The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-05-31

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MS SvAk %N my eyes and the
figures in the dusty ledgers-a young
face with clear, bright eyes--and 1 fall
into day-dream and forget that 1 am
old and poor and commonplace.
She is the only child of Jere Harman,
the millionaire mill-owner, and as gen
tie and good as she is beautiful
have watched her grow into
womanhood. have watched her char
acter deepening and widening and de-
veloping toward the ideal of my
dreams.
And all these years Ihave been learn
ing to love her.
Surely love is not wholly wasted
though it is hopeless. 1 am better
man that have loved Nellie Harman.
No. build no air-castles.
/ am forty and she eighteen.
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 a day
to toddle down to the mill in search of
cher Jack Spencer. Later she
brought her school tasks, the incor-
rigible Latin verbs and the unconquer-
able examples in fractions, 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 l
come so seldom to the Hall, and have
grown tired of old friends, of her
then 1 find it hard to answer lightly, to
smile calmly, and 1 go away with Il
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 a tender
spot in the hearts of the village folk.
In the cottages her face is as welcome
as sunshine. The children hang on
her gown, the women sing her praises,
and the roughest mill hand has always
civil word for her, and a 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 rumored 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
dream?"
The strike
The mill is shut down and the
strikers gather in knots along the vii
lage street and discuss the situation.
The cut-rates have caused the trouble.
Jere Harman is hard man and hard
master. He holds the fate of these
people in his hands. A few cents less
to them, few dollars more to him.
This seemed to him to settle the
question. The times were dull-he
would reduce wages. The Harman
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 a delegation
to arbitrate the matter.
To them Harman said: "Return to
work at my terms or stay out and
starve. Monday 1 hire new hands if
you are not back in your places. As
long as own this mill shall be mas
ter here"
This was his final answer, and no
words of mine, no warnings of the mur-
murs 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 wagesP 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, cried another.
They meant mischief. have warned
Jere Harman, but he will not heed.
The strike is over.
The night is ended, and sit alone
in the office in the gray dawn, sick and
dizzy with the horrors of the nights
experience. / shut my eyes and the
picture stands out before me-the dark
night, the hall with its lights glowing
out through the windows, the gay party
of young people in the drawing-room /;
the gleam of torches outside, the mob
of desperate men, the angry, upturned
facea Tsiere was tramp of feet,
hoarTs shouts. and . stone crashed