Root of His Evil (3 page)

But instead of putting the resolution, Clara Gruber went on making her speech right where she was interrupted, and I saw Mr. Holden begin to look annoyed because my faction began to make unfriendly remarks, and take another peep at his watch. But how well they would stick was something that had been worrying me, so I determined to get in it. I said, “One moment, Madame President,” and before she could stop me I began making a speech of my own. I had never made a speech, but I thought if the way to get them interested is to tell them a joke, then I will tell them a joke. So I said:

“Once upon a time there were some mice that were going to bell a cat, but when the time came to do it they did not have any bell, but if they had had a little money maybe they could have gone out and bought one.”

Instead of making them laugh this provoked a perfect storm, and there were screams from all over the house that it was distinctly understood no money was to be collected. I took the gavel, where it lay on the table, pounded with it and went on: “It has been proposed that you pass a resolution telling how you are going to stick, and I don’t know what that’s going to prove, but to me it will not prove anything except that you passed a resolution. But if you put up some money, then I’ll believe you mean to stick, and so will Karb’s and so will everybody.”

Clara Gruber tried to get in it again, but they yelled her down. Even her own side was getting pretty sick of her by then. And then there came cries of, “Let Carrie talk. Carrie knows what she’s doing. Go on, Carrie, you tell us and damn right we’ll stick.”

So I went on: “Before I leave here tonight I’m going to collect one dollar off every one of you. The money will be deposited tonight in the Fiftieth and Seventh Avenue Branch of the Central Trust Company, receipt of deposit will be mailed to your president, Clara Gruber, but I’m going to collect it and anybody who refuses to pay is not going to be enrolled and had better not come around to me bragging about how they are going to stick.”

There was a cheer for that, but I talked right through it. “Get out your pencils.”

I waited till they got out their pencils. “Now take the leaflets that were distributed and write on the back as I direct. ‘August 13th, received of—put your name in here—one dollar on account of union enrollment dues.’ Write that down, present it to me with the cash and I will sign it and it will be your receipt. Then form in line around the hall, pass by my desk, pay your dues, get your receipt, and be enrolled. While you are writing and forming in line I will ask Lula Schultz to step down to the drug store on the corner and buy me a small account book in order that the record can be kept straight.”

Lula went out, and while they were writing and forming in line I noticed Evan Holden looking at me in a very sharp way. Then he came over, sat on the edge of the table in front of me, and leaned down close. “You’re a pretty smart girl.”

“Money is power. If they mean it, they can pay.”

“We generally do it a little differently. The money comes from the outside, from the older locals. But your principle is correct.”

“One dollar isn’t much, but it proves they mean it.”

Lula came back with the account book, and I got up and said they could begin passing by, and that then I thought it would be a good idea if they all went home, as there had already been enough talk. I didn’t mean it for a joke, but they all laughed and clapped. He got up, still looking at me. “A smart girl and a pretty girl. Carrie, they call you. What’s the rest of it?”

I told him and he said: “H’m.”

I was kept pretty busy for the next twenty minutes, but by the time the last of the line was by most of the girls had gone home, except for Lula and four or five others from our restaurant, who were waiting for me. But Clara Gruber was still there, and Mr. Holden was still there too, but he wasn’t looking at his watch any more, he was looking at me. And then at last Grant came edging up to me. “Hello.”

“Hello.”

“I got in.”

“I see you did. Without any help from me.”

“You certainly stirred things up.”

“Just saying what I thought.”

We talked a few minutes that way, not saying anything, and yet it was nice and friendly. Then he drew a long breath. “Do you suppose we could go somewhere for a cup of coffee or something, or maybe a little snack—there are quite a few things I’d like to ask you about it.”

I was just opening my mouth to say I didn’t see why not, but Mr. Holden must have been nearby, because he tapped me on the shoulder and then spoke to Grant. “Sorry, old man, but this little girl is going to be pretty busy tonight. We’ve only just started. Organizing a new union, you know—keeps us hopping.”

“I see.”

