Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-23
GERMINAL,
Or, the Story Of a Great Miners
Strike.
BY EMILE lola.

Translated from The French.
SUMMARY OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
Anton Lantier, o young mechanic out o
work, reaches the coal mines of Monston
France, cold, hungry and penniless. TIL,
death Of a mine makes q vacancy and he Sc
cures employment in the Vulture mine, Ma
hon, one of the miners, and bis daughte
Catherine, explain the work to him and as
sist him the first day. He hears the mutter.
ings Of the miners against the company anc
threats Of n strike. The exsctions Of the su-
perintendent and the small wages received
goad the workmen to the verge Of despera-
ton and paved the wav to the coming strug-
gle. Mahon again befriends Anton, and Sc
cures lodgings for him at Rassaneur's, q tip
pling house near the mine. Anton's determiu-
alton to leavei s overcome by the kindness oil
the struggling miners, and he decides to bat.
tie with them.
CHAPTER VII.
Po!ane, the residence of Mr.. Gregory
was ak miles east of Montson, on the
road leading to Joiselle. 1t was q large,
aquare, u~npretendipg house, built at the
beginning of the last century; but of the
vast grounds which once surrounded 1t,
only twenty-slx acres remained, used as
| a garden that yielded the best fruit and
| vegetables in the whole country. A little
wood extended over what, In former
years, had been a park, while enc of the
greatest curiosities of that level plain,
where one could count the large trees
from Msrchiennes to Berugnies, was on
avenue of old lines, forming an arch of
leaves, reaching from the door step to
the road.
This morning the Gregorys arose about
8 o'clock-sn hour earlier than usual, for
the tempest of the night had unnerved
them.
During the absence of her husband,
who had gone out to see what damage
had been done by the storm, Mrs.
Gregory In her slippers and flannel dress
Ing gown, went down into the kitchen.
She was ffty.eight years of age, short,
fat, and with a cheerful face, contrasting
strangely with the pale Wilderness of her
skin.
"Melanle," said she to the cook, sif
you have made the milk bread, my hus-
band Is ready. Miss Cecil will not rise
for a half hour, and she will eat it with
her chocolate. What q surprise 1t will
be-"
The cook, a scrawny old woman, who
had served them for thirty years,
laughed.
t'That's true, twill be a surprise. My
fire is lit and the ovens getting hot; and
then Hororine' going to help me a little"
Honorins, a girl of twenty years, who
was taken when an infant and brought
up In the house, now served as chamber.
maid. In addition to these two, there
were q %coachman, named Francis, a gar.
densr, and a florist. These domestics
ing together In good fellowship.
Mrs. Gregory who, while In bed had
planned the surprise of the milk bread,
waited to see the dough put In the oven.
The large kitchen was kept scrupulousiy |
clean with Its arsenal of sauce pans and
cooking utensils. There was an
agreeable odor prevailing the whole room
from the well-flled closets.
ST hope you have put plenty of eggs In
It," said Mrs. Gregory as she passed into
the dining-room.
In addition to the furnace which
warmed the whole house, a bright coal
FIRE enllvened this room, and the large
table, the chairs, a mahogany buffet and
two easy chairs, all indicated q love of
They scarcely ever entered the |
reception room; this was the living room
Of the family.
Just then Mr.. Gregory, be~oomingly
dressed In q red fustian jacket, entered.
he was sixty years of age, with large,
honest features, and his curling snowy
locks gave him q patrlarchal look. He
had seer the coachman and gardener; no
greater damage had been done by the
storm than the falling of a chimney.
Each morning he loved to look over Pho.
Iaine, which Was not large enough to
,suse much care, but from which he de-
lived the happiness of a landlord.
"Where Is Cecil2" he asked, SIS she
not going to get up to.dsy2"
81 do not Know" answered his wife.
~ think l heard her stirring, though"
The table, covered with a white cloth,
had been laid for three.
Honorine was sent to see what had be-
come of msdemoiselle. She returned i'm.
nedlately covered with smiles, and said,
entering the room: /
ooh! If you could SEQ Miss Cecil. She
sleeps like an angel. 1t is a pleasure to
.ook at her."
The father and mother exchanged ten
Ter chances.
"Lst us go up and see her." said he.
With o smile.
"Ah, the poor darling" murmured she,
II will CO."
Together they went up stairs. The
chamber whittier they went was the only
zeal luxury of the house; 1t was hung
With blue silk and prepared with lacquer
urniture, white threads of blue, to please
he within of the spoiled child. In the
resh Wilderness of the bed, under the
igbt falling from the window, the CUR
ain of which was pushed apart, the
young girl lay sleeping, with her cheek
'esting on her bare arm. She was not
but sound and healthy. Mature,
hough only eighteen, she had a supurb
hin and delicious freshness; her hair was
auburn and her face round, with q small,
lnbecoming nose. Her breath came and
vent so softly there was nc p~erceptible
movement of the chest.
"That abominable wind must have pre-
yented her from sleeping" whispered the
The father, with a gesture, sllenced