Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-03-01

bustling movement Of impatience. The nm
reasonable beings had no conception Of the
principles Of political economy, but always
had some particular hardship Of their own to
urge against its beautiful theories, as IL what
made the rich more rich must not In some
way help the beggars even that cringcd at
their feet.
"Well, well, don't mean to cut you again
| II you don't bother me too much. / have
lost so much that really can't afford an
other dollar of expense" He rang the bell
| for the servant
There was gleaIn of sarcastic humor in
John Graves black eyes
"But wouldn't it now be quite q loss TO
burn up thousand such good cheap factory
! hams. wouldn't thought you could afford
that. These fire ,scapes now
"Show them out, Mary" interrupted Mr..
Breton angrily. You might as well know,
I could find thousand as good and as cheap,
in a 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 lc
burned to DEATH" expostul tied Philip, flush
ing with excitement
Nothing of the kind, sir, only that-but
do you take sidc1 with thcml That is the
last thing expected, tina my own son would
take part against me- Possibly the old
| gentleman was n little ashamed of having
spoken quite as harshly to the workmen us
he had. 1t would h. repeated all about
town. And it was certainly incautiOus, but
his very uneasinesS made him the moro pro
voked at Philips suggestion. II presume
you picked up q few socialistic ideas at
school. No doubt you would like to put on
the fire escapes ont of the money your
mother left youn lie rang the bell violently
Eyes would,n exclaimed Philip, his eyes
lighting mp. II will bc very glad to pay for
it all 1t 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 bc burned to"-
MARY, bring those three nen back" in.
terrupted Mr.. Breton.
"But they are ON the street by this"
at makes no difference" and the choleric
old gentleman brought his fist down with n
crash Oil the table. go after them il you
have to chase them n mile. Bring them back,
I say"
The little Office clock licked its loudest to
break the silence until the door opened to let
in the returning committee. What could it
mean9 Mr. Breton stood with his back
turned to them, drumming on the 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 meeting" )" said
Mr.. Breton in a constrained voice, without
facing the worfmen, 'that my son will put
on tho fire escapes at his own expense That
is ALL"
The men were astonished. So the young
mill owners son had begun to redeem his
promise of the night of the fire. There wero
rough words of gratitude OH their lips, their
hearts were in glow, after the first chill of
disappointment but there was an influence
in the little office that hushed their eager
speech, and they only ducked their heads in
awkward acknowledgment and followed the
| maid out.
"Did you suppose" said Mr.. Breton in
calmer tone as he left the window and took
his chair by the long table, 'that was 60
ing to let you pay for those fire escapesa Not
q penny, my dear boy, but you can have the
credit of it, discradit l should call it." He
opened the drawer and drew out sheet of
business paper
"The Breton Mills" was printed at the top.
He dipped his pen in the ink and wrote in the
date
Then ho wrote the address, as follows:
"John T. Giddinss, Esq, Attorney at Law,
42 Loring street, Lockout"
"Please sit down, Phil. am not much in
the habit of talking of my business to any
body, but presume it is your right to know
this" Mr.. Breton laid down his pen and
clasped his hand. behind his back. II want
to make this mill four times its present size;
l haven't the money, but other men have. 1
am going to take those other men in with
me, and then turn the whole thing into cor
poration. Giddings is managing it for me"
Philips face fell. A corporation Then
all his thoughts of some day letting a littlo
light into the lives of the villagers, SO far
always III the shadow, his dreams which had
lent d new dignity to his life, We're all for
nothing A soulless corporation, with no.
body to blame for an act of injustice! How
IT would rivet the shackles of the poor past
any power of his hands to loose them.
"What is the trouble, my boyF' smiled his
father, in his superior wisdom Zone would
think you wanted the tough job have had
over again It is too much, too much for q
man. why. ! thought was doing you kind
hess A. man thinks, at first, he is strong,
TINT he won't care tor the murmurs and the
threatcnings Of his help, but he gets tired
The amount Of power, almost like Gods, Phi
lip" said Mr. Breton excitedly, almost like
Gods which big fortune gives man, il
too much, too much He came around tho
table, and put his hand on his sons shoulder
1.-THE people poor and unhappy; we can't
shut our eyes to it. Don't we alt WONDER"
he went on in this new, strange mood Philip
was fairly startled at, "dont we all wonder
What life is wors.. to then that they arg 50
hungry for the bread that keeps the breath i'll
them! And they all blanc the men who own
the mills, they think it is our hardness and
injustice. A man may know he is all right,
that rich men have always done as I've il
doing, that the few always have the best Of
everything, and seem to deprive the masses
| of their rights. But it wears on a man; he
wants to get behind somebody or something
occasionally"
The little office clock licked on restleasly,
for another week, and Philip had come to
feel that to be in love may be the most ter
rihIe misfortune of mans life. His pride
had not let him call again ON Bertha for days
of distress, days of hot dry wretchedness.
whose dawn was new, pitiless reminder Of
his quenchless passion that met only insult
1t was insult, as he felt it, for lover has
sersibilities painfully acute, and can detect
the slightest change in womans relations
with him, by signs too subtle for unstimu-
lated observation. hairs breadth varia-