Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-05-17
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BY CHARLES ]. BELLAMY.
copyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him.
CHAPTER xxx.
INcArTInrs nRIVING-
BY CHARLES ]. BELLAMY.

eyes showed again. He had forgotten for q
moment, but he ought never to forget. How
could he tell what moment he would be called
upon to strain overy nerve to save his dar-
ling. He torc open tho letter in uncontroll-
able terror; oh, it was only from Philbrick.
Had Bertha noticed his excitement and would
she question him in wifely concernl Hc had
so much to guard against. But no, her grace
full arm was raised to pour his coffee, inclin-
ing her head prettily on one side as women
do always at tea and coffee pouring She did
not watch his face as he did hers She had
not even noticed tho change that had como
over him of late, that shocked every casual
acquaintance on the street. But that made
it SO much the easier for him to keep tho
secret from her; he told himself he ought to
be thankful for it, instead of ever permitting
his foolish heart to ache He ran his eyes
rapidly over tho letter his white haired
friend had sent him
II suppose it is paper thrown away, but
want to remind you once moro of my offer
to take your mill off your hands. have
made up my mind to try my scheme some
where. l am old and feel as if would like
to do something for my race with my money,
which havo now well in hand. Will you
let me have your mills for what have got?
If not I shall try elsewhere. The reason
want your mills is because l propose to give
you chance to tako rart in my beautiful in
dustrial plan. I will pay you one-third its
valuation, one-third you shall keep at per
cent. interest till we can buy that in also, the
other third am going TO let you give in trust
for the benefit of the help as my discretion
shall dictate. This is glorious opportunity,
but suppose lam wild to expect you to take
it, except that have read in the newspapers
OF growing discomfort among your help.
Various reasons arc given for it; my explana-
tion is that little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump. If you were working to stop
complaints you should not have hegun your
reforms You may happen to see things as l
do, and be willing to let me try where you
have failed If SO, telegraph me at once
and will come"
Philip folded tho letter thoughtfully and
put it back in its envelope. No, he was not
ready for that yet But he did not smile.
II it should over happen that he be called
upon to sacrifice everything to save his vito
but Philbrick required that he accept at
once No, he was not ready yet.
"Ohl" said his wife, as If a sudden thought
had struck her, "do you remember your
promise, you are to take me through the mills
today"
"Did I promise thati" He put back hil
coffee cup untasted.
off,"
''But you must" His face drew dark al
the thought that she should put at naught all
his careful plans to secure her present safety.
Bertha pushed back her chair and rising an.
grily to her feet, swept from the room with
out another word. Philip tried in vain to
swallow the mouthfuls Of food he so much
needed, then he started on foot for the mill
That Bertha should be angry with him
seemed the last intolerable blow Was he not
bearing enough before9 He had made her
unhappy. Perhaps she was weeping hot tears
of impatience now. She had thought he
loved her enough to grant her every wish
that might cross her heart Philip was
tempted to go back and explain everything.
Then she would not doubt his love, but she
would have to share his agony with him. II
were better to bear his burdens alone-ever
to this last burden of her unnerited reproach.
His sympathy for her grew stronger than his
consciousness Of his own unhappiness. OF
course she would be hurt that he had denied
her anything; il it had been a ribbon, it
would have been the same. He was to blame
for letting her leave him in vexation. He
should have forgotten his own grievances
and soothed her with gentle words till she
smiled on him. It was not because she
wanted the thing SO much, but it was the
tirst time ho had ever crossed her wishes.
Philip was SO absorbed in his thoughts tha
he did not observe that he was close upon an
excited crowd of village people, until such
words as these fell upon his ear:
"A noice friend of the poor man he be,
with his four fancy hosses, his silver dishes
to eat his victuals out Of, and his house like
kings palace, while we lives and dies in dirt
and poverty. Who made him better nor us2
do he work harder? do he sleep less? No, but
0r11
while us starves on tea and crackers; he
sprawls on his fine cushions, and sleeps in his
soft beds, while we rot in close atticks, and
loafs in dirty saloons, the poor mans only
home What title have he got to have. bet
ter than we, and give himself airs over us"
Philip was astonished. The man who stood
on the steps of one of the tenement houses,
lnstructlng an audience extending quite
across tho highway, was no other than the
lncendiary who he'd so nearly caused the ruin
OF tho E"cHol .'G = ~, n..-i't OF t., great
lire. g l-I4o"'G hair was cropped as close
to his bullet head as it was then.
The audience was mostly made up of old
men, women and children, with here and
there an able bodied man, who preferred talk
ing about his rirEt.; to deserving anything.
One or two had observed the young mill
owner, but they took no pains to spread the
intelligence, and in moment more the agita-
tor had caught his breath and went on:
"He feeds his bosses Rloren would keep two
poor families. The wines he drinks every day
cost enough to keep another two.
Perhaps the man was right in his tirade.
Perhaps Philip Breton had only begun to
grasp the first outlines of the great question
he had fancied mastered.
'But ye kiss his hand.n
mo, we won'tm shouted the crowd. There
stood Thomas Bales, Philips discharged SER
want, in the middle of tho street. shouting
with tho rest. He could afford to be idle
since his last liberal present.
"Ye will thank him for his bein' so kind to
ye."
"No, moi" screamed tho women. What a
fool Philip Breton had been to count on graft
tude. human nature is too progressive to DO
grateful. Perhaps he deserved no thanks.
he had done more than others for his help
The more fool he was, all sides would agree,
unless be went further. He ought to have
been either d thorough radical, or a thorough
conservative. All parties abuse the half way
reformer A vessel Of pottery between two
Ja,s OF iron, he is certain to be crushed
=. A carriage was struggling down the street.
How slow tho crowd were to give way. They
were SO much interested in their orator that
they did not notice they were obstructing
the highway.
''What good is such men as hima our wo-
men is stronger than them sort" 1S E-
The horse seemed spirited, or else not
properly guided. All, the driver ought not
to use a whip in such situation as this.
Good heavensi the horse had become un-
manageable A man, it was Bales himself,
and woman had been struck by the shafts
and rolled under the feet of the horse, who
was now rearing and plunging, while the
crowd scattered in all directions with screams
and curses.
Under the very wheels of the carriage lay
o woman stunned and helpless from the blow
sda l.nd Al