Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-10-23

that Nell was out of hearing. They had
more surprises now in the shape of smart
blows, and the stepmother's voice grew
shriller. Two pillows were believed of
tener with tears, and two trembling,
fearful children became afraid of their
own shadows.
Meanwhile the great chimneys at
Hague's factory projected the smoke of
thousands of tons of coal heavenward.
the looms produced acres upon acres of
beautiful and costly fabrics and Nell
Chapman's feet toiled up and down
stairways that seemed to lengthen as the
day wore on YEARLY until there seemed
to he no end of them. 1T was easy
work, " Mrs. Chapman number two said.
"a baby might carry spools." Mean
time Nell, with dark, heavy-lidded eyes,
hollow cheeks, and tired feet dragged
herself to and from the great factory,
until-but viii not anticipate.
The inhabitants of N-were stunned
one burning July day with a sound that
smote their ears like the crash of worlds.
Doors were burst open; walls trembled :;
the earth vibrated; every pain of glass
In the town was shattered. It was Just
after the MONDAY meal. The great en-
gines in Hagues carpet factory had made
two or three revolutions, when the
workers were appalled, by a sound
accompanied by blow that threatened
the total destruction of the factory. The
towns people running to their doors,
looking toward the factory saw puff
OF yellowish smoke hanging a few
moments over one corner of the mill.
When the smoke cleared away, hole in
the wall as large as the side of small
workers in the fuctory, now standing
silent and grim, gathered with pale
faces. The towns people mingling with
them beheld a few courageous souls
bearing out the dead engineer, and half
a score manned for life. When the au-
thorities collected their wits, and inves-
tigated the matter, they arrived at the
unexpected conclusion that it was a
merciful dispensation of Providence that
so few were injured. and but one killed,
when, had the accident occurred five
minutes later, or fifty minutes earlier in
the day, hundreds would have been
killed and wounded by the explosion of
the boilers
As it was the factory would resume
operations in week, or ten days at
most.
Chapman was among the wounded.
'All his own FAULT Mrs. Chapman
number two said. eff he had been
minding his own basiness-in his own
place-it wouldn't have happened.
This III the ears of man to whom the
doctor limited his chances for ever see
ing sky or earth again was problemat-
ical, was as bitter as any thing in Jobs
experience. To die upstairs in close
back room and hear a shrewish step
mother scold his little boys all day was
hell on earth. There was, in these days
of utter wretchedness, sound of hurry
ing feet, and then the shrew's tongue
dashed the 'lazy lump that ought to be
working in ncighbor's kitchen"
As there never was any love in the
case at all, on the second wife's part,
when dire poverty flung the door wide
open all the windows in the house were
not large enough to echo her discomfort
and ill-humor to the end of the town.
Nell Chapman sat in silent de-
spair in the one room set apart for
herself and her brothers. Although it
was little past the high noon, and the
air was sitting hot, her little brothers
were compelled to remain in their room.
Ned and Jim had been guilty of the en-
ormous offence of q littering the house y
with the trimming and pieces of paper
they had gathered at Judge Hammers
house, where the paper hangers were at
work. Such brilliant paper was never
seen before. The boys swooped down
upon it as misers might appropriate a
gold mine. They wore it round their
arms, legs, and bodies, and waltzed away
with it home, where in due season Mrs
Chapman gave them g such warming
that they both cried themselves asleep in
broad daylight in their bedroom Ned
on the floor, Jim in Ned's shielding
arms. When she laid him down beside
Ned gently, and seated herself again, it
was an attitude the Almighty never in
tended youth to take.
Her elbows were planted on her knees,
her palms clasped her cheek and chin,
and she looked straight before her into
vacancy.
AS she sat there in the darkened room.
she recalled face in which compassion
and tenderness blended so sweetly that
her memory could not grasp the APP
proach of frown upon it. It was not
possible the dead could see the living
| If her dead mother could see them now,
it would be torture inconceivable.
What could girl like her do9 If her
father did not recover his eyesight, her
brothers would be bound out. 1t would
Il