Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1882-09-02

you'd give me at the door would help
me more than the promise Of better
place or extra wages. You'd better say
Yes, Lois"
Clangl clang clangl rang out the
factory bell like great brazen voice
that bade men and women who heard
it cease thinking of anything else but
work. Lois shivered. The sound of
that bell was So tangled NJ. in her life
that the two could never be separated,
she thought, as she reused herself from
her listless mood and turned towards
the factory.
81 don't think I'd better take your
advice, Dick" she said, with little
shake of her head. "Not yet while,
anyway. IT wouldn't be right, think"
II don't ask you to say yes till you've
thought it all over" be said, walking
along beside her, through the street
leading to the factory. Don't let the
thought of Fan, or the hard work I'll
have to do, keep you from saying yes,
if you love me, Lois. If you love me,
you've no right to say no. That's the
way to look at it, Lois"
They went into the factory together.
As they crossed the tlresho Id the
machinery started into motion. The
whe els began to turn in their tireless.
swift way. and everywhere was din and
danger. Dreams might answer for out
of doors, but there was no place, no
time for them here. No time to think
of love, either.
The warp was waiting for her at her
loom. 1t made Lois think of spiders
web. The old factory seemed more
like great spider TO her to-day than it
ever had before. How many men
and women were caught fast in
its webs, she thought, as she looked
down the long room and saw the white,
wan, tired faces by the looms.
1t was nearly noon when Ralph Lev
erson came to her loom and paused
there to watch her at her work.
Ralph Leverson was her employer.
This great factory and the men and
women in it were his.
He stood there, silently watching her
deft, well-trained fingers as they moved
among the threads for many minutes.
By and by
"Those fingers of yours seem to work
of themselves, Miss Brand" he said.
eyes," answered Lois, scarcely paus-
ing to look up, 1--WE are machines"
She said it with an accent of bitter
ness in her voice. Poor Lois This
life was wearing her out. twas making
her old before her time, and the weari-
ness of it told upon her temper and
embittered her thoughts.
81 want to talk to you," young Lever
son said, leaning over the loom, and
pushing back the lever that caused the
iron-brained machine, which seemed to
keep up steady thinking of one thing
from morning to night, to stop its tireless
motion.
sWellp
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. I suppose" she said, at last.
Don't be afraid to find fault, Mr..
Leverson. We are used to that. Mill
hands don't mind such trifes. We
can't afford to be sensitive. you know.
Such luxuries aren't for u.s."
'If you think I came here to talk
about such things, you are mistaken"
he said. 'I-I suppose. you never
thought about such 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. 81
supposed you would be. / do not
wonder, for it comes to you suddenly. |
ought to have made you understand
by degrees, perhaps, but have always
been en- abrupt man, and you must
pardon me, I do care for you, Miss |
Brand. I've watched your face for a
long time, and I've grown fond OF it. |
Will you be my wifet'
Lois had often wondered why he
was SO kind to her. Now she understood.
He 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 doubt OF his
motives.
She thought about it in a swift, !
muddled way. She thought about |
Dick, and her heart gave little thrill |
at recollections of his love for her that J
was like a reaching out Of hands to
him. And yet Dick was poor-miser-
ably poor. Leverson WAS rich. He |
could give her all the beautiful things !
she had craved so loDg. A confused
vision Of pictures and flowers, Of rich |
dresses and beautiful books went whirl- |
Inc. thrnnnh her hrain To the accom-.