The paper reached Jeff at his rooms in the morning. He had lately taken the apartments formerly occupied by his cousin, James moving to Mrs. Anderson's until after the election. The exchange had been made at the suggestion of the editor, who gave as a reason that he wanted to be close to his work until the winter was past. It happened that James was just now very glad to get a cheaper place. He was very short of funds and until after the election had no time for social functions. All he needed with a room was to sleep in it.
Jeff was still reading the story from Shelby when his cousin came in hurriedly. James was excited and very white.
"My God, Jeff! It's come at last. I knew it would ruin me some day," the lawyer cried, after he had carefully closed the door of the bedroom.
"It won't ruin you, James. Your name isn't mentioned yet. Perhaps it may not be. It can't hurt you, even if it is.""I tell you it will ruin me both socially and politically. Once it gets outnobody will trust me. I'll be the son of a thief," James insisted wildly. "You're the son of a man who made a slip and has paid for it,"answered Jeff steadily. "Don't let your ideas get warped. This town is full of men who have done wrong and haven't paid for it.""That's one of your fool socialist theories." James spoke sharply and irritably. "No man's guilty till the law says so. They haven't been in the penitentiary. He has. That's what damns me if it gets out."Jeff laid a hand affectionately on his cousin's shoulder. "Don't you believe it for a moment. There's no moral distinction between the man who has paid and the man who hasn't paid for his sins toward society. There is good and there is bad in all of us, closely intertwined, knit together into the very warp and woof of our lives. We're all good and we're all bad."It was with James a purely personal equation. He could not forget its relation to himself.
"My name is to be voted on at the University Club next month. I'll be blackballed to a dead certainty," he said miserably.
"Probably, if the story gets out. It's tough, I know." Jeff's eyes gleamed angrily. "And why should they? You're just as good a man to-day as you were yesterday. But there's nothing so fettering, so despicable as good form. It blights. Let a man bow down to the dead hand of custom and he can never again be true to what he thinks and knows. His judgment gets warped. Soon Madame Grundy does his thinking for him, along well- grooved lines.""Oh, well! That's just talk. What am I to do?" James broke out nervously.
"I know what I would do in your case." "What?""Come out with a short statement telling the exact facts. I'd make no apologies or long explanation. Just the plain story as simply as you can.""Well, I'll not," the lawyer broke out. "Easy enough for you to say what I ought to do. Look at who my friends are--the Fromes and the Merrills and the Gilmans. Best set in town. I strained a point when I broke loose from them to take up this progressive fight. They'd cut me dead if astory like this came out."
"I daresay. Communities are loaded to the guards with respectable cowards. But if you stand on your own feet like a man they'll think more of you for it. Most of them will be glad to know you again inside of five years. For you're going to be successful, and people like the Merrills and the Gilmans bow down to success."The lawyer shook his head doggedly. "I'm not going to tell a thing I don't have to tell. That's settled." He hesitated a moment before he went on. "I've got a reason why I want to stand well with the Fromes, Jeff. I'm not in a position to risk anything."Jeff waited. He thought he knew that reason. "I'm going to marry Alice Frome if I can.""You've asked her." Jeff's voice sounded to himself as if it belonged to another man.
