As for Kenneth, he divided his time between his practice, Jane, and the formation of more branches of the N.N.F.C.P.L.
Kenneth knew there was nothing to be done towards the punishment of the men who had so brutally beaten Nancy Ware. He knew that it would even be unwise for him to talk too much about it. If Sheriff Parker was himself a member of the Klan, reporting the outrage to him would be in effect a serving of notice that he was meddling in the affairs of the Klan which might bring disastrous results at a time when Kenneth was most anxious to avoid such a complication, certainly until the co-operative societies were well under way and actively functioning. Much as he chafed under the restraint and at his own impotence in the situation, Kenneth knew that his interference would be a useless and foolhardy butting of his head against a stone wall.
It occurred to him to tell what had happened to Judge. Stevenson. He could be trusted and was as much opposed to the outlawry of the Klan as Kenneth himself. The judge listened gravely to the end without comment other than a question here and there. “That looks worse than I thought,” he said half to himself. “A few mo’ cracks like that and there’ll be hell to pay ‘round here. But ’twon’t do no good for you t’ meddle in it,” he observed in answer to Kenneth’s question as to what he could do. “If Nancy’s right about Bob Parker being in it, your sayin’ anything will only set them on you. You’d better go ahead and get your societies on their feet and then you’ll have somethin’ behin’ you. Then you won’t be playin’ a lone hand.”
As for the coloured people, there were several days of excited gossip over what had happened to Nancy Ware. There was not much to go on, as she had been so frightened by her terrible experience that she refused for once to talk. The only tangible effect was that mysterious parcels marked with the names of household implements began to arrive at the homes of the coloured people, but which contained fire-arms and ammunition. There was also a noticeable tightening of the lips and the development of a less cordial relationship between white and black. Negroes, feeling that there was no help they could expect from the law, felt that their backs were being slowly pressed against the wall. Within a few hours the old esprit cordial between white and black had been wiped out. Negroes who had been happy-go-lucky, care-free, and kindly in manner began to talk among themselves of “dying fighting” if forced to the limit.
July came with all its heat. August passed with yet more heat. With the coming of September there had been formed in Smith County alone seven branch societies of the Co-operative and Protective League with a membership of more than twelve hundred. Kenneth worked as one inspired, one who knew neither heat nor cold, fatigue nor hunger. During the day he was busy with his practice, but it mattered not how busy he had been, he was always ready and willing to drive five, ten, fifteen miles at night to aid in establishing new branches or directing and guiding and advising those already established.
The Ashland Branch, through the hard work of Hiram Tucker and Tom Tracy, had enrolled three hundred and fifteen members. In its treasury it had $657.85, to which it was constantly adding as new members were enrolled. At a meeting held during the latter part of August the members decided that they would forgo the purchasing of their supplies in bulk that year but would use the money raised towards prosecuting one of the cases of dishonest settlements when the time came for such settlements, usually in December or January. This step was decided upon after due and lengthy deliberation, as it was felt that if they could end the cheating of the farmers through court action, then these same farmers would have more money through the settlement of their accounts for the present season and could then begin the co-operative buying and distribution the following year.
News of the new society that was going to end the unsatisfactory relations share-croppers had with their landlords spread rapidly throughout the surrounding counties. Letters, crudely and cumbersomely worded and with atrocious spelling, came to Kenneth and often individuals came in person to ask that he come to their counties to organize societies there. Kenneth was elated at this sign of interest. He had expected a great deal of opposition from the coloured farmers. Bickering and carping criticism there was aplenty, but most of them regarded him as a new Moses to lead them into the promised land of economic independence. Minor disputes over authority in the local societies there were in abundance. But none of them was hard to settle, for the members themselves were too eager to get out of bondage to tolerate much petty politics and selfishness on the part of their officers.
As a loyal ally Kenneth learned to rely on Jane more and more. Often she went with him to attend meetings and to talk to groups not yet organized. While Kenneth talked to the men, Jane circulated among the women, who were subtly flattered that one so daintily clad and well educated should spend so much of her time and energy talking to lowly ones like themselves.
Her mother’s health had not been of the best during the summer. That had been throughout the summer her only worry. In August her mother had suffered an attack of paralysis, her second one. Jane decided to remain at home instead of going to Oberlin to resume her music. Dr. Bennett had been dismissed and Kenneth was now treating Mrs. Phillips. During her more serious illness in August, Jane often sat on one side of her mother’s bed until late in the night while Kenneth sat on the other, ministering to the aged woman’s wants. There came a new and stronger feeling of companionship between the two. Often Kenneth would look up suddenly and catch in Jane’s eyes a new tenderness. Without knowing what it meant, he felt a subtly conveyed encouragement in them.
He had, however, spoken no word of love to her, preferring to bide his time until a propitious occasion arose. He had told her that he loved her—had he not done so, she would have known—he was content to wait until she could decide what she wanted to do. At times the task was hard not to tell her again and again of his love. Often as she sat by his side and talked of inconsequential things, he would again be seized by that consuming impulse to sweep away all her objections and demolish by the very violence of his love the obstacles that held him back from possessing her. He found himself more and more filled with a wonderment that bordered on dismay as he tried to suppress this devastating longing with less success every time this feeling came over him. He tried staying away from Jane. At first he had seen her but once a week and that on Sunday evenings. Then he began dropping by to see her on Wednesdays. Of late his visits had numbered three and four a week. On those nights when he was away, he was restless and irritable. This became so noticeable that Mamie threatened jokingly one night to go over and beg Jane to marry Kenneth or throw him down hard or anything that would make him less like a bear around the house. She and Jane had become fast friends—which pleased Kenneth not a little, as it meant that Jane would be more frequently in the house than otherwise would have been the case.