Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-01-02

mans back but he was villain all the
same. Not one Of your story book viii
lains, either. 1 have read lots Of novels,
romanccs, and such stun lately, but /
haven't seen anything about their villains
that applies to my villain. Theirs are in
variably thin, dark men Of little, sorpen-
tine motion; with yellow faces, straight
black hair, and decp-sct, fugitive eyes.
Something of the evil one cropping out at
every point. Why, Lord bless you, you'd
recognize this kind Of villain soon as ever
you clapred eyes on him, just as you would
patent machine, with every bit Of metal
labeled. My villain wasn't. tall, wasn't
dark al all was tolerably stout, in fact, and
well-lo-do looking; didn't squirm a bit;
aud to cut this description short, wss Just
like most anybody else you meet. When
engaged under him, Of course 1 didn't
know anything about his yillainy. How
could l? lie wasn't labeled.
And now for the factory itself II was n
somewhat dilapida,cd ive-story brick con-
ccrn, Engiuc in cellar, tmost every man
ulactuyer had his own power then, instead
Of just belting on TO the one big engine Of
the block, as they do now p Office and SAM
pies, f. st floor; clipping and folding ma
chimes, second floor; girls, pastin sor.ing
and trimming, on the third floor; stock Of
all sorts on the fourth and fifth. We used
TO turn out "A immense deal of work with
very few hands. There were abo It TWEEN
ty-Gye or SO girls, the manager, his clerk
and onice-boy, man TO hoist and do odd
JOBS, the fireman, and myself Except
when stock was tlkou in, or work sent out,
there was nobody else in the building.
! generally kept to my own business,
aud staid in the cellar nursing the old en-
gino. She sadly needed il, being as rickoty
and patched Il contriyauce as one cares TO
Nay along sid0 Of. She always reminded
me of some old people you see, who are al
ways in need OF a pccoral for a cough, or
linmen; for rheumatism, or something or
other. THIS engine Of mine was in such
Aiatr that .ha "l...~s... -----'eI easing some
Where, iivct here, plug there, new
s,uniug, more fcluug or a band around the
whole boiler. From boiler to fy-whecl
she was rickcty, rckety. But there was no
present danger TO be apprehcnded; all was
safe enough with proper care and attention.
There WAS the rub. ! bad to exercise that
same care aud attention all the time. But
it was so occupied, could not help meet.
ing the girls now and then in the passage
way. Most Of them were Of the common
SOFT, coarse, vulgar creatures, that | never
could abide. But there was one little pale
faced girl took TO straight oil. Sac wasn't
a bit like the Others, and seemed ao nice,
and quiet, and lady-likc, as they were
noisy and common. As | said | took to
her, and she-wcll she didn't altogether
snub me. We got to be last friends soon.
She told me the tale OF her sad life; how
her father had been prosperous mechanic,
and they had lived in suSl a dear little
home; bow her father died, and let her,
mere mile OF thing, in charge OF her feeble
mother and ! ably sister; and how she con-
trivcd To- get along and keep grim famine
from the door on the piitauce OF her earn
ings. Whenever l could without max ing
a IusS, neipCu tngm along Iiptir. Aud
when We gUt well acquainted, | used to
hurry through my work 50 as to be able to
see her home = ary day after six o'clock.
Sometimes, too we used to 90 to concerts
and lectures together; aud very often |
found time 10 visit them all of an evening.
hadn't said a word of love to her yet,
but WAS waiting until my wages should be
increased enough to enable mo to keep a
home of my own, and then ask her to till
it. OF her slate of feeling toward me
knew nothing, except she looked upon aud
treated me rs a brother.
One thing used to rile me, though, and
that was the sneaking kind of liking that
Hardness seemed to have for her; and
worse, lie showed it plain enough by the
way he pcfsccutcd her with his odious at
tentions whenever he got chance. She
told nc She would leave the place If she
coLld only get another.
have said that it was sixteen years ago
| that | entered the box factory. II you will
! take the trouble TO Subtract YOU will find
that makes 1857. 1t pats us just in the
| year OF the nreat financial crash. | had
been in the factory about three months
aud was getting used TO the general run o
| things and though it was ont Of my line
aud none Of my business, / could not bu
notice how slack trade seemed to be. Ru
mors Of failures up the street, down th'
| street, ON the corner, at Nos. 50 and 81 Owe
the way, met my cars. Rumors of failure
past and failures TO come. Rumors OF grea
distress c st, west and south. RumOrs o
a threatened general smash-up. None,
men tell me that when the market is tight
II only needs such wholesale panic t.
bring down every one. 1t is the apprehen
sion, not the reality iLat does the work
But this is not telling my story.
We'll, old Harkness kept on with hi
manufacturing, though l could see that
day by day fewer calls for work were made
lie always wore a cheerful smile throus
those troublesome times, as much as to say
Look at me, il you want 10 sec mode
man Of business. l don't speculate.
don't get involved. Mark my consequer
prosperity"
Now when l see a man with a good dea
of buster and swagser about him, alway
make UP my mind that he is coward {
heat. And when some people parade the
financial sounduess, the Wall street anima
always SNUFF roltenucss somewhere.
must have been on this principle that bt
gan 10 suspect that Hlrnness wasn't so ST
after all.
One night I WAS delayed by an unoXpcc
ed break down in the gearing, and stage
in my cellar long after the girls, the cerl
aud the fireman had gone, hard at wor
tinl.ering at tho engine. Not one was
the factory but Hardness and myself
do not think he suspected my presenc
As I was taking Off my oVer-alls and ii!
, ing up, heard heavy drsy come up
our door. There were four or flvc' mt
with II, who were not our regular carlme
They jumped out, were let in through Il
alfcloscd doors OF the main floor abo'
~ me, and were led up stairs by IIarknes
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