Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-25

Gus strokes as if in tremulous fear and a
their impulse the young mans blood courseC
through his veins in uncomfortable excite
ment 1t was but two minutes more wher
/ Philip drew up short at the mill yard gates
/ TO escape the engine which swept by with q
/ rush, dragged by a crowd of shouting men
| The people hatless, coatless, and some ever
/ barefooted in their haste, poured out Of every
/ street and alley way, and into the wide oper
I gates, everybody talking and nobody listen
/ ing.
But Bertha had hardly spoken during thu
| drive home, and now seemed very little in
terested in the disturbance.
1.-THE mills are on fire." cried Philip
dropping his reins and turning his excited
| face toward her.
$50 see,n she said cooly, land hadnt
you better drive onF
"Why, | ought to be here" He looked
nervously at the hurrying crowd and bach
into Berthas cold beautiful face. "Couldnr
you wait in one Of these tenementsl Thest
are all nice people"
But she made no motion, and only looked
at his flushed face in annoyed surprise
''What are you thinking of l stop witt
these peoplep
"Or drive on home without me. The
horses are gentle and you are such good
driver, you know
Philip was growing terribly restless; the
people came faster and faster, and his eager
eyes followed each man and woman into the
gates with increasing anxiety. Even Bertha
noticed the curious looks the passers by gave
to the carriage that blocked the way.
81 couldn't think of it," she said in
measured tones that reminded Philip, ever
at such a moment as that, of her father's
"You had better drive along; there, not Sc
fast. Why will you run the horsesi You
almost brighten me-"
1t took but few moments to reach Bertha:
home, but it seemed a long time to Philip
who kept looking back over his shoulder al
the flames which to his excited fancy seemed
rising higher at every glance He stopped
the horses at Bertha's door at last, and leap
ing to the ground, assisted her to alight. The
horses were painting, but there was no time
even to give them breath, and in an instant
more Philip was back in his seat But
Bertha stood as if she had something to say,
and he waited before he drew up the reins.
"You will make mistake in leaving me
to myself tonight"
He thought there was mysterious touch of
self distust in her voice that was soft and
almost tender as she looked fixedly at him.
the warm passionate woman soul had been
born in her; and he longed in his rapture to
to fall at her feet and kiss them He was
forgetting the mill in flames as he drank in
the new sweet hope she seemed to give him.
He could not leave her thus with that won
derful light in her eyes. No doubt the fire
was subdued, and how little he could do at
best; there were so many stronger than he.
But suddenly a tongue of flame leaped up
into the black sky like lightning.
~ would SO love to stay, darling, but the
mills are on frenzy fathers mills. might
save them. Don't you understanding would
be infamous in me to-
81 only said you make a mistake"
Till he dies Philip Breton never will forget
that scene; the darting flames reckoning him
away, and this beautiful woman, for whose
first fond caress he would have given every
thing but his manhood and honor, inviting
him to stay. And in her changed face he
thought he saw such sweet promise of love
if he stayed and such sure presage of evil if
he went.
Good night" he said with faltering voice
as he drew up the reins.
GOOD night" she answered slowly as she
turned to go in, and he thought he heard her
other sentence over again, "You make mis-
take"
1t was Number Two mill on fire, but all
that ingenuity and strength could do seemed
doing as well without Philip. The men were
as busy as bees, Fifty manned the brakes of
the hand engine, and pumped as vigorously
as if there was no such thing as lame backs
and aching muscles, while on top of the en-
CINE 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 full operation and a crowd of men to keep
the hose in condition, and four more in rub
Der suits to hold the nozzles and direct the
streams of fast flowing water where it would
quickest 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. 1t 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.
Garry the hose up to the next story"
shouted the foreman.
1.-THE ladder is not long enough" answered
one of the men in rubber suits.
Cant you climb Who can, thenp
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. In
a moment more he had pulled himself up to
the window sill and burst in the sash. Then
he reached down for the hose and cheer
went up for the rich mans son who was not
afraid of work.
He heard his fathers voice below thanking
the men for their devotion, as the sullen
flames seemed to give way before their tire
less efforts. But it was no time now for idle
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 SO
cold and proud. The smoke grew thinner in
the window where Philip stood, SO he could
look down on the sweaty faces and bending
forms of the men at the brakes. Everything
depended Oh them, and how strong they sent
the water through the hose he held, and
forced back the fire inch by inch from its
prey. If they could only keep it up few
more the mills would be out of
hanger Each stroke of the brakes made the |
nose throb against his side almost like a |
giants pulse. God grant them strength a
Few moments more.
Suddenly he heard loud voice raised |
above the murmur of the crowd.
"Wise boys ye be, to clench the nails in |
yer own collins. Amt this mill yer jail and !
is bosses your jailers1 Is there a fool of We |
ILL., but knows old Breton who grins so nice |
jo-night on ye, but knows him for tyrant, |
Who grinds us to powders'
Philip saw short, burly man whose hair [
vas cropped close to his round head, shout
ng and gesticulating wildly, as he made his |
way up to the engine and then leaped upon
t. The brakes stop moving and the fire
ends up new tongues and leaps along the
moking beams and rafters in fresh fury,
While the men listened breathlessly to this