St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-07-01
HIS ROMANCE.


II % That Of an Old Head But q
Young Heart.
This Is the romance of a midlle-aged
man-the romance of an old head and
. ayoung heart. lam gray-haired and
forty, and yet as I sit At my desk in the
gloomy little Office of Harman's mill, q
face comes between my eyes and the
columns Of figures in the dusty lcdgers
"a young face with clear. bright eyes
and fall into a day-drcam and for
get that am old and poor and COM
monplacc.
She Is the only child of Jc re Hartman,
the millionaire mill-owncr. and rs gen.
tie and good as she is beautiful.
: I have watched her grow into wom-
snhood. l have watched her character
deepening and widening and develop
ing toward the ideal Of my dreams.
Aud al these years have been learn
Ing to love her.
Surely love is not wholly wasted
though 1t is hopeless / am a better
man that have loved Nellie Harman.
No. build no air-castles.
lem forty and she eighteen.
I am only her fathers bookkeeper
and she Il the heircss of millions
There was . time when little Nellie
Rarman rode on my shoulder, hunted
my pockets for goodies, and escaped her
nurses charge several times q day to
toddle down to the mill in search of
''her Jack Spencer" Daily she brought
her school tasks, the incorrigible Latin
verbs and the unconquerable examples
In fractions, to the same old friend.
who was never too busy to be bothered
BY little Nellie Harman.
She h rs unaffected and cordial in
her friendliness Is ever, and sometimes
when she lays her hand ON my arm and
looks up into my faceapd asks why
come 20 seldom to the han, aud have
grown tired of old friends, of her
then nnd IL hard to answer lightly. to
smile calmly, and I 20 away with =
heartache.
Tho girl does not 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
sottages her face is as welcome rs sun
shine. The children hang on her gown,
the women sing her praises, and the
rouxhest 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 gentlefolk. Young
Harry Desmond is often 1t the hall. 1t
IS rumored that he is the fortunate
suitor Of Jere Harman's heircss. He is
q fresh-faccd, good-hcarted I'D. Love
IS for youth. and they are young to
gether.
Gray-haired Jack Spencer, what have
you to do with ''love's young drcam?
The strike!
The mill is shut down and the strik-
ers gather in knots along the village
street and discuss the situation. The
cut-rates have caused the trouble. Jere
Harman IS hard man and . hard mas
ter. He holds the fate of these people
in his hands. A few cents less to them.
. few dollars more to him. This seemed
1o him to settle the question. The
times were dull-he would reduce
wages. The Hartman mill operatives
went out in . body.
The first day of the strike Big John.
The weaver. who headed the strikers,
came 10 Jerc Harman with delegation
TO arbitrate the matter.
To them Harman said: Return to
work 1t my terms or stay ont and
starve. Monday I hire new hands Il
r,,u are not back in your places As
iong as own this mill shall be mas
ter here"
This was his final answer, and no
xor;ls of mine, no warnings OF the muir
,,u,x and threats that grow and deepen
the men, will shake his will.
Thcre is talk of firing the mill among
the mad-brained ones. but B'g Sohn
shakes his head
.sThat were chcpping the nose on TO
.,;.. the face, men. II the mill were
,,r,rt how would that help us to work
.rd wages? Nay; it must be other
means"
.Ave. we must live; but II we do not
~ our rights BY fair means we WILL
- them by foul" cried another.
Ts.v mean mischief have warned
,.-. Harman, but he will not heed
The strike is over.
The night is ended. and l sit alone IN
-. once In the gray dawn. SICK ana
day with the horror. OF .ra. the .nS n,sns ass
s;stnre stands out before me-tnc d.rk
p:cs .ne hall with its lights glowing
oat o,s1i, through sa the windows, the gay party
= ~. voune people in the drawing.r'om;
= sss sssn the so.shs; SO eu.s,as .ssr1 sae a
..s f.ccs. There was tramp .,
~ 81. hosrse shouts, and > stone crashed
.ees, .sron~h =" = window and shattered the
Thc music stopped with . disccrdans -
.~.sh Thers was Instant eonsas'oa'