After Scoris and Helen Vivian had returned to the city they were amazed
one morning by a letter from their mother, telling them that Mira and
Jack Moberly had married and left Lake View, having gone to his uncle
somewhere in the far West. Not long afterwards another letter came from
Geron, saying that their mother was terribly grieved about Mira and
asking them if they remembered to what city Jack had said that he was
going, for they had tried in every way to find out something about them.
Neither of them could remember, so they wrote to their mother in
sympathy, telling her that they would do all they could to find out
about her. Their lives were busy ones, so the time passed quickly.
Scoris was an artist, employed by an illustrating firm, and Helen had a
position in a large department store. They still lived in the flat they
had shared with Tom before his marriage, and were giving all the time
they could spare from their employment to the society in the city. The
winter had passed, Mira had written to her mother, asking forgiveness,
and the depression on her account had ceased, for she had declared that
she was happy.
“Well,” Helen remarked one evening, as she and her sister were dressing,
“who would have imagined one year ago that we would be benefiting from
the society’s industry as soon as this? Do you know, Scoris Vivian, that
I used to be actually envious of any one who could ride around leisurely
in automobiles?”
“Well, I think if we are to be ready in time for our ride you had better
finish lacing that shoe,” Scoris replied. “Do you know that it is only
half done?” Helen looked down in surprise, smiled and gave her hair
another twist, puffed it out here and there, secured it with hairpins,
then sat down leisurely and finished tying her shoe.
Scoris watched her as she started to draw on her gloves.
“Oh, wait till you fasten my waist,” Helen said, backing up to her. “I
never can do it alone.”
While Scoris fastened it, Helen said to her: “How quickly you dress. I
don’t see how you do it.”
“As I am older than you,” Scoris said, “I suppose I have learned a few
things by experience, and one thing I am persistent in, and that is to
have my waists fastened in front so I can be independent of every one
else. But there they come. Four have passed and are lining up farther
down the street. Yes, there is Paul and his sister in a two-seated one.
Don’t take time to look, Helen, just hurry.”
“Oh! Scoris, please get my veil and gloves while I pin my hat on.”
“There they are; tie your veil and come. I will let them see that we
know that they are here,” Scoris said, as she goes to the door.
“Now come along, you will do, Helen dear; we must not keep them
waiting.”
The girls appeared amid smiles of anticipation, while Paul Arling
assisted them into the automobile.
As they followed the crowd of automobilists winding in and out of the
streets, then out to the country on their way to the Colony, I will tell
you something about Paul Arling, for he is one of the members and an
interesting one. He first became acquainted with Scoris in the
illustrating firm where they were both employed, and when the society
was first formed in the Vivian parlors she asked him to attend the
meetings. He did so and soon became an interested and enthusiastic
worker. He had supported his widowed mother and young sisters for
several years. Now all were doing for themselves but his mother, and the
interesting thing about him was his devotion to her. It brought out his
sterling worth because he made duty a pleasure to himself as well as to
her. This evening Scoris took her seat beside him while Helen sat in the
one behind with his sister. It was her first automobile trip in company
with a party going to the Colony and she was elated. Presently she
remarked:
[Illustration]
“How quickly ideas are taken up.”
“Yes,” he answered understanding her, “why wouldn’t they be when our
profits and pleasures are combined? These conveyances being owned by the
society, it gets the profit, enriching the members by increasing the
value of their shares. The trusts have been great educators, the more
they have crowded us the quicker we have learned to protect ourselves.”
“Yes,” Scoris replied, “and it has brought out many a hidden talent just
by giving it an opportunity to unfold. Ideas are like seeds planted in
the ground—they must have a chance to bloom or they are no better than a
weed. No one will know the difference.”
Helen called from the back: “What are you two moralizing about? I do
believe you two have forgotten how to enjoy yourselves.”
“Oh, no!” Scoris answered. “I am just learning how to appreciate a new
way.” Mr. Arling smiled at Helen and the conversation became general.
“Scoris said they had missed the drives around the country so much since
they had been in the city,” Miss Arling remarked in a resigned way. “We
have never known the pleasure before. The street cars have been our
carriages principally. Don’t you think, Paul, that you are going too
fast?”
“Why, no; all the rest are ahead of us; does it frighten you? We will go
slower if you are uneasy.”
“Just a little,” she gasped. “I suppose I will get used to the speed in
time. Oh, look at those trees! How beautiful they are,” she exclaimed,
as the machine entered a thickly wooded road.
“The country is always beautiful in June,” Scoris said, “for its young
leaves are so fresh and bright, and automobiling is so exhilarating;
this is the loveliest ride I have had in years.”
