Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-02-22

nothing else. If you love me-and l
believe you do, Sybil-I've seen it in
your eyes more than once-you haven't
any right to say no. Anyway, it looks
that way to me-"
Clang clang went the bell again,
sending its brazen thunder across the
sky, which seemed to shut down SO low
about the factory as to give Sybil sense
OF sufocation.
:" 1 don't believe love anybody" she
cried, almost hercely. IF it wasn't for
Lois, I'd like to be dead, L think"
Dick looked at her with kind of dull
wonder in his eyes.
"Poor girl" he said, presently. ~
think l understand, Sybil, you don't.
This life is wearing you out. It's killing
you, and there's no reason why it should.
ALI you have to do to get rid of it, for
ever, is to say the word, Sybil."
Yes, know" she said, wearily.-
" Butt don't think shall ever say it,
Dick. I'm not going to have you, or
anyone else, think that 1 married you
for the sake of getting rid of the factory"
They were at the factory door now,
and went in together. The wheels were
turning round and round in their tireloss
way. The warp was waiting for her, at
her loom. 1t made he: think of spider S
web. Somehow, her life had got caught
in it, and she could not break its meshes.
The grim, old factory looked more like a
great spider than ever before.
She hung up her hat and turned to her
loom. She took up her shuttlos mechan-
ically, and set them in their grooves,
and started the machinery. Clack !
clack clack Every sound pierced her
throbbing brain, like knife. She was
faint already. The great room was like
a furnace, reeking with steam. 1t was
such long, long time till night. And
the summer had only just begun. 1t
was such long, long time to tho end OF
it !
Blu. she could not stop to think. She
was nothing but II factory hand -
part of the machinery of the place-an6
she had no right to think. 1t was hel
business to work. She thought of Lcis-
poor, crippled, patient Lois-and the
new dress she had planned to buy her
and fought back the fantness, which
crept over her now and then. She musn I
allow herself to get sick. Being only 4
factory hand, with bread to earn for two
she couldn't afford the luxury ofsclncss
BY and by, TIE bell rang out for noon
She took her slice of dry bresd and bit OF
meat from her pocket, and sat down by
the window, where she could look at the
water, to eat her apology for dinner.
" It's good enough" she thought, bit
terly, as she munched the dry crust.
spose | ought to be thankful for it. It'l
a good thing that there isn't any butter
on it. If there was, should be dissats
fled with our things in life, as dry as this
bread is, and want to spread them over
with something, to make them more pal
atable."
She laughed a little, low, hard laugh
at her dreary moralzing. A step at hel
side caused her to look up. She saw Nj
Leverscn standing there, regarding hel
intently. He WAS her employer. The
great factory, and the men and women in
it, were his.
4" You look tired out" he said, in hi:
low even voice. You ought to rest. y
What is that ?" Sybil asked the
question, almost sharply.
Pardon me-" he said, understanding
her. Z" presume what | said sounded
like an impertinence to you. Will you
stop at my house, on your way homo, to.
night? / have something to say to you
that cannot be said here"
Yes, I'll stop" Sybll said. He had
some instructions to give her. probably
She didn't see why he couldn't give them
to her in the office, as well. But she
would stop, Of course. He was her EN-
ployer, and it was her business to do a:
he said.
He came and stood by her loom, that
afternoon, and watched her deft, we'll.
trained fingers at work among The threads
Sybil wondered il he didn't consider her
part of the iron Drained machine, which
seemed to keep up steady thinking oi
one thing, from one days end to anotheri
Once or twice, when she looked up, she
caught him watching fer in such q
strangely earnest way, that her face flush
ed little, with something more than the
heat of the room. Several times, Of late
he Dad come, TO stand by her loom, and
watch her at work. She wondered why
1t bothered her to have his eyes upon her
and she gave little twitch ofimpatience
to the threads she was trying Ia entangle
and they broke into fragments in heI
hands. Then he went away, and she
breathed freer.
How cooi and pleasant the path was
from the street 10 the house, that night
when she stopped for her employer
q" instructions" Tho early roses were
brimmng over with sweetness. The
grass was like velvet. A little fountain
in the yard played softly, and there was
a sound of rest and dreams in the plash
of its waters. The trees reached out
their great arms to her, as IL inviting her
to hide away among thom, and forget
She thought Of Lois, waiting at home
alone and, with an involuntary sigh,
she turned from the contemplation of the
things about her, and went up the steps
of Mr.. Leverson's stately home.
g He isn't in, just now," the servant
said. But he told me to tell you Ia
..--.:L Iil La IIniu La LanI. .oaI. d