Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-03-15
CHAPTER XIV.


ardent lover In the universe. His fruitful
bride, earth, nniled her glad welcome up to
him, but gave place to settled peace and love
as the early hours went by. But it was the
saddest day of Philip Breton's life, so terri
BILE thunderbolt had fallen upon him out OF
the clear sky.
A woman's hand had struck him; and he
had looked to her for all the most precious
experiences Of life. Humiliation might have
stirred in some hearts blessed reaction to
relieve their aching consciousness of loss;
but the blow to his love and his hopes was SO
much heavier than the hurt of his pride that
he did not think to be insulted, he was only
overwhelmed. There could be no escape for
him; he had been SO simple to give his whole
heart to q woman before he had married
her; to teach every taste to incline toward
her; to suffer every little rill of tenderness
and worship in his being to pour into his
ideal of her. And all his plans touched her
somewhere; and all his thoughts, even such
as she could never understand, wound about
her personality as he conceived OF it at some
point in their processes. And now every
hour of his life must be embittered by some
reminder of what he had hoped for and lost
The balmy south wind that morning was like
her breath; the soft murmur of the water in
the raceway below the mill was like her
voice; q blonde face looked down from one
of the windows Of the weave room, there was
O fitting expression on it like Bertha. And
so it must be forever.
At the head of the counting room table sat
Mr.. Breton, smiling and bland. Before him
were piled the heavy tones containing the
records of his great factory; by his side stood
two clerks to assist in handling and explain
ing them. Around the table, attentive and
eager, wero gathered as many as could get
there, of shrewd, hard business men. A
dozen more of the same unmistakable species,
stood about the room and leaned against the
windows, quiet and observant listening to
all that could throw any light on the matter
under discussion. It was the momentous
meeting of the prospective stockholders in the
corporation looming up in magnificent pro-
portions before their fancies.
The paymaster and the attorney stood at
hand apt with suggestions; one of them had
tho smile born of fond hopes of unlimited
fees; but the other an awkward fretted air at
the sudden change from one to so many
superiors The mill owner was detailing to
this most interested audience the details Of
the hourishing industry he desired to enlist
them in, and their eyes shono eagerly at the
prospect of buying such stock at par. They
imagined their thousands doubling on their
hands in such an investment, doubling with
out On effort of theirs, doubling in spite of
their idleness which added never one stroke
Of theirs to the sum of the muscular forco
that furnishes tho wealth Of the world.
But what could possess Breton to make this
oh hn iolN ,nt,1 A her 1r11
who ever was rich enougha Perhaps there
was some flaw somewhere and this cunning
lawyer knew all about it. They must not let
themselves bo fooled, SO Ethey listened with
still quickcned attention, and waded suspic-
iously into ono after another of the big
ledgers, for few pages, to ferret out the
secret.
'The gentlemen may ask, Mr.. Giddings,
the lawyer, had noticed the puzzled express
sion on their shrewd faces, "why Mr.. Breton
makes this offer. From the amount of stock
we propose to issue, it ought to be clear
enough" and no laid his fat finger in the
palm of his left hand. HE proposes to keep
just as big an interest here as ever, but the
plan is to make these mills, as they shall be
extended, gentlemen, as they shall be ex-
tended the most stupendous manufacturing
enterprise in the country. For that there
must be more capital, and you are invited to
join"
Philip had but little to say to the unwel-
coma visitors, whose carriages, of all varie-
ties Of elegance, lined the roadside without.
He moved about among them more like q
stranger than the least pretentious of them
all
'Ellingsworth, Mr.. Ellingsworth," ;" called
Mr.. Breton, ''why, he was with me only last
night Can he be sickg'
Yes, sick with shame, and Philip thought
how quickly the flush Of pride would fade
out of his fathers pleased face, if he knew
knew that his own son, the heir of his mil
hons, had been discarded at last by the girl
he had already taken into daughters place
in his heart. And it was this same man
Philip had defended and argued for, that
had struck his dc2dliest blows at tho mills,
and now thrust ~ l;n!to into the very home
Of 80 la H.. - Uoall cmbittc. the
fathers life, when he came to know Of the
broken heart his boy must bear forever-but
h. need not know just yet.
Now and then the young man went out
into the hall for clear view of the massive
mills, and glanced fearfully along their front,
and listened. But the roar of the machinery
did not abate, and through the Jail like win.
dows he could see the tireless men and women
forms stepping backward and forward, rails.
ing and lowering their hands at the tasks that
had ushered in their cherries youth, and
were wearing out their tedious lives. Very
likely there would be no trouble could it be
they had been influenced by his words? God
forbid that any such responsibility should
rest on him. Once, q man appeared at O
door. Philips heart stopped beating for an
instant; he thought him the first of long
line that would now rush forth from theil
prison. But the man only stood listlessly q
moment as if there was absolutely nothing OF
IMPORTANCE on his mind, and then went back
So Philip returned to the office.
SIS that Breton's son, that young man who
looks so pallet Ho don't seem to take much
interest in this business"
"Ive always noticed business talent wears
out in one generation. The father earns and
saves for the son to spend"
True for you" said a third, apparently Of
Irish birth. "Well, we won't want tho boys
services when the old man dies"
Hush, Breton is talking"
'tAnd, gentlemen, I have never known O
strike here, though certainly don't pay any
more wages than my neighbors" There was
slight noise Of something falling outside
and Philip hurried out. Tie mill yard was
as q6iet as on Sunday; not soul in the
whole village apparently who thought of O
strike but him. And whether he feared most
an outbreak or u day Of peace he could moi
have told.