Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-03
other dollar of expense" He rang the bell


 John Graves black eyes
 s'Eut wouldn't it now be quite a loss to burn Up thousand such good cheae factory han'ss I wouldn't thought you could afford that. These fire 'scapes now"--
 s'Show them out, Mary" interrupted MT. Breton angrily. "You might as we'll know. could find thousand as good and as cheap. in week." and he shut the office door after them with slam.
 But you have let those men go away thinking you had just as lief they would be burned to death" expostulated Philip, flush ing with excitement.
 "Nothing of the kind, sir, only that-but do you take sides with thems That is the lass thing expected, that my own son would take part against me-" Possibly the old gentleman was a little ashamed of having spoken quite as harshly to tho workmen as he had It would be repeated all about town And it was certainly incautious, but his very uncasiness made him the more pro- vokcd at Philips suggestion. 1T presume you picked up a few socialistic ideas at school. No doubt you would like to put on the fire escapes out of the money your mother left you" He rang the bell violently.
 "Yes would" exclaimed Philip, his eyes lighting up. II will be very glad to pay for it all. It seems unjust, somehow, to crowd the men and girls into the mills as thick as they can work, and not provide so but that they all may be burned to-
 'Mary, bring those three men back" in- terrupted MT. Breton.
 "But they are on the street by this"
 "It makes no difference" and the choleric old gentleman brought his fist down with a crash on the table, ''Go after them if you have to chase them mile. Bring them back, cay"
 The little office clock ticked it's loudest to break the silence until the door opened to let in tho returning committee. What could it mean? MT. Breton stood with his bacl; turned to them, drumming on tho window pane, while Philip, pale and uncomfortable, looked nervously at his father and then at the three awkward figures in the doorway with the breathlcss servant girl behind them waiting for startling developments.
 "You can report to your mceting," said MT. Breton in a constrained voice. withou: facing the worlmen, ''that my son will put on the fro escapes at his own expense That is all."
 The men were astonished So the younc mills owners son had begun to redeem his promise of the night of the fire. There wcr, rough words of gratitude on their lips, the. hearts were in a glow, after tho first chill C. disappointment, but thero was an inluenc, in the little office that husllcd their caGci speech, and they only ducked their heads awkward acknowledgement and followed tli, maid out.
 "Did you suppose" said Mr. Breton in { callner tone as he left the window and too, his chair by tho long table, s'that was go ing to let you pay for those fire escapes? Nc, penny, my dear boy, but you can havo tho credit of it, discredit I should call it." IT opened the drawer and drew out sheet 0. business paper.
 "The Breton Mills," was printed at tho top He dipped his pen in the ink and wrote in th. date.
 Then he wrote the address, as follows "John T. Giddings, Esq, Attorney at Law t2 Loring street, Lockout"
 "Please sit down, Phil. am not much i, the habit of talking of my business to any body, but presume it is your right to know this" MT. Breton laid down his pen ant clasped his hands behind his back. 1T wan to make this mill four times it's present size 1 haven't tho money, but other men have. am going to take those other mon ill wit, me, and then turn tho whole thing into a cor poration. Giddings is managing it for me- Philips face fell. A corporation! TheI all his thoughts of some day letting a littl light into the lives of the villagers, SO fal always in tho shadow, his dreams which hae lent new dignity to his life, were all fo, nothing. A soullcss corporation, with no body to blame for an act of injustice! Hov it would rivet the shackles of the poor pas any power of his hands to loose them. 'What is tho trouble, my boy?" smiled hi father, in his superior wisdom. "One wouli think you wanted the tough job have had over again. It is too much, too much for man; why, thought I was doing you kind ness. A man thinks, at first, he is strong that he won't care for the murmurs and tn i threatenings of his help, but he gets tired The amount of power, almost like Gods, Phi l lip," said MT. Breton excitedly, 'almost lil, Gods, which a big fortune gives Q man, | too much, too much." He came around tn table, and put his hand on his sons shoulder ''Thc people arep poor and unhappy; we can 1 shut our eyes to it. Don't wo all wonder, he went on in this new, st range mood Phili was fairly startled at, "don't NC all wonde | what life is worth to them that they are s hungry for the bread that keeps the breath i them? And they all blame tho men who ow 1 tho mills; they think it is our hardness an 1 injustice. A man may know he is all right | that rich men have always done as he doing, that the few always have the best c everything, and seem to deprive the masse of their rights. But it wears on man; h. wants to get behind somebody or somethin; occasionally"
 The little office clock ticlsed on restlcssly for another week, and Philip had come t' feel that to be in love may be the most ter rible misfortune of mans life. His prid had not let him call again on Bertha for day of distress, days of hot. dry wretchedness whose dawn was a new, pitiless reminder O. l his quenchless passion that met only insult It was insult, as he felt it, for lover ha sensibilities painfully acute, and can detec the slightest change in a woman's relation with him, by signs too subtle for unstimu lated observation. A hairs breadth varia tion in tone makes mysterious revelations sweet or bitter to him; shade of expression in the beautiful blue eyes, has meaning clearer than words, to thrill him with hope or plunge him into despair. And in thos days, too, he found time to remember how unloverlike Bertha had always been to him and the many times she had met his ardol with coldness, with all the instances of hard ness and neglect she had meted out to his de votion, rose up in his mind like hideous sin that will not be forgot. How he had fooled himself, and yet he, had been so happy in hi deluson. -
 There came light tap at tho door, H' lo1o k,,~, ,,aIo o1>D,,4 1