The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-11-03

you so late for the last week, joel"
"No matter what's made me late
The boss has asked that question too
often now, and l don't want him to
ask it again. Give me kiss, Mary,
and run Off"
With lighter tone in these last
words, the mans figure leaned
toward that of the gifl, and blended
with it for moment in the darkness.
But one who could have seen this
would have noticed that the shadowy
heads did not meet, and hat move
ment of the shawl indicated a gently
repellent motion of the girls hand.
"No, dear; it isn't kisses that |
want" said the woman sadly. 80 !
Joe, don't you know why I've tried
to get talk with you all this week?
1've cried myself to sleep, and went
round TO your boarding house"
Don't you do that again, Mary, y
said The man. IL don't want anyone
running after me there. There's the
boss's lantern coming through the
drying room. You just run along,
and We'll settle all that the day after
tomorrow. / have all day Sunday.
If you won't give me kiss"
AS many as you want, Joe, dear.
There there :" And the shawl rose
and joined the shadow of the mans
shoulders as if two arms had been
flung around his neck, aud there was
a whisper: Only don't go to the
Falls Sunday. Joe bat come and talk
with me about what you said"
One of the figures disappeared in
the darker shade of the mill. The
former paused moment, as if gazing
after its late companion, and then
glided straight forward along the
path leading to the narrow bridge of
a single plank across the canal. The
girl was not walking rapidly, and as
she neared the frail structure she saw
another form, clad similarly to her
sell, seated on the stone coping of the
bank. She would have passed il
ucconsciously. but for the fact that IA
long ray of light, psssibly from Joe's
lantern, shining through Que of the
windows OF the mill, fell, by chance,
directly on this object The face
showed plainly in the distant rehec-
tion, and Mary recognized it.
"Aggiel' said she, what are you
doing out here in the cold?"
90! how you frightened me Have
you just got through work. | thought
you were at the house long ago.
The speaker was a girl smaller in
stature and younger in her tone and
her manner than the one whom she
addressed. Ia the darkness of
November evening in New England
she also appeared only as shadow,
petite and round, if the dim outlines
could be trusted to give an accurate
token; and as her taller companion
enveloped her with fusky and in
definite arm, the gesture itself told of
sentiment Of affectionate protection
which doubtless fuller light would
have displayed in the countenance.
"We'll go there together said the
taller, gathering the little figure
closer to her What do you want to
come out here alone in the dark
for?"
Il hadn't been here but a minute,
aud was thinking. Mary, | might
rs well tell you now-alI the help,
will know it to-morrow-they are
going to send off half the bands next
week, and run the mill on short time
There. now, isn't that just my luck,
as soon as I'd got good place; and
fathers out Of work too, down to the
Falls, and mothers sick
The brevity of this statement by
10 means measured its vast import.
To diminish production one-half
meant want and suffering to at least
three hundred whose wages came
from labor in the granite mill, possi-
bly, to both of the companions who
now discussed the event. 1t was a
personal matter to each fur beyond
the laws of demand and supply which
regulate tine movements of corpora
tions. Fully realizing what it im-
piled, the eheerfplness Of the elder
girl was compelled by the consider
ateness of love as she responded:
Well, you won't have to go,
Asgie, | don't believe. 'Tisn't like
ly no way at ali !"
Yes, | shall,n said the other.
Pm one of the new help, and they
will go first. You are safe enough
but don't know what / shall do. |
can't go homel"
Il don't believe it," said the taller.
II know it's So"
"Who told you9"
"JOe Dunham He's one Of the
night watetmen, you know" said
the little dgure, with a certain hesi-
tation. His boss told him Kilpat-
rick got the order from the city last
week"
Joe should have told me,n the
other began under her breath But
W a0 was this to whom Joe had gone
with bis chatter Of freshest gossip,
while she herself was put oa with q
hurried meetingy Her only friend in
the tIr ng Of nil operatives that
swarmed about her. The one whom
she had chosen to project and love,
and to share in every secret except
the single great mystery that Of late
b I'd oppressed her soul with mingled
h ,pniness and fear. She was true
to Aggie. and Joe must be loyal to
her. The two were all she had, and
she bravely conquered the paIg of
suspicion that was about to snd a
voios in words.
+ Mary Wilson was quite alone in
the world. fine was when the
Wilson's were the great family of that
region. For three generations a
Wilson had preached Calvinistic
theology from the pulpit of the old
white church that now stood, brown
and dismantled, deserted for o more
lively edihce in the centre of the new
town About this ciung traditions
in all of which the Wilson's had part
The older inhabitants s.lll ehuckIed
and wagged their heads when they
told the story OF the Squire Wilson
who espoused the patriot cause,