Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-09-11
[CorrRIGIT sECURED.l
The + cir Of the Mills
CHI Atturney's fee.
ALFRED 3. TOXER,
AUTHOR or bound HAND AND FOOr,"
"Wuo WAS TO BLAME" ETC. ETC.
[CoPYRIGnT sECUNED.l
ALFRED 3. TO2ER,
CHAPTER I.
THE DEAD HAND.

THE DEAD HAND.
/ An old man, white haired but hale and
strong of frame still. lay dying in the
spacious hall of his own residence. in u
pleasant New England factory town.
/ Ten minutes before, he had left his room
! to pay hrs daily visit to the Office in tho
great mills below, and now he lay, prone
with fatal stroke of paral lysis, on the oak
en- floor of his own house, with no one to
see him die, or to learn his last wishes.
The early October sunlight shone through
the narrow. stained paIcs of the front en-
trance and rested upon the old mans face,
now disfgurcd With such anguish only
those in the very jaws of death can know.
! When that terrible numbness first came
upon him, and he had fallen at the foot of
the broad stairway, he had tried to make
/ the servants III the rear portion OF the
/ house hear him and understand his terrible
need of help. But all were too far away
and too busy with their duties, to hear the
| low means and cries which alone escaped
his lips.
And he lay dying alone. with the
sounds of the town AMI the morning work
in the house growing fainter and fainter
in his ears.
His right side was completely paralyzed
] llbHi tIlt Hlpllltut vi MS Iill, ii'l "Hilc
that awful nerve stillnrsss, which means
death, creeping swiftly towards his
/ heart, he sorawlcd a few words on n scrap
of paper which he WIS carrying in his hand
at the time of his fall and fell back in
sensible. with the wr.tin;, held fast in his
| clcnchcd fist.
When the houseke"pcr passed through
/ the hall on her way upstairs, she found him
/ lying there, dead.
In few moments the house was filled
with curious villagers. There were not a
! few real lnourncrS in the throng which, Il
few hours later, filed past the still figure
lynn: on the bed in the dnikcned parlor
bedroom. for Robert Walingtord had been
/ Il kind muster, and liberal, generous neigh
/ Dor.
"The operatives will never have as kind
an ':4ui"y-r again, WAS the UNIVERSAL re-
mmk. and mtny rough man with the
dirt Of the mills upon HIM. wiped his eyes
suspicious!y, as he stood III the presence of
the dead.
Work 1T the factory WAS stopped ut once,
and, for the first time in years. the looms
stood still on work-dly. Its nerves and
sinews of iron and steel had worn out those
other nerves and siucws which were not of
iron and steel, that had lidcd them So long,
and all seemed resting for Il fresh start i'll
race for life, with the dead man successor.
The black Grape which tluttrrcI from the
doors, even seemed to Il aunt de lance at the
new owner, whoever he might be. and de-
clare that no quarter would be given until
tie very end
Once released, the operatives gathered in
little groups about the town and the mills,
+ to discuss the startling event of the day.
"Who will be master now :" was the
IL. / l. :.
question openly, looked it. as they sazcd
INTO each others faces. 1t was an inquiry
that no one csilyed to answer.
IF he had only married and given us a
SON like himsclf.'' WAS IL wish on many a
lip and i'll many heart, throug ghout the
long day.
alt is true, II en-, that Mr.. Wallingford
, never married." sad young man, who
had lccn employed 1T the mills but a short
time.
"If you have ever heard any rumors re-
Garlins Mr.. Wallins sford's early life said
an old weaver, would advise you not to
mention them to-day"
"Therc are. or were, rumors, then?'
EYES," sad the old man, grayely. Il
thought you knew or | would not have
spoken as l did. 1t seems that a strange
woman came here years ago and claimed to
be his wife. The marriage, she said, took
place in England. She was in great trouble,
but only one woman who directed her to
the house and saw her condition, heard her
story. 1t was as wild night as ever blew,
and the poor thing had scarcely clothing
enough to cover her person. to say no.
thing about keeping her warm. After
/ leaving Dame Camcrons house that night,
she was never seen i'll the village gain, but
! we all knew-tor Dame Cameron was the
greatest gossip in the placc-that she lay
near deaths door there for weeks, and that
u child was born to her.
" | was Il young man, then-it must have
been, let me see, twcnt -four years ago the
coming wnter-and full of fun. Many n
! time | hung about the house and around
the garden wall, on one crr,nd or another.
to try and get glimpse of the woman, but
l never did. / am ashamed enough of it
now, but boys will be boys. The quarrel
the two had when they parted, seemed to
have been made up, and we all expected
that the old house would nave Il mistress,
but one night she went away and thr mat.
ter ended there, so far AS our knowledge OF
it was concerned"
Did she take the child with her." asked
the young man, now thoroughly interested
i'll the subject.
1--WE have always supposed that she did
1t has never been seen here"
"lou are certain that it lived?"
"Ycs,'
"Thcn there was an hcir:"
"There is only her word for that. Mr..
Wallingfori never acknowledged either
her or the child
"Was Mr.. Wallingford away at the time
the woman claimed the marriage occur
red?"
"Yes, and that is the strangest part of it
all. Everything she said about him tall-
ed with what we knew"
d" But about the property. Had Mr..
Wallngford no relatives whatevcr:"
"IIe had Il brother, hut lie died young
and unmarried. Why do you ask SO many
questions -
81 think the story OF the strange woman
and her child must have greatly excited my
curiosity replied the young man, and of
course, we are all interested in learning
into whose hands the mills will fall" With
this, he sauntered away from the spot and
the old weaver joined Il group OF opera
tives near by.
ave will soon know about the disposi-
ton Of the property one of the group
was saying, rs the weaver stepped up, " for
lawyer Gray is on his way to the house, and
he may tell us something al out the will"
Although the words we've spoken loud
II, I. |. !