Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-01

and aching muscles, while on top or the en- zine beside the bell, which rang with every stroke of the brakes, stood their foreman keeping time with his arms and whole body, and encouraging them with his hoarse, ex- cited voice. Then there were three hydrants in fnll operation and crowd of men to keep the hose in condition, and four more in rub her suits to hold the nozzles and direct the streams of fast flowing water where it would nuickest subdue the fierce flames There seemed nothing for Philip to do. He was worth no more than the crowd of chattering women. who stood as near the fire as their rough voiced men would let them. How odd their thin white faces looked, half hid by the shawls tied about their heads. It was great event in their dull, monotonous lives; the very foundations of their world seemed shaken. and they could not talk fast enough to express their crude thoughts at the break ing up of old associations.
 ssCarry the hose up to the next story, 2 shouted the foreman.
 ssThe ladder is not long enough" answered one of the men in rubber suits.
 "Can't you climba Who can, thenT'
 This was Philips opportunity, and he hur- ried up the ladder two rounds at time. Then he swung himself off on the lightning rod Its sharp edges cut his tender hands, but in his eagerness he did not notice it. IE a moment more be had pulled himself up tc the window sill and burst ill the sash. Then he reached down for the hose and cheer went up for the rich mans son who was moi afraid of work.
 He heard his fathers voice below thanking the men for their devotion, as the sulle1 flames seemed to give way before their tire less efforts. But it was no time now for icle felicitations The fire seemed under control but if the mastery were relaxed, it would leap high again in its fury, and the other mills must go too, for all they stood now S, cold and proud. The smoke grew thinner i the window where Philip stood, so he coult look down on the sweaty faces and bending forms of the men at the brakes. Everythil. depended on them, and how strong they sen the water through the hose he held, ant forced back the fire inch by inch from it prey If they could only keep it up @ fev moments more the mills would be out o danger. Each stroke of the brakes made tn, hose throb against his side almost like |; giants pulse God grant them strength |; few moments more.
 Suddenly he heard loud voice raise, above the murmur of the crowd
 "Wise boys ye be, to clench the nails i yer own collins. Amt this mill yer jail an its bosses your jailers? Is there fool of y all, but knows old Breton who grins SO mic tonight on ye, but knows him for a tyrant who grinds us to powder?'
 Philip saw short, burly man whose hai- was cropped close to his round head, sho,l: ing and gesticulating wildly, as he made L; way up to the engine and then leaped upo, it. The brakes stop moving and the fir sends up new tongues and leaps along tn smoking beams and rafters in fresh fury while the men listened breathlessly to tn: stranger. Tke women too gather nearer, an; look in curiosity at their husbands an brothers who drink in so eagerly his poisone, words.
 "I s'pose ye thought ye didn't work lon, enough for yer ninety cents a day. But y hev. Ay, boys, that big heap O brick stand for that old mans meanness; it's the machir to crush ye. It's the way he bleeds ye. Bu how sweet he is tonight Ye never notice it before, did ye9 He's seed you a starvil on the wages he paid, and yer purity darter gone to the bad for the want of few thing all gals kinder like. Some on ye, too, hf got old and cripples ill his service. He ai,. ever guy mite, has he? Now it's you turn"
 And the man shouted loud above the hiss ing, cracking flames that leaped out of dozen windows in wild glee "Let his mill burn fur warnin' to such as he who maE so much sorror and misery in this ere purt.. world that if Satan tortured their cruel sou! forevermore, it wouldn't be feather in tn balance. Let him know the despair of poor man for once."
 It was almost madness that glittered in tn fellows darting eyes, and his voice grey hoarse and terrible as he pointed his thic fingers at the mill half hid in smoke, lit up Ii spots with forks of flame.
 "Let every plank of it go. It's only serve to make him richer each month, and y poorer. Such a machine as that don't dc sarve to stand. Let his riches he's used S poor turn to ashes this night. Tears an prayin' couldn't git equal rights for us; tn fire will do it, though" midst.
 He had lost his hat, and stood pale ill hi agony in the presence of the men wh thought he had wronged them. He was COT scious of no guilt; he had only made hi money as others made theirs; fairer, indeed than mere money lenders, who added notf ing to the worlds productions. He knew, ( course, the poor suffered, but a man can't | too squeamish, and the same road was ope to them that he had taken. And as fc wages, who could blame a man for gettin help as cheaply as he can! That is busines MT. Breton knew but one argument fe i them.
 eff you want pay," he shouted, sshere l money, a dollar an hour to each man." | But not face relaxed; he looked fearful l from one to another, and then up at tt | grinning face of the stranger, "only say my mill" The old man put up his hand t his white hair in a piteous gesture as | l glanced at the sheets of flame and luri smoke that shut off the sky above his devote mill.
 ''See the fire grows every second, we al lost unless you go to work will pay te dollars an hour"
 The brakes began to move slowly up an down. Philip felt the water throb throug the hose as it touched his side, but it ws only one fitful squirt, for the stranger, wt seemed to hold the mills at his mercy, ha found his voice again.
 "Keep yer money, old man; you will nee every penny of it, for you've cheated yer la. out of yer help in them mills. Yer mill ht got to go."
 Philip saw his father turn toward his mill the pride of his life, and look as fondly ;
 their grim walls as man on the woman
 loves, and the tears of futile agony wet Ia
 cheeks. That moment the young man age
 ten years.
 The crowd fell back again, and anotht l cfrso ,