Connecticut western news., 1879-08-27
The Factory Foreman

It was just such an American village as you see in pictures. A background of superb bold mountair, all clothed in blue-green cedars, with a torrent ttun- deriug down deep gorge and falling in pillows of foam river reheoting the azure of the sky, and knot of houses, with church spire at one end and 6 thicket of factory chimneys at the other, whose black smoke wrote ever-changing hieroglyphios against the b-ilianny of the sky. This was Dapplevale. Aud in the rosy sunset of this bloesomy June dsy the girls were all pouring ont of the broad doorway, while Gerald Blake, the foreman, sat behind his desk, pen be- hind his ear and his small, beady black eyes drawn back, as it were, in the shel- ter of preoipice of shaggy eyebrow.
 One by ono the girls stopped and re- ceived their pay for one week's work, for fhis was Saturday night. One by one they filed out, with fretful, disccn- tented faces, until the last ono paused in front of the high-railed desk.
 She was slight and tall, with large, vSlvety blue eyes, a complexion as deli cately grained and transparent as rose- colored wax, and au abundance of glos- sy hair of so dark brown that tho cas- nal observer would have pronounced it black, and there was something in the way tho blue ribbon at her throat was tied and the manner in which the sim pie details of her dress were arranged that bespoke her of foreign birth.
 "Well, Mile. Annette" said MT. Blake, "ard how do you like factory life7"
 "It is not disagreeable, she answer ed, a slight accent clinging to her tones, hke fragrance to 8 flower, as she ex- tended her hand for the money the fore man was counting out.
 "You have given me but S4," she said. "It was to be $S by the contract. !" MT. Blske shrugged his shoulders dis .agreeabiy.
 'Humph p he grunted "yoa ainf much accustomed to our way of doing things, arc you, mademoiselle2 Eight of course but we deduct two for Q fee"
 "A feel For what9' Annette de. manded, with flushed cheeks and spark ling eyes.
 "For getting you the situation, ma demoiselle, to be sure," said MT. Blake, in O superior sort of way. "Such places don't grow on every bush. And folks naturally expect to pay something for the privilege"
 s'I did notl'' flashed out Annette Duvelle.
 ooh well-all right. Because, you know, you ain't obliged to stay unless you choose"
 Do you mean," hesitated Annette that if I do not pay you this money
 "You can't expect to stay in the works" said MT. Blake, hitching up h1i collar.
 "But the other two dollars ?"
 "Oh," said MT. Blake, "that's per centage the girls all pay"
 "But what is it for ?"
 Mir. Blake laughed.
 "Well, it helps cut my salary. 0 course, you know, the girls all expect tt pay something every week for keeping their situations in a place where there so many anxious to get in"
 "And MT. ElderslieP"
 "Oh, MT. Elderslie," repeated Blake "He hasn't much to do with it. am master at the Dapplevale Caljc, Works"
 MT. Elderslie owns it, I believe"
 "Well, yes, he owns it. But l man age everything. Mir. Elderslie repose the utmost confidence in my capacity ability, and-and-responsibility. MT Elderslie is good business man. Fl understands his own interest. And nov if you've any more questions to ask
 co I have none," said Annette, wist fully. "But- need this money my self. l work hard for it. I earn righteously. cannot afford, any mor than the others among these poor la boring girls, to pay it to your greed
 "Eh2" ejaculated MT. Blake, jump ing from his seat as if some insect ha stnng him.
 And I will not pay it." calmly con cluded Mile. Annette.