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The Dust
by David Graham Phillips
The Grain of Dust
A NOVEL
BY
DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS
THE GRAIN OF DUST
I
INTO the offices of Lockyer； Sanders； Benchley； Lockyer & Norman； corporation lawyers； there drifted on a December afternoon a girl in search of work at stenography and typewriting。 The firm was about the most important and most famousradical orators often said infamousin New York。 The girl seemed； at a glance； about as unimportant and obscure an atom as the city hid in its vast ferment。 She was blondetawny hair； fair skin； blue eyes。 Aside from this hardly conclusive mark of identity there was nothing positive； nothing definite； about her。 She was neither tall nor short； neither fat nor thin； neither grave nor gay。 She gave the impression of a young person of the feminine genderthat； and nothing more。 She was plainly dressed； like thousands of other girls； in darkish blue jacket and skirt and white shirt waist。 Her boots and gloves were neat； her hair simply and well arranged。 Perhaps in these respectsin neatness and tasteshe did excel the average； which is depressingly low。 But in a city where more or less strikingly pretty women； bent upon being seen； are as plentiful as the blackberries of Kentucky's Julyin New York no one would have given her a second look； this quiet young woman screened in an atmosphere of self…effacement。
She applied to the head clerk。 It so happened that need for another typewriter had just arisen。 She got a trial； showed enough skill to warrant the modest wage of ten dollars a week； she became part of the office force of twenty or twenty…five young men and women similarly employed。 As her lack of skill was compensated by industry and regularity； she would have a job so long as business did not slacken。 When it did； she would be among the first to be let go。 She shrank into her obscure niche in the great firm； came and went in mouse… like fashion； said little； obtruded herself never； was all but forgotten。
Nothing could have been more commonplace； more trivial than the whole incident。 The name of the girl was HallowellMiss Hallowell。 On the chief clerk's pay roll appeared the additional information that her first name was Dorothea。 The head office boy； in one of his occasional spells of 〃freshness；〃 addressed her as Miss Dottie。 She looked at him with a puzzled expression； it presently changed to a slight； sweet smile； and she went about her business。 There was no rebuke in her manner； she was far too self…effacing for anything so positive as the mildest rebuke。 But the head office boy blushed awkwardlywhy he did not know and could not discover； though he often cogitated upon it。 She remained Miss Hallowell。
Opposites suggest each other。 The dimmest personality in those offices was the girl whose name imaged to everyone little more than a pencil； notebook； and typewriting machine。 The vividest personality was Frederick Norman。 In the list of names upon the outer doors of the firm's vast labyrinthine suite； on the seventeenth floor of the Syndicate Building； his name came lastand； in the newest lettering； suggesting recentness of partnership。 In age he was the youngest of the partners。 Lockyer was archaic； Sanders an antique； Benchley； actually only about fifty…five； had the air of one born in the grandfather class。 Lockyer the son dyed his hair and affected jauntiness； but was in fact not many years younger than Benchley and had the stiffening jerky legs of one paying for a lively youth。 Norman was thirty…sevenat the age the Greeks extolled as divine because it means all the best of youth combined with all the best of manhood。 Some people thought Norman younger； almost boyish。 Those knew him uptown only； where he hid the man of affairs beneath the man of the world…that…amuses…itself。 Some people thought he looked； and was； older than the age with which the biographical notices credited him。 They knew him down town onlywhere he dominated by sheer force of intellect and will。
As has been said； the firm ranked among the greatest in New York。 It was a trusted counselor in large affairscommercial； financial； politicalin all parts of America； in all parts of the globe； for many of its clients were international traffickers。 Yet this young man； this youngest and most recent of the partners； had within the month forced a reorganization of the firmor； rather； of its profitson a basis that gave him no less than one half of the whole。
His demand threw his four associates into paroxysms of rage and fearthe fear serving as a wholesome antidote to the rage。
