III



When you went from the Leesville Opera-house and turned West in Main
Street, you passed Heinz's Cafe, which was a "swell" eating-place,
and not for Jimmie; and then the "Bijou Nickelodeon", with a
mechanical piano in the entrance; and the "Bon Marche Shoe Store",
which was always having a fire-sale or a removal sale or a
bankruptcy clearing-out; and then Lipsky's "Picture Palace", with a
brown and yellow cowboy galloping away with a red and yellow maiden
in his arms; then Harrod's "Fancy Grocery" on the corner. And in
each of these places there was a show-card in the window, with a
picture of the Candidate, and the announcement that on Sunday
evening, at eight o'clock, he would speak at the Leesville
Opera-house on "War, the Reason and the Remedy". Jimmie Higgins
looked at the cards, and a dignified yet joyful pride stirred in his
bosom; for all of them were there because he, Jimmie, had
interviewed the proprietors and obtained their more or less
reluctant consent.

Jimmie knew that on this Sunday, in cities all over Germany,
Austria, Belgium, France and England, the workers were gathering by
millions and tens of millions, to protest against the red horror of
war being let loose over their heads. And in America too--a call
would go from the new world to the old, that the workers should rise
and carry out their pledge to prevent this crime against mankind.
He, Jimmie Higgins, had no voice that anybody would heed; but he had
helped to bring the people of his city to hear a man who had a
voice, and who would show the meaning of this world-crisis to the