Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-06-29
THE HEIREss.

and yet as / sit at my desk IN the gloomy
little Office Of Harman's mill a face comes
between my eyes and the columns Of fig
ures 10 the dusty ledgers-a young face
with clear, bright eyes-and fall into a
day dream and forget that / am old and
poor and commonplace.
She is the only child Of Jere Harman,
the millionaire mill owner, and as gentle
and good as she is beautiful.
have watched her grow into woman
hood. / have watched her character
deepening and widening and developing
toward the ideal Of my dreams.
And all these years have been learn
ing to love her.
Surely love Is not wholly wasted,
though it is hopeless. am better man
that have loved Nellie Harman.
No. I build no air castles.
am 40 and she IS.
am only her fathers bookkeeper, and
she is the heiress of millions.
There was time when little Nellie
Harman rode on my shoulder, hunted
my 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 incorrigible Latin verbs
and the unconquerable examplesin frac-
tions, to the same old friend, who was
never too busy to be bothered by little
Nellie Harman.
She is as unaffected and cordial in her
friendliness as ever, and sometimes when
she lays her hand on my arm and looks
{ up into my face and asks why come SO
seldom to the hall, and have I grown
tired of old friends, of her-then / find
it hard to answer lightly, to smile calm
ly, and go away with heartache.
The girl does not lack for friends.
Grim, stern old Jere Harman's little
bright faced child, motherless since her
babyhood, long ago found 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 millhand has always a 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 at the hall. 1t is ru-
mored that he is the fortunate suitor of
Jere Harman's heiress. He is a 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 dreama"
y
The strikeI
The mill is shut down, and the strikers
gather in knots along the village street
and discuss the situation. The cut rates
have caused the trouble. Jere Harmar
is a hard man and hard master. He
holds the fate of these people in his
hands. A few cents less to them, few
dollars more tohim. This seemed to him
to settle the question. The times were
dull-he would reduce wages. The Har
man mill operatives went out in body.
The first day of the strike Big John
the weaver who headed the strikers
came to Jere Harman with delegation
to arbitrate the matter.
To them Hartman said: Return tC
work at my terms or stay outand starve
Monday hire new hands If you are moi
back in your places. As long as / owr
this mill / shall be master here"
This washis final answer, and no word
of mine, no warnings Of the murmur
and threats that grow and deepen among
the men. will shake his will.
There is talk of firing the mill among
the mad Drained ones, and Big JOIN
shakes his head.
ssThat were chopping the nose off Il
spite the face, men. If the mill wer,
burned, how would that help us to worl
and wages? Nay. It must be othe1
means
1sAye, we must live, but if we dono
get our rights by fair means we vii
have them by foul" cried another.
They mean mischief. have warned
Jere Hartman. but he will not heed.
y
The strike is overA
The night is ended, and sit alone il
the Office in the gray dawn, sick ant
dizzy with the horrors Of the nights ex
perience. / shut my eyes, and the pic
ture stands out before me-the darl
night, the hall with its lights glowinl
out through the windows, the gay part,
Of young people in the drawing room
the gleam of torches outside, the mob o
desperate men, the angry, upturnet
faces. There was tramp Of feet, hoars
shouts, all,s stone crashed through
window and shattered the chandelier.
The music stopped with a discordan
crash. There was instant confusion, an,
above it all there were the hoarse erie
Of Jere Harman.
sprang through the piazza window
and faced the men. They knew me well
and Big John shouted:
ssWe've naught against you, JOIN
Spencer. We mean no harm to any, bu
the master must hear us. Bring out th
masteri"
..Come like honest men in dayligh
and talk it over calmly, urged; mo
at night like a mob of rufians witt
stones for arguments"
Jere Hartman had come out to them
They greeted him with an angry shout
8 1--WE are tobe put Off no longer. /
I it our rights by fair means Or by foul
Jere Harinan?o
tsYour rights began Jere Harmal
in his harsh, stern voice. I saw tina
Nellie Harman had slipped out to he
fathers side and laid her hand plead