Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-15

arm struck ana cruSned carson, w0O 1ou to the street with the force of bull that has received his death-blow.
 For few seconds Carson was uncon- scious, and could not comprehend what had happened. The crowd cheered, and Ned Newcomb, picking up the hat and dinner-basket of the trembling girl in whose behalf he had struck an effective blow, held them until she was ready to receive them from his hands. Ned Newcomb read her thanks in her glorious eyes, and felt that he had never seen any one half 50 beautiful in all his life.
 Carson's companions swaggered and swore, but Newcomb did not wince be- fore their threats. Then Clarence Car son picked himself up, considerably sobered by the shock, but fierce with rage.
 For the first time since the encounter Ned Newcomb realized that he had knocked down the nephew of his employ. CT nt the steel mill but he said to his com. panions, "It makes no difference; if he was the son of the President of the Uni ted States I would have done the same thing, because no living man can insult a woman when am by!"
 This sentiment was greeted with cheer, and before it died away, Carson said
 ''I'n take care to get even with you for this"
 Ned Newcomb might have pleaded that he did not know who it was that he struck, but he felt that it would be cowardly to do this, and rising to his full height, he said:
 "Mr. Carson, your threats have no ter. TOTS for me. You were acting the coward. ly part of q rowdy toward a defenseless girl on her way to work, and don't care how rich or influential you are, felt it was my duty as man to protect her from your insults. may be the loser by it, but I am not afraid of the consequent ces. I only know that my mother is a woman, and that have sisters for whom would shed the last drop of my blood rather than have them insulted the way i you attempted to insult this hard-work- | ing girl. You would not have dared to insult her so if she was clad in silks and sealskin."
 "Bah, you.are d clod," retorted Carson, from whose nose the blood still ran free ly; "and you'll be sorry for this. mark my words"
 "I have no fear" said Newcomb "either now or hereafter" But Clarence Carson showed no disposition to take summary vengeance, and contented him. self with few promiscuous remarks of a sulphurous nature.
 "Go for him now, Carson," said the of- lenders companions; "wen stand by you"
 l T., 1o1 ho fv~i0 tempt.
 "Come on, at once, all of you " he shouted, "and take satisfaction, if you are men and not CUTS, as believe you to ] be-" and as he spoke he seemed more I than match for them.
 "Paste him, paste him!" exclaimed Carson's cumulative companions, but that worthy had learned prudence from his sudden contact with the sidewalk, and he did not yearn for a repetition of the exasperating experience.
 Accordingly he compromised with his "wounded honor" by iberally indulging in threats of wrath to come, and so sneaked away as soon as he could from | what he knew was an awkward and humilating predicament.
 Ned Newcomb was overwhelmed with congratulations from the on-lookers Strangers shook him warmly by the hand, and said he had acted nobly, until they began to make him feel ashamed.
 He hated notoriety of any sort, and would rather escape the attention of the crowd without a word of applause than be made so much of, but this was impos sible. He was a hero i'll spite of himself
 u.,h hoI ,sr;y, y,1 :,, suits of a drunken trio, and every mar and boy who witnessed the act, and who had spark of chivalry in his nature ad mired him for it.
 EThis admiration of Ned Newcomb wa not lessened by the fact that the youns man whom he chastised was the favorite nephew of President Carson, of the Grimsby Steel Works, before whom al Grimsby bowed in homage. Newoomt was employed at the works in question and it was soon whispered about that he would have to look for work elsewhere
 It was not pleasant to hear such things and the brave young man was anxious tt get away from the crowd. Indeed, ht would have got away much earlier, were it not that his eye scanned the multitude eagerly for a missing face-the face O, her he had rescued from the embrace O Clarence Carson, and which was destined to haunt him all his life, but it was not t< be seen.
 It was bitter disappointment to Net Newcomb that he could not see he again, and so he hurried away from th
 questioners and walked rapidly down tn
 street in the direction of the Grimsb, Steel Mill, where he expected discharg awaited him as punishment for assaul1
 ing the nephew of President Carson il defense of mere working girl. CHAPTER IT. , AFAIR FACTORY GIRL. l ]N ALFan hour lat, :. M ~ fW These words wer = N$MMy%T%&I spoken in & tone (