Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-15

not even lifted his eyes to Anton, snC
the latter was about to take up his littl,
bundle, which had fallen on tie ground
when a fit OF coughing announced the re
turn of the driver. They saw him com
ing slowly out Of the darkness, followed
ed By the fswn-colored horse, who wal
bringing up six new filed cars,
"Are there any works In Montsonl
asked the youth
Tho old man spit black, then answered
in the wind:
"Ob, It's not works that are wanted;
that ought to have been seen three or
four years ago. Everything was pros.
porous, II was itnpossible to find work
men, they had never earned 60 much.
And then they began to feel
the pangs Of hunger. Sad fact for the
country; they discharged the people. the
shops shut up one after the other.
IL is is not the fault of the emperor, per-
haps, but why does he 20 to fight In
America without considering that the
brutes die Of cholera as well as nihers"
Then, In short sentences, with breath
interrupted, both continued to complain.
Anton related his useless journey of q
week. MuAt he perish from hunger2
Soon the road would be full of beggars.
eyes," said the old man; ''that will be
bad ending, for It Is not In accordsu ce
with Gods purpose to throw all Christians
into the streets"
"We don't have meat every day"
"Still, II one had bread !"
"True, IL we only have bread ~
Their voices were lost; gusts of wind
carried away the words with plaintlve
moan.
"There's Mon'son," resumed the
driver in loud voice, turning toward
the south.
And again extending his hand, he
pointed tow.rd soms objects invisible In
he darkness, naming them in order.
Down theie Q in Montson the sugar. orks
of Fauvelle are still going, but the works
of Hoton are shut down; there is nothing
but the btiler-works of Duttilleuil and
the rope mauufactory of mine cables be.
longing to Blerz, Will h are i'll run
ming. Then, with sweeping gesture
extending over half the horizon, he
pointed to the north, the machine ahops
of Sonnevlle had not received two
thirds of their usual orders; OF the
three blast furnaces of Forges and of
March 'ennes, only two. were lit, and even
at the glass.works of G,gebois strike
was Threatened, for they talked of a re-
ductie n of salary.
II know, I know" repeated the young
man at each indication, al understand"
"We others have gone on up to the
present" added the driver. "The mines,
however, have decreased their work, look
before you at the Victoria, they have
only two tiers If coke ovens which are
going"
He spat and started out again behind
his sleepy horse, after having hitched
him to the empty cars.
Now Anton understood the whole
country. The shades of night were still
deep, but the old man had 30 filled them
with great forbodings, that the youth un-
consciously felt himself, particularly at
that hour, within the limitless unknown.
Was not that cry of hunger which fol-
lowed the March wind through that
naked country The winds were enraged,
they seemed to bear the death of work,
and famine which should destroy many
people. And with his wandering eyes he
euoenyoreu " ElSroo tno udIhuebbs ulo-
tressed by the desire ard yet the fear of
sight. Everything is annih!lated In the
unknown obacurity of night; he could
only perceive, II the distance, the blast
furnaces and coke fires. These with
rows OF hundred chimneys, set abllque-
ly, traced by the ascent Of ruddly flames;
while two towers more to the left burned
up all blue in the open air like giant
torches 1t had the sadness of inc endsar-
Ism, no lights of star, shone forth from
the threatening sky, only these noctur-
nal fires belonging to country of coal
and iron.
"You are perhaps from Belgium" re-
sumed the driver, having returned be-
hind Anton.
This time he had only brought three
care. They could easily bs emptied; an
accident had happened at the hoistIng
work for quarter of an hour. At the
foot of the hill, a silence had fallen, the
crusheru were no longer shaking the
trestles with tteir constant pushing.
One only heard coming from the mine
the distant sound of hammer Htrikir G
upon iron.
'No, l am from the south," respond
ed the young man.
The assistant, after having emptled
the carts, seated himself upon the ground,
glad of the accident, maintaining his
mute unsocisbility. He had simply
raised his large dull eyes to the driver
as If annoyed by all his talk, The
latter, In fact, spoke very little usually.
1t was necessary that the face OF o
stranger pleased him, and that he should
be found In one of those lOngipgs for
confidence which sometimes make old
people talk aloud even to Themselves.
"As for me-" said he, 'I'm from
Montson; I'm called Bonnemort."
SIS that q nurnams2" asked Anton,
astonished.
The old man laughed In dlsagreeable
manner and pointed to the Vulture.
"Yes, yes; they have taken me three
times from inside-on,e with all my
skin scorched; another time with the
earth up In my throat, the third
With my stomach filled with
when they saw couldn't be killed, they
called me 'Bonnemort, for fun"
His gaiety Iedoubled, and his disagree
able laugh brought on terrible fit Of
coughing. The fire kettle now fully lit
up his great head with Its strange look
Ing white hair, aud his unsDima.ed face
e I'LL L. III l. l.