“Now she’ll shut herself up with her children,” he reflected savagely, “and hold the fort till I come to terms!” Rather than risk a hair on their heads, Edith would turn the whole world out of doors!  He thought of Deborah and he groaned.  She would have to be told of this; and when she was, what a row there would be!  For Johnny was one of her family.  He glanced at the clock.  She’d be coming home soon.  Should he tell her?  Not to-night!  Just for one evening he’d had enough!

He picked up the book he had meant to read—­Stoddard’s “Lectures on Japan.”  And Roger snorted wrathfully.  By George, how he’d like to go to Japan—­or to darkest Africa!  Anywhere!

CHAPTER XXIX

But later in the evening, when Allan and Deborah came in, Roger, who in the meantime had had a good hour in Japan and was somewhat relaxed and soothed, decided at once this was the time to tell her and have done with it.  For Deborah was flushed with triumph, the meeting had been a huge success.  Cooper Union had been packed to the walls, with an overflow meeting out on the street; thousands of dollars had been pledged and some big politicians had promised support; and men and women, rich and poor, had volunteered their services.  She started to tell him about it, but noticed his troubled expression and asked him what was on his mind.

“Oh, nothing tremendous,” Roger said.  “I hate to be any damper to-night.  I hadn’t meant to tell you to-night—­but I think I will now, for you look as though you could find a solution for anything.”

“Then I must look like an idiot,” his daughter said good-humoredly.  “What is it?” she demanded.

“It’s about John.”  Her countenance changed.

“Oh.  Is he worse?”

“Edith thinks he is—­and she says it’s not safe.”

“I see—­she wants him out of the house.  Tell me what she said to you.”  As he did so she listened intently, and turning to Allan at the end, “What do you say to this, Allan?” she asked.  “Is there any real risk to the children?”

“A little,” he responded.  “As much as they take every day in the trolley going to school.”

“They never go in the trolley,” Deborah answered dryly.  “They always go on the top of the ’bus.”  She was silent for a moment.  “Well, there’s no use discussing it.  If Edith feels that way, John must go.  The house won’t be livable till he does.”

Roger looked at her in surprise.  He felt both relieved and disappointed.  “John’s only one of thousands to her,” he told himself aggrievedly.  “He isn’t close to her, she hasn’t room, she has a whole mass meeting in her head.  But I haven’t, by George, I like the boy—­and I’m the one who will have to tell him to pack up and leave the house!  Isn’t it the very devil, how things all come back on me?”

“Look here, father,” Deborah said, “suppose you let me manage this.”  And Roger’s heavy visage cleared.