“Oh, yes,––I know! He is in the party, like they all get. He has to do as they do. If he doesn’t, he is either hounded out or has to play a lone hand and become ‘a voice crying in the wilderness.’”
“Good for you, lassie!” laughed Jim.
“And I suppose,” put in Jim, “if we did get them out––the very first time there would be a labour shortage or a wage dispute those same farmers and ranchers would be the first to forget their previous experiences, would raise a holler about white imposition and claim a fresh coolie importation. Here we are ourselves,––took Sing on in his old job without giving the matter a thought––all because we have got used to their presence.”
“And the startling thing about it is this,” said Jim, “almost every School Examination Report in the Province 312 tells us one story:––the sons and daughters of these same ignorant, superstitious Chinamen head the lists in open competition; our own white youngsters tailing hopelessly in the rear. Not only that, but once in a while we find one of these Canadian educated Chinese kids––despite his education––while working as kitchen help in some of our homes, committing a most atrocious murder of our white women folks.”
“Well––what are we going to do about it?” asked Eileen, rising.
“God knows!” answered Jim, “and nobody seems to lose any sleep over it. It just goes on,––and on,––and on.”
“I guess I’ll have to be going on too, boys!” smiled Eileen. “Dad’s here for the holidays, you know. We are having our Christmas dinner eight o’clock to-night. I promised dad I would be back by three this afternoon.
“I’m terribly glad you two have got away from the ‘herd’ as it were. I won’t see you again for quite a while. I’m going back with daddy Royce Pederstone again to Victoria, and I’ll be there looking after his well-being all the time the House is sitting.”
Phil’s face fell in disappointment. Eileen noticed it and was glad. Jim noticed also, and wondered what had been going on that he was unaware of.
“It will be a dandy change. I suppose, all the same, all the time I am there I shall have a picture of Vernock and the Valley at the back of my mind, and I won’t be really and truly happy till I’m back again.”