Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-01
CHAPTER VIII,.-.sses5-zk5
MARTIN DENE HEsRS NEWS

''I don t like TO listen to tattle about
the men, Dan, - said Martin one morn
ing, as the boy was laying charcoal fire
for him in one of the furnaces of the
great gloomy warehouse.
emo, sir, O course you don't, but
father says we shall all have to clear
when you gets your bag o tricks going -
Your fathers very foolish man +,
Dan, - SAID Martin, smiling.
The boy looked up, rubbed a charcoaly
hand across his face, and grinned.
g Did you hear mother say that?''
ono. -
''That' s what she always says to him
when she rakes him down Tor spending
his wages. She says he goes and spends
it at t saloon so as TO find the missus
there in feathers and fine clothes, while
his own missus wants warm shawl for
the winter -
There was silence here; for Martin was
weighing out some powdered manganese
and placing it in a small crucible; and
Dan i added artistic amusement to his
black job by building up the sticks of
charcoal into kind of tower, that was
less beautiful THAN black.
"Whatcher doing all this here for,
sir?'' he haZarded at last.
ITO make steel cheap, so that it can
be used in a hundred ways.
''That s what father said - cried the
boy eagerly. 'He said that the men
said that Gunnell and Swift said you SAID
it would make steel SO cheap we should
all have to clear.
off ever you hear any one say that
again, Dan, tell them it is vulgar igno-
rance, for 1 am working to do every one
good. -
81 said you was, - cried Dan. ''l
told Big Bob Jarlow as you WASH t the
sort O chap to do any one harm, and he
said you was, and 1 punched his nose for
it, and then we had set-to in the cor
ner of the yard, up behind the steel
stack. -
"Dan, you foolish boy, never get
yourself into trouble by defending me
again.
''AIl right, sir. I did give it to him,
though, before I was done up. He's
such a big strong chap, l did get lick
ing. -
He beat you?''
''Didn t he just, sir? You feel here
what lump we got still in the back Of
my head!'9
Martin did not feel, but went on with
his work with his brow wriRkled, think
ing of the many obstacles which rose up
in the way of success.
CT run agen Gunnell and Swift's two
gals yes Gay, - Dan ventured after d
time, but there was no reply, and the boy
looked over his shoulder to see that Mar
tin had seated himself by a bench with
his back to him and his head in his hands,
porting over some calculations which he
had made.
Dan sighed, for it was dull work there
acting as attendant to the young inventor
"a post he had greatly coveted, and one
which was the envy of all the boys in the
works, consequent upon the highly col
ored narratives given by Dan OF the vari-
Gus firework-like experiments that were
made.
Dan remained silent for a time, and
then, with his tongue all a-quiver to be
used, he went on, quite ignorant of the
fact that his principal was eagerly drink
ing in every word.
81 do like Gunnell and Swift 8 gals
They amt both his gals, cause father
says one on 'em, the little chummy one,
IS Gunneu and Swift's sisters gal, but
she 5 most always here now.
Dan stopped to turn his mouth into
bellows, so as to blow up the charcoal
into a glow.
L
like her.
And then scores of puffs, and Dan went
on, apparently talking to the stick of
charcoal in the model furnace.
Somehow 1 seems to like t'other best
her as you kept from being smashed in
the wheel. She IS so quiet and kind like
Give me quarter one day
More blowing.
. 1 think She jolly soft, though, to go
and marry CATER Gray. Wonder whether
he II leather her after they re married?'
There was a fresh pause, during which
the charcoal gave forth tiny metallic
clicks and sparkled and glowed.
masters always leather their mis-
suses. -
Another pause, amid which Martin
Dene writhed, and his teeth gritted to-
gether.
Father feathers mother, - continued
the boy, 90 'cept when he's took his
wage, and comes home from the sa-
loon. -
Another pause.
"Then mother feathers him and takes |
all his money away. What a jolly fire |
now.' cried Dan, in a satisfied tone.
@ If she didn't we should soon. all be |
for mother couldn It keep |
house on what 1 takes home. 1 give it |
all to her except 10 cents.
There was another pause, amid which |
in spite of his brave efforts to cOncen- |
tTate his mind upon his work-Martin |
Dene could only think of Dinah Swift as |
the wife of the overbearing manager, |
who never met him without look of dis |
like, which changed to one of hatred as
sOon as they had passed.
'Please, sir, may go half an hour |
sooner IS afternoon?'
Eyes, Dan, shall not want you. Go |
now, if you like.
Dan sprang from his knees as if he |
were on springs, darted out of the place, |
and was gone without saying thank |
you, - or noting that a group of three |
men were watching Martin through one /
Of the openings in a louvre of coarse |
woodwork at one end Of the building.
The men shuff1ed away guiltily as the |
boy came out, but satisfied that they |
we're not seen they resumed their position
1T the end of the lone building, far away
at the end of the large works, and hidden
from the other shops and foundries by |
piles of balks and stacks O. pig iron and
steel.
Now it so happened that Gabriel Gray
had been out, had encountered Council