Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-01
THE TROUBLE MAN.

1t was the superintendent of the great
electrical works whoNwas speaking-a man
who showed in speech and manner that he
was born to rule, whose dignity was 90
manly that ona instinctively respected him
even thongh De did not know him.
He was speaking TO one of his foremen-
Henry Wilson-a man brought up In the
works almost--a man who knew all the
workings Of the place from the way q
Joint was soldered TO the most difficult test
ing, and yet he WAS now TO lose his place
He had held it for five years. He had mar.
ried Bsttie Lane on the surety Of aRood
salary. He had bought his little home ON
Best street, knowing he could save enough
In few years to pay for It.
But ever since he married Hattie Lane
there had been trouble between himself
and his nearest associate In the works,
James Conley IL had been a question In
the minds of many which Of the two men
Hattie would marry. Womanlike, she chose
the one her friends least expected her tc
shoose. the poorer, the homelier Of the two
The trouble he and James Conley had wa
not Of Henry Wilson's making Conley
was always quietly doing something Ia
prejudice others against Wilson. Little
tales were exaggerated and carried to the su-
perintendent, little underhand things done
to injure him. And now the end had come
and he was to be ousted from his place
Some local work had been done under VII
sons direction. Conley had inspected Il
and found that there had been serious over
sights, 80 he reported to the superintendent,
and the superintendent had sent Wilson ia
do the work over again, and when Wilson
said the work had been tampered with. the
superintendent simply looked grave and
said nothing
lone Of the trouble men was killed last
week." the superintendent said, ''and hero
after you will do his work. The wages, OF
course, will be smaller than you have been
receiving"
So when Henry Wilson walked up Best
street to his little home that afternoon he
carried a heavy heart and face that told
of deep humiliation and bitter disappoint-
ment:
"We were getting along 30 WELL" he
said to Hattie, land l thought I could
make the last payment on the place this
year, and now He did not say any
more, but his teeth shut together like the
jaws OF wise, and the set look on his face
grew harder.
Is there one woman in ten thousand who
would not have done Just as Hattie did
She saw and appreciated his feelings, and
with a smile such as only loving woman
can wear she took his face In her hands, and
looking into his eyes said;
"Never mind, pet; we will get along all
right, and IL will be better for you to have
work out of doors. Be brave and patient"
1t takes much to make some men forgive,
and some Of them never forget.
Morose and melancholy by turns, silent
and unnatural at all times, Henry Wilson
went about his work. Wherever there was
q report of trouble he was to be found. Hat
tie would look after him mornings as he
went out, and the tears would come to her
eyes.
Then one day something happened In the
great electrical works. Many things hap
Ing only the two we know best there. The
switches had been turned of In the lamp
testing department., OF which Mr.. Conlej
was now foreman, and he and his assist
ants were at lunch. Henry Wilson, coming
IN from {, outside s; W work, went into & the room
one there He staid for q moment and
then went out, meeting the occupants. OF
the room coming back to work. Conley
had been testing an unsatisfactory lamp
and had left IL on the floor until his return
Now he attempted TO hang e on the rack.
reached for the other with his left hand,
still holding the other with his right and
forming circuit through his body. Some
one had turned on the switch, and the rack
was "alive." e.,
What seemed to him an age went by as
the alternating current ran through his
body; his head felt AS IL 1t was bursting: his
neck was swelling and choking him. He
tried to cry out, but could not. Then he
lost consciousness and fell backward Some
one saw him sway, realized the situation
and turned the switch. Then he fell to the
floor like a log.
There was great commotion on that floor,
the ambulance was called, the usual things
In such cases done, and most men who
work about the fatal Juice" understand
what to do in cases Of emergency.
Henry Wilson saw the men carrying a
man out to the ambulance and pressed for
ward with the others to see what was the
matter. His face did not change or soften
when he saw Conley lying apparently life
less. He simply picked up his tools and
went about his work.
That afternoon AZ he was working In the
lower part of the city mending wires after
q fire messenger came for him from the
works, and he went up to the superintend-
ent's office, where he was confronted with
the accusation that he had gone into the
resting room while the men were absent
and had turned on the switch, knowing
that Mr.. Conley would probably be the
first one to suffer from touching the lamps.
at lunch. went there for some fixtures
! wanted, and passed them OH the stairs
when came out. did not touch anything
In the room"
1t was a simple statement, boldly made.
fearlessly
"Mr. Conley is still unconscious" the
superintendent continued, "and until such
time as we know the result OF the injury he
has received we deem II best to place you
under arrest. OF course We know that you
two have had much trouble In the past"
1t was three days before Conley was able
to speak, and then be only confirmed what
was already known-that the current was
on when It should have been off.
"It will 20 hard with Wilson," was the
word all around the shop, but on the third
day a boy with white face and trembling
voice came into the superintendent Office
and asked for a word with the chief
He leaned his elbow on the corner of the
desk and began In a voice that wavered at
first and then grew stronger as he went on:
"Mr. Smith, am one of the students. lam
In the winding gang now. ! wanted to
speak to you about Mp. Conley's accident. I"
well, what is itr'
"What did you dor"
II turned the switch while the men were
ut lunch. / went up to see the photogra-
pher whose Office Is adjoining He wasn't
IN, so / went into the testing room. The
lamps were all off the rack. put one on TO
Dee what sort of light 1t gave, and before
came away I must have turned on the
switch again. / didn't mean any harm"
And Why didn't you tell OF this the 9TH
er day when you knew Mr.. Wilson was ar
festedp
II was afraid" The boy hung his head.
VERY well, we will see about It."
When Wilson, a free man, came into the
superintendent Office In response to mes-
sake, the superintendent arose from his