The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-10-19

] OF themselves MISS DEIIlu, IE Salu.
=. Yes answered Louis, scarcely
vpausing to look up, 1--WE are machines. -
She said it with an accent Of bitter
ness in her yOice.w Poor Loisl This
life was wearing her out. 1t was MAX
/ ing her old before her time, and the
WEAKNESS Of it told upon her temper
and embittered her thoughts.
! s want to talk to yOu," young Lev
| ersOn said, leaning over the loom, and
pushing back the lever that caused the
/ iron Drained machine which seemed to
keep up a steady thinking of one thing
/ from morning to night, to stop its tire
! less motion.
X 'sWelp'
Lois folded her hands upon the iron
frame and waited for him to speak.
He scarcely seemed to know what to
| say. He began once and paused.
" Something was wrong about my last
web, l suppose" she said, at last.
" Don be afraid to find fault, Mr.. Lev
ersOn. We are used to that Mill hands
don't mind such trilles. We can t afford
TO be sensitive, you know. Such luxu-
ries aren' for u.s."
/" Ii you think l came here to talk
] abOut such things you are mistaken"
| he said. IL suppose you never
thought about such a thing as-as my
caring for you, Lois?'
She looked at him in blank amaze
ment Had she gone crazy at last? She
had often said that she believed the roar
of the looms would make her insane
some day.
"You are surprised" he said. Il
4 supposed you would be. l do not won
der, for it comes to you suddenly. 1
ought to have made YOU understand by
q Oh
an abrupt man, and you must pardon
me. I DO care for you, Miss Brand.
I've watched your face for long time,
and I've grown fond Oft. Win you be
my wife?''
Lois had often wondered why he was SO
kind to her. Now she understood.
lie was a perfect gentleman She
| knew that he was in earnest, for he was
too honorable to stoop to deceit, too
honorable to allow any doubts of his
motives.
She thought about it in swift.
muddled way. She thought about
Dick, and her heart gave little
thrill at recollections of his love
for her that was like a reach
ing out of hands to him. And yet,
Dick was poor-miserably poor. Lever
son was rich. He could give her all the
beautiful things she had craved so long.
A confused union of pictures and flow
ers, of rich dresses and beautiful books
went whirling through her brain to
the accompaniment of the grinding,
pitiless wheels.
81 can't think now,'' she cried, put
ting up both her hands to her thrObbing
brow. Don't ask me to. Some other
time L Il tell you"
Take your own time to think it over
in, " he said. Try to think fayorably,
Lois, for l want you very much. need
YOU
When she went back to her loom aft
or dinner she was more like mach inc
than ever, for she scarcely compre-
hended the details of her work It is
likely that she attended to them all, but
she did so mechanically. Her thoughts
were elsewhere.
The wheels went round and round.
Her thoughts went on and on. Should
she choose for her heart? If she did,
she should choose Dick-dear, patient,
willing Dick. Should she choose for
her selfish self? Then she thought of
what Leverson's wealth could give her.
The machinery seemed to be crashing
ut her with iron jaws. She faDcied it
was great animal snarling at her.
Pm going hOme," she cried, at
lOAi4LL1- L III SlCks NltLAys IdllJ- II i
stay here | shall 90 crazy. I've got to
get away by myself and think. l shall
have no rest till L get it all thought
out"
She put on her bonnet and shawl and
went out into the cool October air.
How peaceful the blue hills looked far
off She wished she were one of them.
Then nothing would fret her; her rest
lessness would be gone.
Oh, which to choose which to
choosei
The words made a little verso OF
themselves, and her brain set them to
the monotonOus tune of turning spindles
and darling shuttles.
She went towards home in q slow,
[ roundabout way. She saw men and
women and little children. Some o.
+ them bowed or spoke to her. She did
/ not recognize one face among them all
| Her thoughts were not with the things
| about her. She seemed athOusand miles
| away from earth and everybody.
{ Suddenly the great factory bell filled
, the air with a swift clangor that hur
her aching head rs if cruel hands hac
: smote it.
Something has happened she
, cried. turning to look back. But the
houses hid the factory from her sight.
The bell rang out its -hoarse alarm
She ran up the street. When she
reached the end of the block she saw
, great black cloud of smoke breaking
above the roofs of the building between
her and the factory. Then she knew
the truth. The factory was on fire
, Oh Dick, Dickn' she thought, anC
! hurried toward the burning building
Perhaps there was something her tiret
hands could do to help the poor wretches
who were trying to escape death. VIVA
. would become of them, of her, if the
factory burnedP
{ She knew, before she reached it, tina
} the factory could not be saved. The
windows were loop-hOles of fire. The
caves were wreathed with flames tina
coiled and uncoiled themselves like
, writing serpents.
! Suddenly a great cry rang out from
the crowd, and she saw hands pointing
to the window of room over the mali
entrance; Looking up, she saw Lever
, son standing there. His face was very
white. He must have been asleep, meI
said, and the fire had reused him from
what might have been pleasant slum
Der, to put him face to face with al
, awful danger.
, 1T is death for him." thought Lois
r with stitled breath There's no pos
, sible way of escape
I'm try to save him." cried a voic,
she knew-Dick' voice, and there wa
, something grand in the sound of it.
Then she saw him fighting his wa,
[ through the flames, and the last glimpst
of his face showed her how brave it wa.
l in the wild tempest of fire and smoke.
She held her breath, and waited, pal,
q and trembling, while her heart KEEP
t saying over and over, in prayerfu
< kind of way: