Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-08
CHAPTER XVIII.

ganiZatiOn that promised to change the exist
ing order and make the miners masters in
stead of slaves
CHAPTER XVIII.
The night before, at meeting held at
Rasseneur's, Anton and some others had
chosen the delegates who, the following
day, were to wait on the director. When
Mrs. Mahon found that her husband was
chosen as one of them she was III despair,
asking why he should thus mix in the
quarrel Mahon himself had not ac-
ceptcd without repugnance, he was i'll ut
ease and terribly frightened. In spite of
their misery, when the time
for action had come, both
felt almost resigned to their lot;
trembling for the next day, willing rather
to bend to the will of their superiors.
Usually Mahon submitted to the good
Judgment of his wife who was a very rea-
sonable woman. But that time he be-
came angry at her advice, even though
he shared her fears.
"Shut up" said he; "I'm doing my
duty. l can't go back on my comrades "
After long silence spent in thinking,
she answcred:
You're right. You must go; but
were lost"
They lunched at noon, eating a few
potatoes. A little butter still remained,
carefully put away to use with the bread
for the evening meal. At one O'Clock
the delegates were to meet ut l'Avantagc,
and 90 from there to the director house.
You know they count on you to
speak, said Anton to Mahon.
The latter became speeebless with
fear.
''Ah! no, that's too much," cried Mrs.
Mahon. I'm willing for him to go
there, but forbid his being the leader.
Why do they take him in preference to
any otherg"
Then Anton explained that Mahon was
the best and most respected workman in
the mine, whose good sense all believed
in, and they wished him to tell the de-
mands of all. At first they had chosen
Anton, but he had been in Montson such
short time that he thought the director
would be more apt to listen to the com
plants of an old miner. So, finally the
men had conhded their interests to the
one they thought the most worthy. He
could not refuse, that would be foolish
Desperate, Mrs. Mahon cried out:
go, kill yourself for others, my man.
| consent"
But don't know enough" said he
II should say foolish things"
Anton, relieved at having decided him,
slapped him across the back
''l on can say what you know, and that
will be very good"
With mouth full Bonnemort, in whose
legs the swelling was going down, listen
ed, nodding his head. Then, after hav-
ing drank glass of water, the old man
slowly murmured.
Say what you please, it will be as
though you had said nothing. I've seen
these times beforel Four years ago they
sent us from the directors door with
blows of their swords. To-day, perhaps,
they'll receive you, but they'll give you
no more satisfaction than that wall.
They have money; they don't care"
A silence fell. Mahon and Anton
arose. Not word was exchanged; they
left the family sad at heart, seated before
their empty plates. In the alley they
stopped for Peters and Lcvaque. Then
the four men went to Rasscneur' where
the delegates from neighborlng alleys
were arriving, one by one. When the
twenty members were assembled they
all started out for MOnston. The biting
east wind swept past them. AS the clocks
were striking two they arrived before
the director S door.
AT first the servant closing the door on
them, LETT them in the yard, then, when
he returned, he showed them into the sa-
lon and threw back the curtains. A soft
light entered through the lace; and the
miners remaining alone in embarrasS-
ment dared not sit down. They were
very clean though having shaved that
morning and dressed in their best.
They twisted their caps between their
fingers, cast sidelong glances around
the room, which was furnished in the PEE
culiar style which peculiar taste for an
tiquity brought into fashion: Henry
deux arm chars, Louis quinze chairs, an
Italian cabinet of the sixteenth century,
II Spar sh contados of the fourteenth, n
mantel lambrequin and curtains to
match All this guilt, silk and furs, this
great luxury had hlled them with re-
spectful uneasiness. The Turkish car
pets seemed to cling to their feet. But
that which especially overcame them
was the heat, the good even warmth
from furnace which burned their
cheeks, frozen by the wind on the road.
Their uneasness increased more and
more in that warm rich room
At last Mr.. Hennebeau entered, wear
in his buttonhole the knot of his decora-
ton, He was the first to speak.
"Ah! here you are. So you have
struck"
He paused, adding with stiff polite
ness.
''Be seated, We will talk"
The miners turned to find seats. A
few risked themselves in the arm-chairs,
while others, afraid of the rich en-
broidered silks, preferred to remain