Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-08-09
THE TABLES TURNED

1t was Just such an American village
as you see in pictures. A background
of superb old mountains clothed In
blue-green cedars, with torrent thun-
deriug down deep gorge and falling IN
foamy pillows; a river rejecting the
azure of the sky, and knot of houses
with a church-spire at one end and a
thicket at the other, whose black smoke
wrote ever-changing hieroglyphcs
against the brilliancy of the sky.
THIS was Dapplevale, and in the rosy
sunshine of June day the girls were
all issuing forth, while General May
the foreman, sat at his desk, a pen be-
hind his ear. and his small, beady eyes
drawn back of If were in the shelter OF
a preciEice of shaggy eyebrows.
One by one the girls stopped and re-
eeiyed their pay for one weeks WORK.
for tins was Saturday. One by one
they filed out with diseontented faces
until the last one paused In front OF the
desk.
She WAS slight and tall, with large
velyety blue eyes and complexion as
delicately grained and transparent as
rose eolored wax, and an abundance OF
.-losSv hair of so dark brown that the
c.sual observer would have pronounced
:, black and there was something III
the wav the blue ribbon Mt her neck
&c ,;sd and the manner In which the
s;n,nle details of her dress were arranged
.bot bespoke her foreign birth.
.sWen MademoiseIIe Malie, how do
Won like factory hfe?" asked the lore
MI s.It is not disageeeable," she an
svered a slight accent clinging to her
tones like fragrance to hower' as She
extended her hand for the money
counted out to her.
"lou have given me but four dollars
and it was eight by the contract she
said. ,.o-s
TIL, forman shrugged his shoulders
with an insoIent air.
"Humph! you amt much accus-
toned to our way of doing things arc
con mademoiseIle? Eight, OF course
i,ut we deduct two for fee.
&c. faei For what? demanded Marie
with flashing eyes.
..For getting you the situa'ioh' W De
sure Such places don't grow on every
busb and you naturally expect to pay
for the privilege.
Il did not. ,,.
ooh well. all right. You am
obl;oed to stay unless you choose.
"Do you mean that if l do not pay
,b;s money"-hesitated Marie.
..You can't expect to stay IN ,ne
works" said May, hitching up HE
collar. q,
..But the other two dollars s .II
..Oh that is a percentage the girlS ai'
nav" said the foreman.
.But what is it for?'
Mr.. May laughed. nc course
1T helps out my salary. VI couiSe
Won, know the girls expect to pay some
thing each week for keeping their STU
ot;ons in a place where there are SC
many anxious to get IN.
"And Mr.. Elder ?"
"Oh. he hasn't much to do with II.
am master, if you please.
..Mr. Elder owns the works
..Weu. yes, he owns it, but mail'ie'
everything. Mr.. Elder reposes the Ut
,oost confidence in my ability, and III
is a good business man. he unue.
s,snds his own interest. And now
vou have any more questions u
ask
81 have none; but 1 need this none:
vsalf Iwork hard for it; earn
righteously. 1 cannot afford any NOR
than the others among those poor La
boring girls to pay it to your greed.
..Eh?" elaculated Mr.. May, iumpln'
from his seat as if stung.
..And 1 will not pay ii" calmly con
t;nued Mademoiselle Marie.
every we'll; just as you IKE, maue
mo;selle. only if you won't conform u
,Le miles of the Dapplevale Works
care these the rules p scornfully de
manded the girl. =,
"Pray consider your name erosseu " -
tho hooks: YOU are no longer In my em
Nov , Good evening, mademoiselle.'
Mr.. May slammed down the cover Q
b;s desk as if it were patent gulnotine
and poor Marie's neck were under IT,
Two or three of the factory girls ~h
had hovered around the place 70 hea
tbe discussion, looked with awe-stl,cAe :
faces at Marie as she came out Win >
.eYou have lost your place ma'an
selle." whispered Jennie Bass pai'
d.rt-eved girl who supported a cripple
o,har and two little sisters out OF ne
factory earnings. ,u.,,
aAnd he'll never take you on asal.
ho ;s as yiudictive as possible, sa'
Mary Rice. ne an
ut matters not. he is . rogue ~