THE CONVERSION BY FIRE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2830, 22 July 1916, Page 10

THE CONVERSION BY FIRE

A WAR EPISODE (By "Wi.") Comrade Dubbins floated along his homeward path on the wings of victory. He had delivered an impassioned speech lo a distinguished assemblage of fellowcomrades—'"warriors of freedom," he had called them—and lib had moved, and it had been seconded, and carried with frantic applause, that sooner, than submit to the heiuous tyranny- of conscription, as proposed by a capitalistic Government, they would stop tho wheels ol' industry, and force the nations to make peace. Conceive, if you can. Comrade Diibbins's elation of mind. In imagination, 'ho heard the reverberations of his tremendous resolution echoing and reechoing throughout the Umpire, witnessed consternations in high places, alarums aud excursions, abject submissions to the terrifying mandate, VTCTOIIYI To this uplifted eye the moving populace around liini Were as so many cheese maggots; a passing policeman a mere grovelling worm. By this time it will have dawned upon you that the',only form of compulsion which the confraternity* of Dulibinses could possibly approve of would be a kind of dictatorship which could compel capitalists to walk the treadmill daily in order to earn the right lo spend their ill-gotten gains. > Thus wafted along he at length reached his abode, and immediately thnt strange premonitory phenomenon described by psychologists, as one's sixth sense, and by women as intuition, conveyed to his consciousness the fact that something unusual had happened. His ■wife received him 'at the door. She was in that condition of mfiid which is commonly described ill' certain circles as "a stale —in a higher stratum, "prostration." "Oh, .Tim!" she e.tlaimeil. "What's up?" said Comrade Dubbins, irritated by "this unexpected jolt to Ills lofty trend of ideas. "Whaddyo all blockiu' up the passage for—let's in!" Ths {congestion in the passage gave way, and trooped after him into tho kitchen. Having, so to speak, taken the situation by tile ear, Dubbins threw his hat on the lable and looked around. "Bill gone to,bunk?" lie iuquircd. Bill, the eldest privately car-marked for later initiation to the elect us a comrade. Mrs. Dubbins then fired tho mine. "Bill's gone!" she announced, in sepulchral. tones. ' "Gone! Gone where?" demanded .her lord. "Whaddyo mean by-'gone'?" , "Gone lo Sydney," added the lady, doling out the details of the domestic cataclysm in exasperating instalments. "Gono to Syduoy! Where did he git the money to go trapezin' off to Sydney ?" "Siokc'ole—workin' 'is passage—sent me a letter," said Mrs. Dubbins, helplessly, twisting her apron into a ball. Comrade Diibbins glared at her. "What —did—he—go—b-j—Sydney—for?" he demanded, in a machine-gun staccato. "T'eniist," shrieked Mrs. Dubbins, nml she pushed tho fatal.document across the table.

Thus fell "the blow. Comrade Dubbins opened' his mouth, and shut it again) while his eyes popped. As a junior member Of the household subsequently remarked ; "Ye could a knocked dad's eyes olt with a stick." As a general rule Mr. 1 Dubbins could only grapple with one idea at a time. A bombardment by two paralysed him. Ho read the fetter with the air of a terrier worrying a rat. "I supposs it's all for the best," said Mrs. Dubbins, moro to rfkluce the tension of the situation than to offer inspiration to her flabbergasted lord. "Woman," said Sir. Dubbins, *in an a\vfiil voice, "don't you know what I hold about' this eonscriptioiiist business? Do you know that this very night I made a speech that tarried a resolution to down tools if they tried the conscription game on us? All for Hie best! I'm ruined! disgraced! by your sump ol' a son gain' off and enlistin'. Can you see me explainin' this lo the comrades? Can you?" ■"I'm sure I don't know," said Mrs. Dubbin's, with a wail in her voice. Mr. Dubbins swept the eat out. of his favourite chair, threw himself into it, hunched Ills shoulders, and stared gloomily at the fire. Mrs. Dubbins sighed, rose wearily, and went off to bed. Six months elapse. Mrs. Dubbins is reading a letter, and there is a strange hush in the kitchen. "... We got him back next night, and buried him. ITc was a good pal. and he died game. I got all Ins things sorted out and parcelled up, and I hope they will reach you all sale. ... If 1 ever get through with this I'll come and see you, and tell you. . . . Tell the boys down your way lliat we want them all here. It's a tough job." "T remain, f "Yours truly. "John White." Mrs. Dubbins folded up the letter. "1 snpnose it's all for the best; but it's hard, very hard." Comrade Dubbins laid a ..omfortiiv hand on her shoulder. "He died fame." he said, "and I'm.proud o' him." He reached for his hat. "I'm going out," he added, "f want a walk--you'd better not sit up." And Comrade Dubbins walked straight up to the Kecruiting Office and handed in his nr.uie.