It certainly was infuriating that a youth； admitted to partnership barely three years ago； should thus maltreat his associates。 Ingrate was precisely the epithet for him。 At least； so they honestly thought； after the quaint human fashion； for； because they had given him the partnership； they looked on themselves as his benefactors； and neglected as unimportant detail the sole and entirely selfish reason for their graciousness。 But enraged though these worthy gentlemen were； and eagerly though they longed to treat the 〃conceited and grasping upstart〃 as he richly deserved； they accepted his ultimatum。 Even the venerable and veneerated Lockyerthan whom a more convinced self… deceiver on the subject of his own virtues never wore white whiskers； black garments； and the other badges of eminent respectabilityeven old Joseph Lockyer could not twist the acceptance into another manifestation of the benevolence of himself and his associates。 They had to stare the grimacing truth straight in the face； they were yielding because they dared not refuse。 To refuse would mean the departure of Norman with the firm's most profitable business。 It costs heavily to live in New York； the families of successful men are extravagant； so conduct unbecoming a gentleman may not there be resented if to resent is to cut down one's income。 The time was； as the dignified and nicely honorable Sanders observed； when these and many similar low standards did not prevail in the legal profession。 But such is the frailty of human natureor so savage the pressure of the need of the material necessities of civilized life； let a profession become profitable or develop possibilities of profiteven the profession of statesman； even that of lawyeror doctoror priest or wifeand straightway it begins to tumble down toward the brawl and stew of the market place。
In a last effort to rouse the gentleman in Norman or to shame him into pretense of gentlemanliness； Lockyer expostulated with him like a prophet priest in full panoply of saintly virtue。 And Lockyer was passing good at that exalted gesture。 He was a Websterian figure； with the venality of the great Daniel in all its pompous dignity modernizedand correspondingly expanded。 He abounded in those idealist sonorosities that are the stock…in…trade of all solemn old…fashioned frauds。 The young man listened with his wonted attentive courtesy until the dolorous appeal disguised as fatherly counsel came to an end。 Then in his blue…gray eyes appeared the gleam that revealed the tenacity and the penetration of his mind。 He said：
〃Mr。 Lockyer； you have been absent six years except an occasional two or three weeksabsent as American Ambassador to France。 You have done nothing for the firm in that time。 Yet you have not scorned to take profits you did not earn。 Why should I scorn to take profits I do earn？〃
Mr。 Lockyer shook his picturesque head in sad remonstrance at this vulgar； coarse； but latterly frequent retort of insurgent democracy upon indignant aristocracy。 But he answered nothing。
〃Also；〃 proceeded the graceless youth in the clear and concise way that won the instant attention of juries and Judges； 〃also； our profession is no longer a profession but a business。〃 His humorous eyes twinkled merrily。 〃It divides into two partsteaching capitalists how to loot without being caught； and teaching them how to get off if by chance they have been caught。 There are other branches of the profession； but they're not lucrative； so we do not practice them。 Do I make myself clear？〃
Mr。 Lockyer again shook his head and sighed。
〃I am not an Utopian；〃 continued young Norman。 〃Law and custom permitnot to say sanctifyour sort of business。 SoI do my best。 But I shall not conceal from you that it's distasteful to me。 I wish to get out of it。 I shall get out as soon as I've made enough capital to assure me the income I have and need。 Naturally； I wish to gather in the necessary amount as speedily as possible。〃
〃Fred； my boy； I regret that you take such low views of our noble profession。〃
〃Yesas a profession it is noble。 But not as a practice。 MY regret is that it invites and compels such low views。〃
〃You will look at these things moremore mellowly when you are older。〃
〃I doubt if I'll ever rise very high in the art of self…deception；〃 replied Norman。 〃If I'd had any bent that way I'd not have got so far so quickly。〃
It was a boastful remarkof a kind he； and other similar young men； have the habit of making。 But from him it did not sound boastfulsimply a frank and timely expression of an indisputable truth； which indeed it was。 On