his eye and the zealot's enthusiasm flaming in his battered
face, made the woman pause a moment before she replied:

"Well," she smiled as she spoke, "don't you think you are rather rushing
me off my feet? I've seen you coming up to it for some time--but I
didn't know you were so far along with your conviction."

She paused and then: "Of course, Grant, the Socialists--I mean the
revolutionary group--even the direct action people--have their proper
place in the scheme of things--but, Grant--" she looked earnestly at him
with an anxious face, "they are the scouts--the pioneers ahead of the
main body of the troops! And, Grant," she spoke sadly, "that's a hard
place--can't you find enough fighting back with the main body of the
troops--back with the army?"

He beat the seat with his iron claw impatiently and cried: "No--no--I'm
without baggage or equipment. I'm traveling light. I must go forward.
They need me there. I must go where the real danger is. I must go to
point the way."

"But what is the way, Grant--what is it? You don't know--any more than
we do--what is beyond the next decade's fight! What is the way you are
going to point out so fine and gay--what is it?" she cried.

"I don't know," he answered doggedly. "I only know I must go. The scouts
never know where they are going. Every great movement has its men who
set out blindly, full of faith, full of courage, full of joy, happy to
fail even in showing what is not the way--if they cannot find the path.
I must go," he cried passionately, "with those who leave their homes to
mark the trail--perhaps a guide forward, perhaps as a warning away--but
still to serve. I'm going out to preach the revolution for I know that
the day of the Democracy of labor is at hand! It is all but dawning."

She saw the exultation upon him that hallowed his seamed features and
she could not speak. But when she got herself in hand she said calmly:
"But, Grant--that's stuff and nonsense--there is no revolution. There
can be no Democracy of labor, so long as labor is what it is. We all
want to help labor--we know that it needs help. But there can be no
Democracy of labor until labor finds itself; until it gets capacity for
handling big affairs, until it sees more clearly what is true and what
is false. Just now labor is awakening, is growing conscious--a
little--but, Grant, come now, my good friend, listen, be sensible, get
down to earth. Can't you see your fine pioneering and your grand