Mr. Arling looked gratified, and while the veils streamed out behind and
the girls hung on to their hats, they flew on until they reached the
rest of the party and in a short time the Colony also.
It was a lovely evening during the latter part of June. Tom and Nellie
had moved into a tent for the summer, as the farm house had been needed
for an office.
Their city acquaintances were very curious to see everything and were
surprised at the comforts to be had under the circumstances.
The apartment houses were only partly built and some of the factories
were actually running, so it was a small town of tents and makeshifts
until their permanent homes were ready.
[Illustration]
All were glad to see their friends. They were to form a boating party,
and before starting to the lake, Paul Arling said to Tom Vivian: “I want
to secure four more shares for my mother. You see, we came out here on
business as well as pleasure. I want permanent shares and I came direct
to you, for I want them to secure the five-year interest, for in that
time I hope to have secured her pension as well as her apartments, so
that she may feel safe for life. It is better than an insurance policy,
for nothing can be lost here, and in case of my death she is not
competent to invest money left in that way. Besides, if I survive her,
which I will in all probability, I will have the benefit of the
permanent shares. There is a young millionaire in our crowd to-night,
did you know, Vivian? He seems to be interested in some of the ventures
that have been taken in starting the factories. I don’t suppose he will
invest in them. He never earned a dollar in his life, knows nothing
about the distress of the struggling classes, just has some friends who
are members; that is how he happened to come. He wanted to know why we
started before we had more capital. I told him five hundred members now
constituted a market, for all farm produce to commence with, made the
transaction a good and sufficient reason for securing a farm. A second
reason, that being near the city the president secured work for the
unemployed. The society having secured transportation by manufacturing
enough automobiles during the first summer that the society was forming
to take the toilers to the land independent of the railroads, was the
means of starting enough laborers to grow the food and dig the
foundations of the buildings. Many people said at the time, ‘But how can
you find enough land near the city to make it pay?’ he asked.
“‘Our owning automobiles solved that difficulty,’ I told him, ‘as long
as we had land to build upon and raise garden truck the first few years.
We only secured as much land as we could pay rent for by the membership
fee.’ There he is now, he evidently knows Birch, for they have
recognized each other.”
Yes, he knew him, for at one time he and Birch were rivals. As they
looked at each other, he exclaimed:
“Why, what are you doing here?”
“I am living here,” replied Birch.
“What!” he said, in surprise, “living in this slow place where there is
nothing to be seen, and you a graduate of the first college in the
country? Well, if I had passed with the honors that you did, I would
have been in some city practicing law. We all thought you intended to.”
“No, sir,” Birch replied, “no profession for me in these days. I want
freedom. Hundreds of our fellows are scattered among our cities with
their shingles out to practice on the helpless sick, so I am doing what
I can for others who are not even as fortunate, by giving them something
to do in my restaurant. I have two learning to cook. You see they want a
good living and know they will be as much respected as cooks as
poverty-stricken doctors and lawyers who fill up the offices in the
down-town buildings. This society, you know, honors all labor, and the
higher the education the better the prospects will be, for those who are
on the spot to take what comes.”
“But I don’t see how you can ever become rich.”
Young Birch answers, “To become rich in these days is to usually become
a gigantic swindler or pirate. I don’t care to be either. I want to be a
self-respecting man and expect to be honored as a man of the best class,
not necessarily rich. I do intend to be a man of means and prosperous.
This society protects the people of small means and those who have
talent. But here is my wife, you know her.”
Yes, he knew her for she had been the one in all the world to him, only
two years before, but young Birch had been preferred to him; he had
never known why. Most girls are foolish, he had thought, and now he knew
it.
The whole party filled the boats and were enjoying the fun, singing and
telling funny stories; in one boat, some were making love and the others
having a good time watching them. Then one boat would get away from the
others and some would start singing, another would answer, and all the
boats would take it up until it was time to start for the shore. When
they returned to the tents the city friends were deeply interested in
the supper when they learned it had been cooked by college men.
“You see we have our meals here,” Tom explained, “and the one dining
room answers for all. Mr. and Mrs. Birch have charge of this building
and they attend to all the tables and cooking.”
Mrs. Birch remarked, “Yes, we even did the work until there were enough
to cook for to enable us to pay for having it done, and I am proud of my
accomplishments in that line, I can assure you.”
“You may be sure we all appreciate your talent not only in that line,
but in many others besides,” said Tom gallantly.
Mr. Birch had ordered the supper to be ready and all sat down to do
justice to the luscious strawberries and good rich cream, hot biscuits
and other delicacies of the farm. Then all the city guests said “good
night” and went back, spinning along in their automobiles and enjoying
the cool air while they talked over the possibilities of the Colony and
their interest in it.