“I haven’t got time to argue the matter with you to-night,” replied Hal. “But I don’t like to have you talk about our men as though they were a lot of thugs, nor our armory as though it were a nest of conspirators against the liberty of working-men. By the way, were you ever in our armory? Do you know what you’re talking about when you write us down this way?”
“I have not had the pleasure to be ever in your armory, that is true.”
“Then come with me to-night and look us over for yourself.”
“I would not be welcome there.”
“I’ll answer for that. Come as my guest. It’s exhibition night. There’ll be a lot of people there.”
Donatello hesitated for a moment before answering. Then, as though suddenly making up his mind, he said:
“Very well. I will go. I am not too old, nor have I too much of the prejudice to learn.”
First Sergeant Benjamin Barriscale, Jr., came into the drill-hall that evening and cast his eyes over the large number of people seated in rows of chairs against the side-walls of the armory, awaiting the assembling of the company. He had already mastered every detail of the duties of his new office. He felt that the men of the company respected him accordingly, and that by reason of his soldierly qualities rather than of any undue condescension on his part, he was becoming popular with the rank and file. The privates, armed and equipped, lounging about the hall or talking with friends at the side, saluted or spoke to him as he passed by. His keen eye discovered Hal’s mother, as well as Hal’s sisters and aunt, Miss Halpert, seated among the guests. He wondered what particular accomplishment Sergeant McCormack expected to exhibit that he had been vain enough to bring all the members of his family to see. McCormack was still a source of discomfort to him. If he could only humiliate him again in a legitimate way, as he had done in the competition for appointments!
Then First Sergeant Barriscale discovered some one else, and this discovery gave him a far greater shock than had the first one. He saw, among the visitors, leaning unconcernedly back in his chair, Hugo Donatello, socialist, radical, firebrand, slanderer of the government, insulter of the flag, defamer of the National Guard.