Not immediately.  The idea was of slow growth even with its originator, and it only reached the point of speech when Mr. Hendricks stopped in one day at the pharmacy and brought a bundle which he slapped down on the prescription desk.

“Read that dynamite,” he said, his face flushed and lowering.  “A man I know got it translated for me.  Read it and then tell me whether I’m an alarmist and a plain fool, or if it means trouble around here.”

There was no question in Willy Cameron’s mind as to which it meant.

Louis Akers had by that time announced his candidacy for Mayor, and organized labor was behind him to an alarming extent.  When Willy Cameron went with Pink to the club that afternoon, he found Akers under discussion, and he heard some facts about that gentleman’s private life which left him silent and morose.  Pink knew nothing of Lily’s friendship with Akers.  Indeed, Pink did not know that Lily was in the city, and Willy Cameron had not undeceived him.  It had pleased Anthony Cardew to announce in the press that Lily was making a round of visits, and the secret was not his to divulge.  But the question which was always in his mind rose again.  What did she see in the man?  How could she have thrown away her home and her family for a fellow who was so obviously what Pink would have called “a wrong one”?

He roused, however, at a question.

“He may,” he said; “with three candidates we’re splitting the vote three ways, and it’s hard to predict.  Mr. Cardew can’t be elected, but he weakens Hendricks.  One thing’s sure.  Where’s my pipe?” Silence while Mr. Cameron searched for his pipe, and took his own time to divulge the sure thing.  “If Hendricks is elected he’ll clear out the entire bunch of anarchists.  The present man’s afraid.  But if Akers can hypnotize labor into voting for him, and he gets it, it will be up to the city to protect itself, for he won’t.  He’ll let them hold their infamous meetings and spread their damnable doctrine, and—­you know what they’ve tried to do in other places.”  He explained what he had in mind then, finding them expectant and eager.  There ought to be some sort of citizen organization, to supplement the state and city forces.  Nothing spectacular; indeed, the least said about it the better.  He harked back then to his idea of the plain people, with homes to protect.

“That needn’t keep you fellows out,” he said, with his whimsical smile.  “But the rank and file will have to constitute the big end.  We don’t want a lot of busybodies, pussy-footing around with guns and looking for trouble.  We had enough of that during the war.  We would want some men who would answer a riot call if they were needed.  That’s all.”

He had some of the translations Hendricks had brought him in his pocket, and they circulated around the group.

“Do you think they mean to attack the city?”

“That looks like it, doesn’t it?  And they are getting that sort of stuff all the time.  There are a hundred thousand of them in this end of the state.”