
 that does not contribute to the nation's task of win- 
 ning the war is CRIMINAL! Any industry that steels 
 itself against these facts, and steals those vitals 
 which give life and strength to the men who are 
 engaged in the fight for justice and clean hopes of 
 
178 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? 
 
 freedom and equal rights for all men is a THIEF and 
 ROBBER! 
 
 "The cost of the liquor industry to the American 
 people may be divided into two broad streams of 
 waste. Money spent for intoxicating drinks is lost 
 being money spent with no profit received. The 
 poverty, crime, insanity, and idiocy, which is the 
 loss of America's efficiency and lives, is an unpardon- 
 able, irretrievable loss. Statistics show that the 
 expenditure at retail for intoxicating drinks in the 
 course of one year in the United States is estimated 
 at from $124,607,519 to $2,290,000,000. 
 
 "This black-handed dealing with the American 
 people has been going on for many years, and these 
 facts represent money received by that traffic and 
 that which is worse than no value returned. Think 
 of the enormous price we have had to pay for main- 
 taining so corrupt and oppressive trade. This foolish 
 indulgence on the part of Christian men and women 
 must cease! 
 
 "Then, too, O Americans! behind this great prob- 
 lem of winning the war for humanity and liberty 
 stands the greater problem of preparing America 
 for freedom. Liberty stands at the risk of being 
 grossly misunderstood by the masses, who will attach 
 the narrowest definition to the term. America must 
 take care lest, treading upon the heels of victory, 
 there shall come other forms of oppression; and 
 to-day there exists no greater form of menace within 
 all America's boundary than alcoholism. 
 
 "There is nothing that has brought more corrup- 
 tion into politics than alcohol. Now is the time to 
 pave the way, so that in the efficiency of govern- 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 179 
 
 mental administration, America may stand unsur- 
 passed: so that this country may be a land of limit- 
 less resources wherein every boy and girl under her 
 floating colors may have equal chance to reach the 
 topmost round of the ladder of prosperity, power, 
 and honor. Then, and not until then, will America 
 be restored to its original great spirit of unity and 
 Christian brotherhood. If we would make this 
 country worth living in when the war is over and 
 victory is ours, let the people decide let the States 
 ratify the amendment. This thing must be done if 
 we hope to purify these avenues of peace. If drunk- 
 enness interferes with efficiency in war, will it not 
 interfere with efficiency in peace? When the war is 
 ended and the nation's soldiers return from the perils 
 which they have been called upon to face on land 
 and on sea, let them not return to find that alco- 
 holism with its mighty power stands waiting with 
 new opportunities to debauch and destroy that which 
 love and pride and self-sacrifice have won for them. 
 "There are some who deny the evil which alcohol 
 has wrought, and claim that the sale of it should not 
 be suppressed because of interfering with the per- 
 sonal rights of the individual. The 'personal rights' 
 plea is perhaps the strongest argument advanced by 
 the anti-prohibitionists. The 'personal rights' plea is 
 not only weak but portrays a selfishness that any 
 true American wou'd be ashamed of. The consid- 
 eration of public welfare overshadows the rights 
 of an individual. Any man who puts himself in a 
 position to injure others in any way ought to be pun- 
 ished. Any industry or traffic which menaces society 
 should be suppressed. 
 
180 WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 
 
 ''Is there one who questions the right of the 
 Government to prescribe wheatless days and meat- 
 less days, and to actually restrict our diet in order 
 that our own and allied soldiers should be benefited? 
 Do you stand up and contend that, in spite of our 
 soldiers' needs, you will not comply with the coun- 
 try's request because it interferes with your indi- 
 vidual rights? Such an argument is just as reason- 
 able as the 'personal rights' plea of the anti-prohibi- 
 tionists. 
 
 "For the sake of humanity we are engaged in a 
 great international struggle, and, for the sake of 
 humanity, we are also engaged in a national struggle. 
 I pray that every American will cease the selfish 
 clamor for individual rights long enough to listen to 
 the appeal that humanity is making to you. Hear 
 the cries of the children in the tenement districts of 
 nearly every large city in this country: they cry for 
 food, clothing, and shelter; they are children whose 
 fathers believe in exercising their personal rights to 
 the extent that the greater portion of their money 
 goes for drink instead of food and raiment. 
 
 "Hear the cry of the widow, who prays not only 
 for the protection of her country from absolutism, 
 but prays for the protection of her boy from that 
 most dreaded curse, ALCOHOL. 
 
 "This is the supreme hour; we stand face to face 
 with the Liquor Demon! Strike the fatal blow now, 
 lest in the years to come we find our chaste hopes of 
 liberty and freedom dragged at the chariot wheels of 
 BACCHUS, god of WINE!" 
 
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE ? 181 
 
 The future! Who can tell what to-morrow may 
 bring forth? New and better conditions are bound 
 to be formed out of this enormous caldron in which 
 twenty nations are commingled. When we look 
 down the vista of the coming years, what a glory 
 breaks upon the vision! In it we see national pro- 
 hibition made sure and secure through the ratifica- 
 tion of the amendment. Further, we see the nations' 
 crises passed and the triumph of democracy over 
 autocracy. We see America's sons returning from 
 the battlefields rejoicing in the victory for liberty. 
 And we see those valiant soldiers who have waged 
 the long warfare for temperance rejoicing in the fact 
 that they have won for America national prohibition 
 as a crowning glory and a richest blessing! 
 
 THE END. 
 
P