Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-11
n "a IN 4 J !5:s s,
\. ~ @2siStsaSi T., ,,y,.rD -
BrpfoD Mills
BY CHARLES ]. BELLAMY.
BY CHARLES ]. BELLAMY.
copyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him
CHAPTER XIV.
A HOLIDAY.


great mills out of sight. 1t was only one
man dead, the world in which 10 moved
crowded along, and If he had come back even
80 soon, he would have had to make a place
for himself, as when he started first. Another
man was born the minute he died, and the
ranks were always kept full
There was q holiday at last, and the people
were the nearest they could get 10 holiday
dress The husbands and fathers had but
few changes 10 make. Their aprons, II they
wero fortunate enough 10 have them, were
of, and their overalls; their sleeves were
rolled down, too, revealing the wear Of storm
and sun on the cheap stuff Of which the
clothes of tho poor are made But the young
men had, most of them, some tlashy color
about their necliS, and Wore some tureuduare
black coat, with here and there a whole
SNOWY suit, bought regardless of the poverty
that stared them in tho face. The higher
classes had taught them the lesson that a
poor man can expect no consideration or
respect anywhere, and each human creature,
whose spirit is not all broken, will sayo his
scant pennies to disguise in the livery Of the
prosperous tho poverty that the world makes
at once his misfortune and his disgrace.
Most of the girls, too, had gilt or rubber jew
elry in abundance, rich looking chains about
their uccks and the most elaborate and
massive earrings. They wore hashing rib
hons OF the most startling colurs, and for
tlr,s,,c, cheap N.tnsy limitations OF the most
costly stulIA
All had gathered near the Breton mansion.
The door was hung with black Grape IN vol
luminous folds \ melancholy hearse with
plume, waving the insignia Of woe, was at
,bn ,,,ra Euf tho faces of The Inul-ifIde
were happy, even gay, and the murmur Of
trci, yniI..t had no Ca,laur, of sadness. Net
far one moment they were quiet. II was
when pi,-ht harchcadel men. with awe in
tb.ii. face, tine awe of nyrtals in the pres
cnre of the .s1.unI mystery of dppth came
Slowly o,,t of the crane hI.l.s door bearing
hot,y,.an tbpr, the flen3,ed lord of the hou.a
tn, o,,,,.,rcl at the dnnr il,r fora of the
heir voune Pbilip. pale and grief stricken,
and an Involuntary hum of greeting met him
from the Deople who lined the roadside and
hustled the carriages in waiting He was
tbnir hone their tr,Istad deliyprpr their
friand Who Ind seen how hard rl,rlr lives
were and had once promised to help them.
His words that night of the fire had sunk
daan into their hearts and been re-
neoted from mouth to mouth. with many
an addition of an eaoer iuaripation. 70
Le sure he had done but little to fulfill his
nronise But there were the fire escape5 TO
heor witness to his honesty. and his father.
tho one they were cxpectei 10 mourn for. \ as
n hard man to move. Had the Young man
not admitted in their meeting he was too
,veel, IN helm thernt Now he was uutram.
r,alao tha Innuestioned owner of the Breton
Mills: his wish was the sole authority hence
forth and he wished kindly to them His
word the only law throughout the great
factory, and lie had given his word to help
them. Not a soul but believed in the dawn
of a vague day of general happiness. Few
had clear IDEAS of the elements of their long
wretChedness They thought everything was
wrong in the system under which the poor
were so unhappy, and the remedy that oc-
Cured to their minds was, of course, to
change everything. No more long hours, no
more scant pay, no more fayuritism; all
should have alike No moro strikes or con-
aicts or complaints or bitterness were
dreamed of, for there would be no hardships
left
Philip thought of Bertha At first it
seemed a year since he had lost her, and he
wondered with n dull ache in his heart where
she coulL be after so long a time
Then it seemed but an hour, SO fresh was
the wound in his heart 1t was her place,
that empty seat by his side, in this supreme
moment of his desolation She could COM
fort him in his loneliness, the most terrible
crushing loneliness that in the midst of
multitude Perhaps he was weak, too weak
for the stern reouisitions of his destiny Per-
haps there was not enough Of the sturdy ele-
ment in his character He would rather
have leaned on some other brace heart than
stand out alone before tho world better
formed for the gepti8 graces OF a friend than
to S-te1i updismayed the ponterous weapons
oP wealth and mower He would have been |
better to nurse the sick and comfort the
fsllan than o4,a ordered to the front of the |
battle where To he sin is iufainy. and to |
eobt deatb to some nitied foe And there
ytao not ono human haino noor or dear.
ann,,,rh ~ hin, n instil ono snorl Of new
on,relro Into bic bcart or I,.iThton NV ona
s,niia Of lovo tho dnrkeninor dnSoIntion that |
seemed 70 have settled over hi, life If
Re,.tha had only waited anotho,. DIV she
could not have p0na she wouId hive stoid
and leorped oeein for very pitv TO love him. |
IL Che mi onIv ,,,oitad o,otha,. d,,,, Rnt No |
doubt the very weakness in him that cried |
out Fo, b,,, ,,io,,a bi,n irco,nIJ, of ho11ircr |
~ ic-a T. IorI 30 ~ ~, ,s-aIf ifs
sonl ia too moor and small for tbe woman NJ |
bis choice to love Bnt that was tho dontb |
of humiliation PhiIin Rreton Ind reached "a |
he law hack on his carriage cushions At |
laost be was oranorons to n,l,e an exc,,se |
80. - -.lsSs,+ 80 - -. - 60 |
tho woman who had deserted him
H. 81 80 fror', I,,itIIo,,+ 10
Interest in what env one in rbe world r,irbt
iti me- any oio III 'no WI IA INV
a. ,.,orlis +Lat foiI ,Irr,l he aa,.
,.Sici, 10 it4 Wali oioa,. ,ir, rir1 +h, ,o,,,,o.
,,ss lii yai,. IL al rir,h+ " IN - 80
"a W, ri,a, NO, A. f,1, ,,,,,,,, a,r,Lo,,
W.; ii ~ ~ not ,lutn Any n'"
..yvhy - Io roc Io,,, ", io,, sior- I+.,
i,,st a r;'rbt W. should as ,,r,i.s ~, ts+ ~.
~ ~ 10 -, ,,aII ;, 80 -''