Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-10
OR, THE QUEEN OF THE FACTORY.
Bv y. NGONK FOSTER,
ian Rights Reserved. ]

special business, SO the clerks said when
/ inquired after him. On the floor of
Harwood g room, as | went in, l saw a
letter lying. 1t was the one you sent
him. was prompted by curiosity to
read it, and found il so extremely inter-
esting that 1 copied it, then l put the
letter on the desk where Harwood would
be certain to find it. -
f'What an internal ass Harwood was
to leave such things aboutl' Dan burst
out in ungovernable passion. Then he
turned suddenly and faced Mayhem
saying: "Even now you know only a
piece of the story. And what you do
not know is of much greater Importance
than what you know!'
Your letter answered the other,
with confident smile, Esonly told me
the less important part, as you say, but
1 know all now think. -
"How?-you did not question Har-
wood, surely?"
"Oh, no, only questioned you, and
you tod me all desired to know. -
81 told you?'' Ashton gasped, and his
wondering face was bent upon the other s
laughing one.
Eyes. You remember that afternoon
last week when We went to Manchester
together. You got beastly drunk that
night, Dan, and-well, you were in
very laxative mood as we came home.
] suppose you don't recollect. All the
same you told me all wanted to learn.
Harwood's brother George was married
in New York, 1t seems; the woman
found dead in that entry so many, years
ago, was his widow; Nellie Pemberton,
the child, is really Harwood IS niece and
entitled to something more than she re-
ceives from her unknown relative as
wages.
land told you that?" Dan ex-
claimed, flinging himself into the chair
with gestures of despair
elf you didn't, who did?' was the
mocking, half-sneerlng reply.
by heaven! Mayhem, l believe now
that you got me drunk on purpose that
night, to wiring that secret from me-?
"Perhaps 1 did. What does it matter
now, how 1 went about it. 1 know all
now, and mean to turn the knowledge to
advantage-to use it to forward nv own
ends as you have done?''
.''In what way?" Do you mean to
bleed Harwood too? He will hardly
stand that; think you see how he has
fought against pay-well keeping TO his
bargain with me. -
al don 1T mean in that way, Ashton. /"
''In what way, then?' Dan asked,
eagerly. The discovery that Mayhem
was in the secret had startled mine host
considerably, and he was burning to
know what personal use he intended to
put the information he had gained.
81 will tell you,' Walter began
gravely. "Nellie Pemberton is now liv-
ing beneath your roof; her foster-mother
is your wife. You and Mrs. Ashton must
necessarily have considerable influence
with the girl. That influence must be
used in my favor. You understand,
Ashton?'
"You wish to make Nellie your wife?'
"That is it. l love her and have told
her so often If Mark Elliott had never
come between us should have won her,
1 am certain. You must help me Dan,
to drive Elliott out of the field. If you
will promise to do this, no word of your
secret and HARDWOOD IS shall ever pass my
lips. Is it to be a bargain3'
''Certainly, - Dan cried, with great
sigh of relief He had expected Mayhem
TO demand much more, as the price of
his silence-had been prepared to give
a great deal more than was demanded
from him. al suppose you know that
Nellie and Elliott are engaged?" he
added.
eyes, but we must contrive by some
means TO end that.
'TI will help you willingly in that
Dan said, AMI he meant it. ''Why,
Mayhem, before ever knew that Nellie
and Mark meant to make match of it,
was doing all could for you. You re-
member the night we had that bit of a
stir here?''
Mayhem nodded.
''Wen, 1 could see then, pretty
plainly, that you were sweet on the
wench, and told her so-told her she
might be lady if she only played her
cards right
land what did she sayl' Mayhem
demanded with evident eagerness.
"Well, to tell you the truth, she
didn t seem to jump at the idea. The
fact of that young chap risking his life to
save her that time did the mischief.
Lasses are so romantic. you know, May
hew, and a thing of that sort always
'fetches' 'em.'
"But you must see, Dan, that girl |
like Nellie ought not to throw herself |
away on q common workman. She ought |
to marry we'll. -
"Just what told her, but she doesn t |
seem TO see II. ana Nancy likes Mark |
nearly as much as the wench does. -
Mayhem frowned, and bit his lip tight |
ly. 1t was still very unpleasant to him |
TO hear of his rival IS suooess.
"Well, the matter may be considered |
settled between us, Dan7 And you
pledge yourself to help me in this sf-
fair?"
'oOf course. It is my pet scheme as
well as yours, and shall do all can.
Suppose we have another drink?'
Mayhem nodded, and Dan departed
with the empty glasses. returning in
few minutes with replenished tumblers.
fThere is one thing that may help Us
a lot, Dan, said the younger man
as he crushed the sugar
and lemon in his glass.
''What is that?'' Ashton asked as he
performed a similar operation.
''Eliot is likely to find himself in
trouble when this strike ends. He has
said and done so much for the hands.
and against the masters, that none of
them is likely TO find him work when the
strike is over -
In that case hem have to leave the
town. Well, let 3 hope so.
Both men drank heartily TO that wish,
and the glasses were soon emptied again.
Then Walter MaYhew went his way