Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-03-17

The door was hung with black Grape in vol
luminous folds. A melancholy hearse, with
plumes waving the insignia of woe, was at
the gate But the faces of the multitude
were happy, even gay, and the murmur OF
their voices had no cadence of sadness. Yet
for one moment they were quiet. 1t was
when eight bareheaded men, with awe in
their faces, the awe Of mortals in the pres
ence of the grand mystery of death, came
slowly out of the Grape hung door bearing
between them the deposed lord of the house.
Then appear d at the door the face of the
heir, young Philip, pale and grief stricken,
and an involuntary hum of greeting met him
from the people who lined the roadside and
hustled the carriages in waiting He was
their hope their trusted deliverer, their
friend who had seen how hard their lives
were, and had once promised to help them.
His words that night of the fire had sunk
deep into their hearts and been re-
peated from mouth to mouth, with many
an addition of an eager imagination. To
be sure, he had done but little to fulfill his
promise But there were the fire escapes to
bear witness to his honesty, and his father,
the one they were expected to mourn for, was
hard man to move Had the young man
not admitted in their meeting he was too
weak tn help thems Now he was untram-
IT,, ie unquestioned 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 he had given his word to help
them. Not soul but believed in the dawn
of vague day of general happiness Few
had clear ideas of the elements of their long
wretchedpess 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 favoritism; all
should have alike No more strikes or con-
fiicts or complaints or bitterness were
dreamed of, for there would be no hardships
left
Philip thought of Bertha. At first it
seemed year since he had lost her, and he
wondered with dull ache in his heart where
she could be after so long 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 a
multitude. Perhaps he was weak, too weak
for the stern acquisitions 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 brave heart than
stand out alone before the world, better
formed for the gentle graces of friend than
to WELD undismayed the ponderous weapons
of wealth and power. He would have been
better to nurse the sick and comfort the
fallen, than to be ordered TO the front of the
battle, where to be still is infamy, and to
Anyht 10 ,Nifia J nd fbara
was not one human being near or dear
enough to him to instil one spark of new
courage into his heart, or brighten by one
smile of love the darkening desolation that
seemed to have settled over his life. If
Bertha had only waited another day she
could not have gone She would have staid
and learned again for very pity to love him
Ii she had only waited another day But no
doubt the very weakness in him that cried
out for her made him incapable of holding
her love- 1t is hard to confess to oneself, his
soul is too poor and small for the woman of
his choice to love- But that was the depth
of humiliation Philip Breton had reached as
he lay back on his carriage cushions At
least he was generous to make an excuse,
even at the moment of his greatest need, for
the woman who had deserted him.
He heard voices from without. He had no
interest in what any one in the world might
say, he thought, but these words were the
first words that fell upon his ear
''Sick is it, Well, cheer up, girl, the young
boss will make it all right Yer all tired out
and ye niver was fit for much anyhow"
''Will he give us doctors, too"
"Why notl he has 'em when he's sick. It's
just as right we should, as works our best for
him when we're we'll"
Philip was fairly startled into momentary
forgetfulness of his sorrow. But the carriage
moved along few feet and stopped again.
Were the people mad Was it his duty to
keep free hospital and teach the sick to
come whining to him for charity, when illl
Wouldn't it spoil them, to say nothing from
the business point of view9 He began to
sympathize more than ever with his fathers
perplexities, and to feel that perhaps, after
all, his solution of them was the only prac-
ticable one But he heard the rustic of a
woman's dress beside his carriage where it
waited.
'Isnt it splendid to have whole holidayP'
said fresh, girlish voice.
''This isn't the last Molly,n replied man
who stood right against the carriage door.
"They say we're not to work but four days a
week now"
Philip frowned very unpromisingly, but
the girl said
"And how can we git along ON much less
wagesgn
''Why, the wages win be more instead OF
less | guess you don't understand"
Nor did Philip, but the carriage rolled
along before the young man could explain,
and stopped by another group.
"Only eight hours day and every hand
will get just the same. No more favoritism.
Who told mel Why that's been the plan all
along, only the old man wouldn't agree.
Now it's goin' through, though"
The other man laughed. "Well, don't
see how the young boss is goin' to make the
mill pay that fashion, but that's his lookout "
"Paym repeated the sanguine prophet.
"Why those looms just turn Off sheets Of
gold"