The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-26

/ No stranger could possibly have foun,
/ his way about Smoketon that night; bu
Thisbe had carried. too many dinner
pals to Browns mill since her earlies
: recollection to be at fault for a moment
She took the shortest way, which LEI
. along the hillside and across the rail
road, and approached the mill from tn,
rear. Here was also gate, at which
she knocked lightly, but the voice which
asked ''Who's there?" made her hear
beat faster.
IA FRIEND" she replied in a hoarst
whisper. Speak lower, Curly Schwartz
There's to be an attack on you tonight
and don't know how near they may
be. l could not warn you any sooner
They swear they'll burn the mill Ovel
your heads"
els Geoff. Walton in it?" asked Curly
in whisper. The gate was still closed
between them, but the boards of the
ancient fence had, unfortunately, only
too many crevices through which a
whisper might pass.
What that to you. Curly Schwartz?
'.Much if you are This"
''Hush. I'm dead woman if you
betray me. There!' as sudden fasl,
showed the presence of dark lantern
upon the hillside, '.you've no time to
lose"
''But what will become of you?''
"Sh! rouse the mill; I'm safe enough.
Good-byer' and the girl was gone.
But where? Already the strikers
were too near to allow her to return as
she had come, and escape in any other
direction was prevented by the mill
itself. Nothing better occurred to her
than to crouch behind pile of stones
and rubbish, little way up the hill,
until the rioters should arrive, when,
favored by the darkness, she hoped to
make her way through the crowd as
one of themselves. If they should
suspect and modest her-the girls
beautiful lips parted in not very pretty
smile as she caught up tolerably-size 1
stone from the heap and held it firmly
in her strong right hand.
Yet for all her courage the scene which
followed returned upon her many times
in after years as dream of hOrror-the
breaking open of the gate, the shouts of
defiance from within, the masked fig
ures piling flaming brands against the
door. undeterred by scattering pistol
fire from the defenders. The mill was
well provided with arms and ammuni-
ton, but perhaps the nerve of the be-
sieged was shaken by the suddenness of
the attack, or perhaps they were not
well accustomed to the use of their
weapons. Whatever the cause, the vol
ley did little harm beyond singing the
rioters into increased fury.
And now the door began to smolder
and crackle, when suddenly it was flung
wide and party of the besieged rushed
through the fire, scattering and stamp
ing it out as they dashed upon the
rioters, while another party flung pals
of water upon the smoldering door and
the still-burning brands. For moment
the rioters gave back: but rs the be-
sieged, their object accomplished. made
an equally sudden rush for the mill.
their opponents rallied and followed
close at their heels with yells of de-
fiance.
Curly Schwartz had been one of the
foremost in this sally. Thisbe, who.
unable to make her way home, had
been swept forward instead by the
crowd, saw his form clearly defined
against the dull, red glow of the fur
mace fires within the low, wide doorway.
Nor was she the only one who recog-
nized him. There was shout, curse
upon him by name, and heavy club
raised by powerful arm. Then al
stone, which certainly came from
Thisbe's direction, struck Godfrey Wal
tons wrist; the arm fell by his side. and
Curly's pistol touched his temple. Only
for an instant, for beneath the black
Grape upon which the furnace fires
cleaned all SO red, Curly seemed to see
the innocent eyes of the boy with whom
he had played in childhood. His arm
dropped and he turned with the rest to
regain the shelter of the mill. At the
same moment 4 crushing blow fell upon
him from behind; he dropped like log
and the trampling of many feet passed
over his body.
That he was drawn by strong and ten
der arms into a sheltered corner, Curly
never knew for many long day after
ward; but when the rioters withdrew at
the approach of day, leaving Browns
mill in no very good condition for work,
he was found with his head resting upon
the lap of beautiful girl, who looked
up with eyes of mingled hope and dread
as she cried: He isn't dead, I'm sure
of it. D, help me take him homer
From that time Thisbe never left him.
He was carried to his own house, where
slowly but happily he regained some
measure of his former strength. He
was never more able for hard work, and |
it is difficult to imagine what would |
have become of him and his old mother |
but for the wife who had married him |
when he lay upon his sick bed, unable |
to move hand or foot. Thisbe, however,
was equal to anything-even to bearing |
the reproaches of her family. They |
were very bitter at first, but even her
brothers used their influence to protect |
both herself and her husband, whom in
deed the nailers were not inclined to
modest, from perhaps well-founded
that his punishment (what-
ever they meant by that had been
meted out by Providence. But after a
few years the Bartons so far relented as
to assist their erring sister TO open a
small shop, in serving which Curly
found employment not too hard for his
feeble strength.
Long before this the trouble between
The workingmen and ''bosses' of
Smoketon had been submitted to arbi-
ration and settled. Then came a
European war and a consequent boom
IN iron. Some of the mill men (whO
perhaps had a finger or two in other
;peculatiOns) grew suddenly rich,
among whom was Godfrey Walton, now
married and the head of family. His
wife became leader in Smoketon So