The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-10-23
THE FACTORY FOREMAN.

1t was just such an American village as
you seen in pictures. A background OF
superb bold mountain, all cotted in blue
green cedars, with torrent laundering
down q deep gorge and falling in pillows
of FOAM q river rejecting the clouds in the
sky, and knot of houses, with church
spire at one end and thicket of factory
chimneys at the other, whose black smoke
wrote ever changing hieroglyphics against
the brilliancy of the sky. This was Dap
plevale. And in the rosy sunset of this
blossomy June day the girls were all pour
| ing out OF the broad doorway, while Gerald
Blake, the foreman, sat behind the desk, a
pen behind his ear, and his small, bcady
black eyes drawn Lack, as it were, IN the
shelter of precipice of shaggy eyebrows.
One by one the girls stopped and received
their pay for one weeks work, for this was
Saturday night. One by one they filed out
with fretful, disconnected faces, until the
last one passed in front of the high rallied
desk.
She was slight and TALL with large vel
vety-blue eyes, complexion as delicately
| grained and transparent as rose-colored
wax, and an abundance Of glossy hair OF
so dark a brown that the casual observer
would have pronounced it black; and there
was something in the way the ribbon at
her throat was tied and the manner in
which the simple details Of the dress were
arranged that bespoke her foreign birth.
"Well. Mile. Annette" said Mr.. Blake,
land how do you like factory lifeI'
at is not disagreeable," she answered, a
slight accent clinging to her tones, like fra
GRANGE to a flower, as she extended her
hand for the money the foreman was count,
ing out.
"You have given me but four dollars"
she SAID vt was to be eight dollars by
the contract"
"Hamph" he grunted, "you amt much
accustomed to our way of doing things,
are you, mademoiselle9 Eight--of course !;
but we deduct two for fee -"
"a feet For WHAT" Annette demand
ed with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes,
"For getting you the situation, mademoi-
selle to be sure" said Mr.. Blake, in SUI
perior sort of a way "Such places don't
grow on every bush. And folks naturally
expect to pay something for the privilege"
II did notlm flashed out Annette Develle.
"Oh-well-all right. Because, you
know, you amt obliged to stay unless you
choose"
"Do you mcan," hesitated Annette, that
if l don't pay you this money"
"You can't expect to stay in the works."
said Mr.. Blake, hitching up his collar.
"But the other two dollarsl"
"Oh," SAID Mr.. Blake, "that's percen-
| tage the glrls all pay
"But what is it torl"
| Mr.. Blake laughed.
well, it helps out my salary. Ofcoursc
you know, the girls oil expect to pay Some
thing every week for keeping their situa-
ton in place where theresso many anx-
ious to get in"
"And Mr.. Eldersliel"
sob, Mr.. Elderslie," repeated Blake.
"Hc hasn't much to do with it. am master
at the Dapplevalc Calico works.
"Mr. Elderslie owns it, I believed"
swell, yes, he owns it. But manage
everything. Mr.. Elderslic reposes the ut
most confidence in my capacity, ability, and
AND responsibility. Mr. Elderslie Is q
good business man. He understands his
own interest. And now if you've any more
questions to ask"
| VI have none," said Annette, wistfully.
"But ! want this money myself work
hard for it. earn it righteously. How
can afford, and how can the others among
these poor laboring girls to pay 1t to your
greeds"
"Eh" calculated Mr.. Blake, Jumping
from his seat as If some insect had stung
| him