Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-22
T. HE Il E IR E S S
N. A. worswick in Frank Leslis's Weekly.

n. A. worswick in Frank Lesliss Weakly.
TNHIS is THE ROMANCE OF A MIDDLE.
l. aged mantle romance Of An old head and
, syoung heart. am grsy-haired and forty, and
yet Al ] sit at my desk in the gloomy little
Office of Harmans mill a face comes between
my eyes and the columns Of figures in tbs
dusty ledgers-a youns face with clear. brigh:
eyes--and fall into a day dream and forget
that am old and poor and commonplace.
She is the only child of Jere Hartman, the
millionaire mill owner, and as gentle and good
| as she is beautiful
l have watched her grow into womanhood.
I have watched her character deepening and
widening and developing toward the ideal OF
my dreams.
And all these years have been learning to
love her.
Surely love is not wholly wasted though it is
hopeless. am q better man that have loved
Nellie Hartman.
No. build no air castles.
am forty and she eighteen.
am only her fathers bookkeeper and she ID
the heiress of millions
There was time when little Nellie Hartman
rode on my shoulder. hunted nv pockets for
goodies, and escaped her nurses charge several
times day to toddle down to the mill in search
of ''her Jack Spencer" Later she brought her
school tasks. the incorrigib,e Latin verbs and
the unconquerable examples in fractions, to the
same old friend. vino VAS never too busy to be
bothered by little Nellie Hartman.
She is as unaffected and cordial in her friend
illness as ever and sometimes when she laws her
hand on my arm and looks up into my face and
asks why l come so seldom to the Hail. and
have grown tired of old friends, of her-theu
find it hard to answer lightly, to smile calmly
and go away with heartache.
The girl does no: lack for friends. Grim. stern
old Jere Harman's little bright-faced child
motherless since her babyhood. long ago found
a tender spot in the hearts of the village folk
In the cottages her face is as Welcome as SUM-
shine. The children hang on her gown. the
women sing her praises and the toughest mill
hand has always civil word for her and lift
of the cap as she passes.
She has her young friends. too, among the
country gentefolk. Young Harry Desmond il
often at the Hall. 1t is rumored that he is the
fortunate sutton Of Jere Harman's heiress He
is fresh-faced. good-hearted lad. Love is for
youth and they are young together.
Gray-haired Jack Spencer, what have you to
do with cloves young dream?'
Inc mill is shut down and the strikers gather
in knots along the village street aud discuss
the situation. The cut rates have caused the
trouble. Jere Hartman is a hard man and a
hard master. He holds the fate of these people
in his hands. few cents less to them, a few
dollars more to him. This seemed to him to
settle the question. The times were dull-he
would reduce wages. The Hartman mill opera
tives Wen: out in body.
The hrst day OF the strike Big John. the
weaver. who headed the strikers, came to Jere
Hartman with o delegation to arbitrate the
matter.
70 them Hartman said "Return to work q.
my terms or stay out and stGrve. Monday
hire new hands il you are not back in your
places. As long as l own this mill shall be
master here"
This was his final answer. and no words of
mine, no warnings of the murmurs and threats
that grow and deepen among the men, will
shake his will.
There is talk of firing the mill among the
mad-brained ones. but Big John shakes his
head.
That were chopping the nose off to spite the
face men. If the mill were burnt how would
that help us to work and wages? Nay; it must
be other means"
AYE, We must live; but if we do not get our
rights by fair means We will have them by
foul, V cried another.
They mean mischief. I have warned Jere
Hartman. but he will not heed.