The Law-Breakers and Other Stories

George Colfax is a man of convictions who spends his days tracking political scandals and lecturing friends on the perils of patronage. Though he votes conscientiously and donates modestly to reform causes, his activism rarely extends beyond sharp commentary. His world revolves around Miss Mary Wellington, a lively, independent woman whose tentative acceptance of his marriage proposal forces him to confront the gap between his ideals and his personal life.

When George recounts the recent fraud of Jim Daly—a schemer who cheated the civil‑service exam, escaped jail with fanfare, and won public office—his frustration erupts into a moral tirade. He worries that a society which celebrates such law‑breaking is on a slippery slope toward decay. Mary listens, recognizing both the danger of complacent obedience and the yearning for a more upright civic spirit.

The story pits earnest reformist rhetoric against the messy realities of democracy, inviting listeners to ponder how far one should go when principle clashes with the allure of popular approval.