Anything Goes

charities, funded by the wealthy and good-hearted, do a lot. It saves us all from having the federal government interfering in all ourlives. But, the more liberal thinkers feel, the federal government, in a crisis like this, absolutely must step in. If they give Dad a good job and keep the corn prices down, Mother can send her laundry to someone else and give them part of the money. And if Dad makes money at his job and a little on the side with his corn crop, he can buy meat from the butcher, and clothes from the general store and help keep two more businesses afloat.“
    “Why can’t President Hoover understand this?“ Lily asked.
    “Because he’s a Jeffersonian. He’s a good man who honestly believes that once the government steps into people’s lives, it won’t ever get back out of the business of butting in. And he wants to believe the terrible financial problem the country is in can cure itself.“
    “It can’t?“ Lily asked.
    “It can’t the way Hoover sees it. And if it can’t, there’s going to be anarchy and revolution. Even the farmers, the most independent, conservative element of our society, are starting to listen to the Communists, who say it’s time for a revolution.“
    “You’re scaring me,“ Lily said bluntly.
    “I mean to,“ Charles Locke said. “We should all be terrified out of our wits. If Hoover is reelected next year, we’re lost. Democracy will have failed utterly.”
    Lily glanced at Robert, who was playing patience and not appearing to be paying any attention to the conversation. “So what’s to be done?“ she asked.
    “Elect a non-Jeffersonian,“ Charles said. “Oh, thank you,“ he said as his mother-in-law passed out glasses of fresh lemonade. He took a healthy slug of it and went, “Someone like your neighbor.“
    “Neighbor? Major Winslow?“
    “Dear God, no. I meant neighbor in a general sense. Governor Roosevelt from Hyde Park, just up the road a bit.“
    “Is he going to run for president?“
    “Not officially. He’s being very coy,“ Charles Locke said. “But just this week, he’s proposing a New York State emergency relief administration. The federal government has taken control of many aspects of society before—in the case of wars. Many of us feel this is a war. Or soon will be one. Even Foster and Eccles agree now.”
    Lily had no idea who Foster and Eccles might be and was afraid to ask for fear the lecture would veer off. She wanted some time to think over what the Prinneys’ son-in-law had already said.
    Apparently Mrs. Prinney felt enough was enough as well, and invited Charles to lunch.
    “No, no, Rosalyn has made me promise to take the children for a boat ride and be home for a late picnic lunch.”
    Lily finished the lemonade Mrs. Prinney had given her, and used the change of subject as an excuse to go try to find Mimi, whom she found dragging rugs indoors. Lily didn’t think it was an opportune time to interrupt her.
    Robert disappeared on a mysterious errand in the mid-afternoon. He took Lily aside after dinner and said, “Let’s take a walk.”
    They strolled out on the lawn behind the house, which overlooked the river, and Robert removed a couple pieces of paper from his shirt pocket. “Guess what I did this afternoon,“ he said. “I went to the town library. All by myself without anyone forcing me.“
    “There’s a library in Voorburg?“ Lily exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
    “It’s a tiny one and rather dull. You won’t find many of your lurid crime novels there. But I found out some things about this island you want to see.”
    He riffled through his scraps of paper. It actually named Pollepel Island, but everybody calls it Bannerman’s Island or Bannerman’s Arsenal.“
    “Arsenal?“
    “Yes, the Bannermans are a family who sell used war things to collectors and to other countries. Like cannons and swords, ammunition, guns and such.“
    “Yes, Jack Summer mentioned that.“
    “Jack was right. They had a big place in New York City, down on Broadway, but the city got very nervous about them having some sort of accident and blowing up half of Manhattan and asked them to move the arsenal. One of the family—I didn’t take down his name—happened to be on a boat trip around the same time and bought the island, which had nothing on it, as a place to store a lot of the ammunition and firearms from the business and to build a summer house. This was about 1900. He’d come from some old important family in