Grant looked disappointed, but I didn’t believe one word of what Mr. Holden had said. What more did we have to do? I knew I was between two men who were interested in me, and I wanted Grant to put up some kind of a fight. But I would have died rather than let him know that, so I simply said: “I guess there’s nothing
I
can do.”

“I guess not.”

Next, we were all edging toward the door, and Lula had me by the arm, all excited at what we had done, and Mr. Holden was with Clara Gruber, and I saw him hand her some money. I didn’t know what for at the time, but later I found out that he said he thought it would be a good idea if she and the leaders went out and had a little supper together, but that it would look better if she did it rather than he, because she was president. So this appealed to her sense of importance, which was really quite strong, and she fell right into what was really a deliberate trap. Because as soon as we were out on the sidewalk he began waving for a taxi, and as soon as one came up he said: “Come on, girls, we’re all going out for something to eat just to start the thing off right.” Then he put Clara Gruber in the taxi, and Lula, and the other girls one by one until of course the taxi was all filled up. So then he told the driver to go on, to take them to Lindy’s, that we would be right over in another cab. So then they drove off, and he and I got in another cab.

I knew perfectly well he and I weren’t going to Lindy’s, and under other circumstances I might have made objection, but there was Grant still standing on the curb and looking like a poor fish, and I was furious at him. So when Mr. Holden told the driver to go to the Hotel Wakefield I pretended not to notice, and when he waved at Grant and said, “Good night, old man,” I waved and smiled too, just as though it was perfectly natural.

When the taxi moved off he asked me in the most casual way if I minded stopping by his hotel first, as he was expecting telegrams, and had to keep in touch. I said not a bit, and we rolled down Third Avenue talking about what a fine set of girls they were who had assembled in the hall. The hotel was on Sixth Avenue not far from where I lived, and when we went in there he went at once to the desk. They handed him some mail and telegrams, and he tore one open. Then he came over to me, looking very depressed. “It was what I was afraid of. No Lindy’s for us tonight, Carrie. I’ve got to stand by for a Washington call.”

“It’s all right.”

“But we’ll have our supper. Come on.”

“If you’re busy—”

“Don’t be silly. We’re having supper.”

We went up in the elevator and entered his suite. He at once went in the bedroom and I could hear him phoning Lindy’s with a message to Miss Clara Gruber that he had been unavoidably detained and would not be able to come. Then he came back and asked me what I would like to eat, and I said I didn’t care, and he went back and ordered some sandwiches, coffee and milk. Then he called to know if I wanted something to drink, and I said thanks I didn’t drink. He said he didn’t either, and hung up. Then he came back. I was highly amused, and yet I felt some admiration for him. He had intended it that way from the beginning, and yet not one word had been said which indicated he had deliberately contrived to get me up here, and for some reason this made it much more exciting. I began to see that one reason men had previously left me somewhat indifferent was that they were extremely clumsy.

However, he continued to act very casual, and looked at his watch, and gave a little exclamation. “We can still get them.”

“Get whom?”

“The Eisteddfod Strollers. They’re broadcasting.”

“At this hour?”

“It’s midnight here, but it’s nine o’clock in California. They’re on tonight at KMPC, Hollywood.”

He went to the radio and turned it on, and vocal music began to come in. “Yes, they’re just beginning.”

“Who are the—what strollers did you say?”

“Winners of our Welsh bardic contest called the Eisteddfod. They’re terribly good.”

“Are you Welsh?”

“A Welshman from Cardiff. A lot of us are Welsh in this movement.”

“I thought you were Irish.”

“The brogues are similar, but an Irishman isn’t much good in a big labor union. He’s too romantic.”

“Aren’t you romantic?”

I didn’t know I was going to say that, and he laughed. “In some parts of my nature I might be, but not about labor. An Irishman messes things up, fighting for lost causes, exhibiting to the world his fine golden heart, but a Welshman fights when he can win, or thinks he can win. He knows when to fight, and he can fight hard, but he also knows when to arbitrate. It was characteristic of Lloyd George, another Welshman and a fine one. They called him an opportunist, but they won that war just the same. It’s characteristic of John L. Lewis. A Welshman is a formidable adversary.”

“Are you acquainted with Mr. Lewis?”

