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

MASTER Or MAN?
Lois Brand leaned. over the low rail
ing of the bridge to watch the ripples
ON the waters for one brief, idle mo-
ment, and the minnows darting about
in that restless fashion Of theirs which
made her think of the shuttlcs flying
back and forth through the warp in the
weaying-room of the great factory
where, day by day, She toiled for the
bread she ate and the. clothes she wore.
She wished she might forget everything
connected with the factory for Il little
while. Ii she could, She thought, it
would be rest. But she had watched
the shuttle lying back and forth so long
that the sight of almost any moving
thing brought it before her. And for
so many years had she listened to the
thunder and crash of the great looms
that she heard them everywhere She
often wondered if she should ever get
the sound of them out of her ears.
AS she stood there OH the bridge
thinking in n spiritless Kind of way of
what n pleasant thing life must be
where there is no such drudgery, no
such terrible monotony in it as had
been hers since childhood, shutting out
like cruol hands that bar a door, all she
had hoped for and longcd for most, q
step aroused her.
She turned and saw Dick Evans. His
honest face grew bright ut sight of her.
To him she was the one woman in
the world.
Good-morning, Dick, - she said, in a
tired kind of way. care you going to
the mill?''
Yes; of course" he answered, as if
it were scarcely possible for him to be
going anywhere else.
&" What "a fool l was TO ask such n
question, she said. % As if there was
any other place for u.s. When we get
into the mill once we never get out till
death puts an end to the work If it
WASH t for Fan, L wouldn't care much
how soon my work was over, l think,
though l never liked TO think of dying.
But if one were dead, he d know some
thing about rest, wouldn't he? That S
more than any of the mill-hands win
while they live.'
. don't like TO hear you talk in that
way, Lois" Dick said, in that grave,
gentle way Of his, when talking TO this
woman he loved. There's no need of
your killing yourself at the loom rs you
are doing. It's only for you to say Yes,
Lois, and You know there is nothing L d
be gladder TO hear"
Il know, Dick,n she answered, 9
little more tcnderly but with much bit
tcrness in her voice yet. - L am sure
could be quito happy with you, Dick,
but there Fan. 1t wouldn't be right
for me to marry you and bring you such
u load as two women, and one of them
helpless rs baby, would be. You q
find your hands full with me alone, I'm
afraid, and when you come to think Of
Fan! No, Dick; when 1 think of the
burden both of us would be, L cam
make it seem that it would be right fol-
me to say Yes"
Didn't know all about Fan when
asked you TO marry meP' cried Dick.
. DO you think would have asked YOU
any such question if l hadn't beenwilI
ing TO take care of both of you? You
know BETTER Lois. I've thought the
matter ali over and I'm willing to run
the ri,k of the Consequences. Poor Far
wouldn't be half the burden to me, il
you were 10 marry me, that she is tC
you. | can work well now. I'm laying
up little money every year. A man
can work better if he thinks he's work
ing for some. one who loves him. Now,
il doesn't seem rs if | was working fol
anybody or anything in particular.
Don't you know that the thought OF
home puts fe and energy into a MANI
If | knew that you were waiting for me
in home of our own, no matter how
humble it was, the hardest DAYS work
would seem pleasant to me. The
thought of the kiss you'd give me al
the door would help me more than the
promise of better place or extra wages.
You better say Yes, Lois"
Clang! clang! clangl rang out the
factory bell like a great brazen voice
that babe men and women who heard
it cease thinking of anything else but
work Lois shivered The sound ol
that bell was so tangled up in her life
that the two could not be separated, she
thought, rs she reused herself from hel
lsticss mood and turned toward The
factory.
Il don't think I'd better take vou
advice Dick" she said, with iitu,
shake of her head a Not vet n while
anyway. 1t wouldn't be right,
think"
II don't ask you to say Yes til
YOU We thought it all over" he said
walking along beside her through tn,
street leading TO the factory. don
let the thought of Fan. or the hard worl
I'd have to do, keep you from saying
Yes, if YOU love me, Lois. If you low
me you have no right to say No
That's the way to look at it, Lois
They went into the factory together
AS they crossed the threshold the ma
chinery started into motion. Tn
wheels began TO turn in their tireless
swift way, and everywhere was din an,
clangor. Dreams might answer for on
of DOORS but there was no place, n
time for them here. No time to thinl
of love, either
The warp was waiting for her ut he
loom L. made Lois think of a spider
web. The old factory seemed more lik
great spider TO her to day than il eve
had before. How many men and WON
en- were caught fast in its webs, sh
thought, rs she looked down the Ion.
room and saw the white, wan, tires
faces by the looms.
It was nearly noon when Ralph Lev
ersOn came to her looms and pause,
there TO watch her al her work.
Ralph Leverson was her cmployer
This great factory and the men an,
women in it were his.
He stood there silently watching he
de.t wcll-trained fingers as the,