The Coal War by Upton Sinclair Read Free Book Online Page B

in this “Study Club” of Hal’s! A fellow who, at the last commencement, had pushed himself into a group of Jessie’s friends without being introduced! No, said Hal, that was another Jew. But Jessie was not pacified—all Jews looked alike to her.
    What Hal was doing would ultimately cut him off entirely from social life. How could he expect people to tolerate him, if he persisted in discussing their private affairs? And so, of course, came an argument—what are a man’s private affairs? His coal-mines where he works thousands of other men as serfs? If Percy Harrigan chose to take that attitude, and to “cut” Hal because he sympathized with the employes of the “G.F.C.”—why, Hal would simply forget that he knew the Coal King’s son. Percy was a good fellow, but he wasn’t the brainiest man in the college, by any means, nor the one Hal would prefer as an intimate. Had not Jessie herself expressed the opinion that he would never be able to get away with his important airs, if it were not for his father’s millions?
    Jessie admitted that Percy was not the greatest of her troubles. There was her brother, who was terribly stirred up; and more serious yet, there was her father. Someone had teased Mr. Arthur at his club, mentioning that he was to have a Socialist for a son-in-law, and the old gentleman talked about it all the time—he was threatening what he called “a serious talk”. What would Hal do about that?
    Here indeed, was cause for uneasiness. Hal had never failed in tact in his dealings with Mr. Arthur; he had taken the proper interest in the country-place, he had duly inquired as to new developments, and gone promptly to see them—finding his consolation in the fact that Jessie went along, and that he could hold her hand while inspecting the Annamese rooster and sampling the Siberian strawberries. But there was one thing he could not pretend, no matter how much he might be in love with the lovely Jessie—that was, that he was impressed by the old gentleman’s views on social questions. After once he had heard these views, he sought tactfully to shift the conversation, pleading an engagement on the tennis-court. But now the tennis-court was covered with snow; and before he and Jessie could think of another excuse, here came the old gentleman puffing in!

[14]
    The head of the banking-house of Robert Arthur and Sons was a self-made man, and saw nothing to be ashamed of in the fact. He had begun life as a clerk of the mining-exchange, way back in the early days; he had been sober, plodding, and acquisitive, and now in his late years he was one of the financial powers of the city. All that he had, he had earned, and he was satisfied of his right to it. That jealous persons should dispute his right—the unsuccessful whom he had watched and condemned for their lack of sobriety and ploddingness and acquistiveness—that anyone could understand. That such persons should get together and found a school of thought; that they should start a political party and take to making speeches on street-corners—that too was comprehensible. The one incomprehensible thing was that these jealous and greedy spirits should receive the backing of men of education and responsibility—for example, a young man who had been permitted to become engaged to Robert Arthur’s favorite daughter!
    The old gentleman invited Hal into the library, and invited Jessie out; having got himself into his big leather arm-chair, and Hal in a smaller chair opposite to him, he began what was clearly to be the “serious talk”. He had recently heard about certain ideas adopted by his future son-in-law, and he desired to make an effort to understand these ideas.
    Hal began very tactfully, taking his start from Little Jerry. And that was all very well—Little Jerry was a clever child, and if conditions in North Valley were as he described them, the matter