“Well, I hope so. I came up through the miners.”

“To me he seems very theatrical.”

“Like all specialists in power, he knows the value of underestimation of his abilities on the part of his adversaries. The newspapers call him the great ham, and I don’t say he doesn’t love the boom of his voice. But theatricality is not the dominant side of him. John L. is the greatest specialist in direct action that has ever been seen in the American labor movement, and to that extent I think he has a profounder understanding of labor than anybody we ever had, not even excluding Furuseth, who was a great man. What is a strike? They call it a phase of collective bargaining, but it is really coercion. It suits John L. to be thought a ham, for it distracts attention from his club. The club’s the thing, just the same. He has a side though, that not many know about. At heart he’s a boy and loves things like jumping contests. He can put his feet together and jump the most incredible number of steps on the front stoop of the hotel, or wherever it is. And over tables—anything. Or could. That was in the old days. I haven’t seen him since the row with Murray.”

“You went with Murray?”

“Aye, and there’s a man, too.”

“But aren’t we culinary workers A.F. of L.?”

“Oh, there’s plenty of fraternizing in areas where there’s no real conflict, if that’s what’s worrying you. There is in any war.”

“Are you in charge of our strike?”

“I wonder.”

“Well—don’t you know?”

“All I expected to do when the little fellow phoned me earlier in the evening, was go over and pull together a meeting he was getting somewhat worried about. But developments since then—”

“Meaning me?”

“Quite nice development, I would say.”

He looked me over in a very bold way, and I could feel my face get hot, and I reached over and turned up the radio, as he had tuned it down during some announcement or other. The singing came through again, beautiful things I had never heard before, and I hated it when a waiter came in with our supper, and interrupted it. When the waiter had gone we began to eat the sandwiches, and Mr. Holden came over beside me. For the first time I felt a little frightened, and after a few minutes said: “I’ll fix up the deposit slips.”

I got out the money and counted it again, and put it in hotel envelopes, and then made out the slips, which I always carried with me. He watched and put the tray outside to be collected. The singers sang a song I loved, “All Through The Night.” Mr. Holden came closer to me, and the music seemed to be saying a great deal to him. We looked at each other and smiled. Then he put his arm around me. Then he took off my hat and laid it on the table in front of us. Then he kissed me. I was very frightened, and at the same time I was very limp and helpless. He kissed me again and I felt dreamy and carried away, and that time I kissed back.

I don’t know how long I sat there in his arms, but it must have been quite some time, because my dress was all disarranged, and I didn’t care whether it was or not, and I kept feeling that this was something I had been hungry for a long time. And yet at the same time there was something about it I didn’t like. So long as the Strollers were singing, and I felt sad and at the same time happy, I was very glad about it all, but now there was nothing but swing music coming out of the radio it wasn’t the same. I knew I had to get out of there, or something was going to happen that I was not in the least prepared for in my own mind, and that I did not want to happen. I loosened his arms and sat up, and began to shake my hair as though to straighten it out. “Do you have a comb?”

He got up and went in the bedroom. I grabbed my hat, the envelopes with the money in them, and my handbag, and scooted. I didn’t wait for the elevator. As soon as I was in the hall I dived for the stairs, and ran down them, four or five flights. When I reached the lobby I ran out of the hotel, jumped in a taxi and told the driver, “Straight ahead, quick.”

He started up, and I was so busy looking back to see if anyone was following, and straightening myself up, that I didn’t notice how far we had gone. When we got to Fiftieth Street I told him to turn west, because I had to go to the bank before I went home. But it was a one-way street going east, and I paid him and got out to walk the one block to Seventh Avenue. I got to the corner, turned it, and started for the night deposit box. As I did so, somebody grabbed my arm from behind.

I jumped, shook loose and dived for the deposit box. I flipped the envelopes in, spun the cylinder, and turned around. If it was a bandit, I was going to scream. If it was Mr. Holden, I didn’t know what I was going to do. It wasn’t a bandit, and it wasn’t Mr. Holden. It was Grant standing there and looking very sheepish. “I had an idea that money would be deposited.”