The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-12-18
Weston, West Virginia, December Is, 1880

/ lin my favOrite novels, and | hope
they will make papa give them
higher wages. He says | ain senti.
mental and romnntic-that ! read
too many novels, and all that,
And he laughs at me when l talk
about labor and capital, and those
things he thinks women do not un-
derstand. And oh, Roy, do you
know that Ned Hope, that hand.
some engineer of whom you were so
jealous, Is a leader Of the strikers :
Imagine him nj the head Of a band
Of brave men, fighting his way
Through the police to get bread for
the starving women and children,
who stand in.the background en-
couraging him on. Oh, wouldn't
lie be a hero"
&Ha! ha! hap alaughed Roy.
II can understand how It is that an
enthusiastic woman may urge a
man to deeds Of bravery that Of
himself he would not dare,.
he said, rs he looked upon.
the lovely, animated face Of the
speaker. 4
'sAh, Alice,p he went on, II fear
you arc ut heart u little striker
yourself. Iwish any thought oflne
could call up such a,light in your
eyes as did that ofNed Hopes i'm
aginary heroism."
The words were spoken lightly,
but there was a bitter dread in his
heart; be feared that she thought
too we'll Of the mMn who had been
hisrival. They conversed for q few
moments longer, and then Roy de-
parted, but their parting was not
what he could have wished it; IL
seemed to him there was a acoldness
in her farewell that was new 10
him.
Was it a jealous Imagination on
his part, or hgd Alice elevated Ned
hope to the sphere inhabited b. the
heroes Of her, novels to be adored US
they we're?
Alice accompanied Roy 10 the
door, and the parlor orwas left empty
Ter a few moments. Whom she re-
turned she saw The dispatch he
had dropped, and picking it up,
thoughtlessly read it. It. ran as
follows:
q 70 Janlss Smith. Sap't .lllsaviNe Do
pertinent a -
Title strikers will =attempt5to5
burn and plunder our depots and.
store houses tomorrow night.
Nuke syary#eH0rt to sayeithe= prop
erty.Request the mayor. to call
out the military and extra police.
5===ZZ5=zz5zE.s!E s!EHos. REsnLToN.'Z
Alice had but just finished read-
ing the message, when Roy, who
bad missed it from his pocket: bur-
riedly returned.
"Ah so. I dropped it here he
said, sesing the missing document
in her hand. 1T is very fortunate
that no one saw it but yourselE,"I
be added, as Alice returned it to
him.
@Oh, Roy, you never told mo that
Won rare Eoina so far aRay. You
may be in danger. Take good care
Of yourself, and do not risk your
life to oppose the strikerB."
"For your sake, darling, I will be
very caHtious. Mention notsring;of
this to amy human being; my mis-
sion must bo kept u profound Sc
cret for were the strikers to know
that I am going to warn the au-
thoritics Of Allenville against them
my life would be in peril"
In another moment he was gone,
and was soon dashing away upon a
fleet horse III the direction Of Allen-
vile.
On, on, he sped, and in a few
brief minutes the town was left bs-
hind. 0rce he turned and glanced
back; for hc thought he heard tho
sound of horses hoofs behind him,
but he saw nothing only far away
tho fast reccding lights of Hal
ford.
On, on again, and soon the
moon sank behind the western
hills, and darkness closed around
him. II now became necessary 10
proceed srnore slowly, and he
checked his horse's speed some
what. 1t was several hours later,
and he was at a considerable dis
tance from HslEord, when, Us he
was riding leisurely along lonely
stretch Of road the binding light
from a dark lRntern was suddenly
flashed in hia face, land q dozen dark
forlns rose up from the ground
around him.
Before he could offer any resist.
nnce, Roy WIS dragged from his
horse and securely bound. He saw
by the light Of the lanterns that his
captors wero a band of roughs, and
it needed no second glance 10 as
sure him that there were no work-
ing men among them.
$50 we have blocked your little
gNme,my festive sport, und I'll Just
60 through you,and sec ifyou have
tho Dispatch on you. 'Sho said you
had It. Lucky for us, boys, that
she is in love with Ned Hope, or
| Il. ....1.l..i L.... II ...a.l IL -.