Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-03

ago ne nad obtained seat in the town
council, of which august body he was
stili a member. A year or two later he
hao been made magistrate of the
borough, and he was soon afterwards
chosen mayor of the town, and he had
retained possession of the chief magis-
tracy for three years in succession.
Such honors as those enumerated were
not very big things certainly, but they
pleased the mill owner nightly, and
made of him q somewhat shining light
among the small host of local celebri-
ties.
1t was natural enough therefore that
Richard HARDWOOD should consider him
sell one of the chief pillars of the social
structure of the town and that he should
have special aversion to being made to
appear contemplate in the eyes of his
fellow magnates and the public geneT-
ally.
Into such contempt he had, however,
been brought. He, magistrate, had
been summoned and fined for breach
of the Factory act, and some anonymous
serib bic had dared to further expose him
in the public press.
That he was exceedingly wroth at all
this was only human. He had resolved
to unearth the NAH who had brought the
inspector down on him-to discover also
the writer of that letter to the Guardian.
In both of those things he had succeeded,
and his rage was increased tenfold by the
discovery that one of his own workmen
had wrought him all this trouble
For that man he was now waiting, and
his dull. fishy eyes cleaned vindIctively,
and his fleshy hands clenohed themselves
as he thought of his appointment with
Mark Eliot. The operative had written
to say he would come-he was here now.
There was low tap at the door, and
the next moment servant entered say
ing that young man named Eliot had
called to see Mr.. HARDWOOD.
"Show him in here, James - the mill
owner cried. The man disappeared, and
a little later Mark Eliot entered.
'tTake a seat, Mr.. Eliot-take q seat,
pleased" HARDWOOD said, without rising,
and indicating a chair with wave of his
hand.
Mark took the seat in silence, and
waited. He was rather paler than US
ual, but his mouth had firm look about
observant.
"May 1 ask, Mr.. Eliot. - Harwood
began, chow long you have been in
Warringham?"
''About five months. came here in
Aug ust, - Mark replied.
'Where did you come fromp'
"Bolton -
'tHad you lived there long?''
''The better portion of my life. -
frHumph!' the mill owner sueered
"and did you succeed in creating as
much disturbance there as you have done
here?''
81 have done nothing sinoe 1 came
here that 1 need be ashamed of. - the
young man cried somewhat warmly.
''That is matter of opinion. I sup
pose you were driven away from Bolton
owing to some strike, Ell? Well, it seems
as if you wanted to repeat the experience
here?''
"What do you mean? Did you send
for me here to insult me?''
''For that and much more, as you will
find soon,' Harwood exclaimed. al
will commence by asking you a question
Can you tell me who wrote to the lnspec-
tor, informing him that was SYSTEM
atlcally robbing my hands by oribbing
their time?''
Mark was silent for moment. The
others query was most unexpected one,
and as awkward as it was unanticipated.
The mill owners eyes were fixed upon
him, and he felt that he must say some
thing.
''I could tell, daresay - he said
with some hesitation ''but l will not. -
"You won't? Well it is rather deli
cate question to put to you, know, -
HaTwood sneered. But will not trouble
you to speak, for 1 have learned who the
writer is.
"You have?'' Eliot asked eagerly.
eyes. 1t was you. I got the letter
from the inspector, MIR. Hartley-thls is
it-and have been comparing it with
the note you sent me this morning. The
writing is exactly identical, MIR. Eliot.
When you wrote to Harley you ought to
have disguised your hand, If you did not
wish TO be found out!''
- ''Well, did write it!n Mark burst
out. ''What of it, I only told the
truthi''
'tIndeedl Well, strange things are
done in TRUTHS name ,sometimes"
Harwood retorted with little hard
laugh. "sYou forgot that 1 was finding
you work-that was helping you to live,
and you stabbed me behind my backl'
"You broke the law wilfully, sys-
tematically, and II was my duty to ex-
pose you'll Mark cried fearlessly.
''Your duty may cost you dear then
yet. That is settled, however; now to
another point. 1t seems, Mr.. Eliot, you
love to play the part of demagogue. I
was reading the other day pretty speech
you made at meeting of factory work
ers. l was greatly struck by one or two
things you said. marked that part of
it and will read 1t TO you.
Harwood put on his spectaoles, and
lifting newspaper from the table beside
HIM, commenced to read the following:
''It is nothing short of a scandal,
say, that the factory people of this town
should be working for their present
wages-wages which are from 25 to 40
per cent. less than those paid in Bolton,
Oldham, and other places. How is this?
Do your masters sell their manufactured
goods cheaper than the mill owners of
the places l have named? No! They
sell in the same markets, at
the same prices, and they ought to
pay the same wages. Why don't they?
Because they love gold more than iusticel
Because they know you are too disor-
ganized 10 resist their greed and tyranny.
How can you remedy all this? Only in
one way. You must organize yourselves
Every man, woman, lad and lass who
works in the mill must join one or other
of the trades unions. By that means
ALMA aar, x-o,. boDa 20 ffOht 70 oruah ~,