Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-25
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Bfe1oD NlllS
nv CHARLES pE1I AMY
BY CHARLES J. BELLAMY.
Copyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him.
CHAPTER WI.
A TEST,


was assisting Bertha into his beach wagon
for twilight drive.
"Father has left town for a few days.
Didn't you kuowi Suppose you let me have
the back seat. The world is large enough TO
afford us u seat apiece tonight"
Bertha adjusted her wraps and tho horses
stepped off down the street as gayly as if
their driver had not been disappointed
There was not very much conversation to-
day; indeed there never was unless Philip
afforded it. Bertha considered she did her
part in looking well, smiling prcttily at his
witticisms with now and then "A remark, if
she felt inclined. But today Philip was
moody and silent. So Bertha gave herself
up TO the sensuous delight of riding, and only
spoke in mild EXPLANATIONS of admiration of
the scenery as they left the will rye behind
and followed up the winding riv :.
But suddenly Philip saw a mans form
swaying easily while he took great strides
along the foOtpath.
"Curran,n he exclaimed and stopped his
horses close beside him. The man turned, and
one might have thought he did not recognize
the occupants Of the carriage, except that
there was the least bit of a flush on his face
which bore the lines of interrupted medita-
ton. Then he bowed slightly to Philip.
"And you don't recollect me, suppose"
smiled Bertha.
~ am not so stupid" he said, letting his
steel blue eyes rest admiringly upon her.
1--WE are going to Lockout, too. You must
get in with us.'
mo, won't crowd you; don't move"
And he turned little away from them as if
to continue his walk.
"Certainly you mustl" said Bertha; "see
have a whole seat to myself and it is so stupid.
Please"
And Curran took the seat she offered him,
holding back her wraps till he was seated,
and then releasing them.
ado you think shall ever learn to weave
cotton clothf' asked Philip to call his atten-
ton to their days work together.
81 presume so, il you really mean to. But
it is lucky you haven't got your board to pay
meanwhile"
But Curran did not smile, and was very i'll
at ease. He seemed to be lifted, body and
soul, into the very life he was accustomed to
rebuke The beautiful horses of the rich
were harnessed today to his pleasure with
their gold plate trimmings. What right had
he here9 He said nothing of it, but felt intense
ly the falseness of his position The delicate
springs hurt him, and every sign of lavish
wealth in the dress of his companions. He
wanted no interests with the rich; his life
work must he against them; he desired no
association with luxurious manner of life
NulCh Oubhb W upbld IIltlc illllSJ llpJ
be one chain of gold to unite him with the
wealthy class in whom he saw the enemies of
the people
And yet he was taking delight in this wo-
mans presence, new delight, such as tho
women of the poor had never given him.
And was not she the very essence of luxury
and refinement He hated himself for it, but
for all he tried to look elsewhere he kept seq
ing the sparkle of the diamonds on the
whitest hand he had ever seen. He enjoyed
the lilies of the valley set in mosaic at her
throat, which showed its creamy white
against the delicate ruf1es, and the comb
with its band of Roman gold almost the
shade of the ripping hair it restrained But
were not these the very eXtravagances the
poor bad to struggle to earn for herr He
ought to be Illuminating whitening sentences
for such as She
~ will get out at the rocks and walk the
rest of the way said Curran at last, as they
could catch a glimpse of Lookout in the dis
lance 1.-The workmen | want to talk to
would hardly understand my coming with
carriage and pair"
The rocks came but mile from Lock-
out and the horses trotted SO well that the
spot was reached in n few moments more. The
road at this point had been cut through q
side hill of sandstone by dint of great blast
ing and the jagged edges jutted out angrily
at the passers by.
"There must be wonderful landscape on
the other side of the rocksn said Bertha, as
Philip stopped his horses for Curran to
alight. Have you plenty of time" she
asked, before the workman could express his
thanks
can hour to spare
She looked wistfully at the cnvious rocks
that shut them in and then at Curran's |
grave face.
II would so like to see that view from the |
top of the rocks if L had some one to help |
me"
Currans face suddenly flushed with |
pleasure. Il should like to help you"
In minute more Bertha was climbing the |
rocks with her strange escort, and Philip sat |
holding his horses quite little distance back. |
You didn't talk very much during our
drive" said Bertha, as she stood with her |
companion looking off down the valley, lis |
it so wicked of lis to be richn
He shot a sudden deprecating look at her.
Don't force me SO far. | cannot say it |
nown
Bertha smiled. "Then leave me out of it;
say Philip instead"
He is enjoying the fruits of terrible injus-
tice"
But would his father have been rich un-
less he had deserved itF asked Bertha.
thousand human creatures should well nigh
starve, and he be richl If he has deserved to
be rich you must say they have merited STAR
vation.H
The girl liked to hear his earnest, thrilling
tones and watch his eyes flash and his nos
trils dilate with such rare passion
as it just" he went on, that no matter
how unweariedly a laborer works. his idle
neighbor, as surely as the sun sets should
l.,.-, IL I
he must stay forever poorf Is days work
worth nothingl Then why does it bring in
some capitalist thousands of dollars for
stroke of his penn
Bertha understood but little of what he
was saying, but she could look ntently at
him with wide open blue eyes, which had a
pretty trick Of changing expression as if in
closest sympathy with a speaker Curran
felt no one had half listened to him before,
that at last every word told, and he was
strangely excited by the sweet mystery of
their common inspiration.
"Great wealth is made up of 10000 trick
ling streams, drained from the paltry earn
ings of as many defrauded workmen Mere
cunning scheming ought not enable a man to
turn aside the great river of plenty, which
flows for all men. Why these shrewd BUSH
ness men, whom so many praise, have so in-
geniously placed their chains on the laborer,
that the harder he struggles to escape from
poverty, he only turns the faster the wheel
that grinds out fortunes for his masters, and
draws him in at last to be crushed II
He hesitated for her to ask him some uues-
tions, and perhaps it was already as plain to
her as to him. At any rate, she only looked
off to the west where the glow of sunset was
fast fading, and then back into his face re-
gretfully.
81 suppose we ought to go down, she said.
"Why, yes, had forgotten whether it was