The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-02

az JnIs, ana David Manson, the famous
labor leader, sprang to his feet. What he
said was mainly this: They all knew why
they were assembled in that hall. They
were there to defend themselves from I'M
just treatment by their employers They
were there to show that in future the
rights of labor must be considered as well
as those of capital. They had no wish to
strike. They knew that strikes brought
misery in their train to the workers and
distress to the whole nation. But they
must live as honest, hardworking men de-
served to live-as men, not brutes. Their
calling was hazardous and, it must be adj
mitted, ill paid He would not persuade
them to strike They must decide for
themselves at the ballot to be taken dur
ing the following week. The cheers which
greeted him as he sat down showed the
feeling of the meeting.
By June 80 all England knew that a
strike was inevitable if the master stood
firm.
Mr.. Brunton is again in his study and
alone His plans have succeeded beyond
expectation The door opens, and his
daughter enters. She has come to plead
for the wives and children. With urgent
entreaty she begs her father to do what he
can to withdraw the reduction and wildly
describes the sufferings that will certainly
follow the exhaustion of the strike funds.
But it is of no avail. His purpose must
be served.
"Don't bother, Mab,' is all the reply he
vouchsafes. ''Women never can under
ytand business. You should be thinking
about your trousseau and that sort of
thing. Young Huntington would give his
ears to gain your love.
"That he can never have, father" is the
firm reioinder.
care you still thinking of that penniless
parson s son, Egremont?" cries he angrily.
"Again tell you, he shall never marry
you"
Nab dashes from the room at the men
ton of the name she loves, and Mr.. Brun-
ton is again alone, but his serenity is dis
turbed. His daughter seeks to forget her
own pain in trying to relieve that of dis
abled collier, who had received severe in
jury in the mine month previous.
Three months have the pits been closed,
and the violent are becoming desperate.
The depot at W is now REINFORCED by
troops from tho south. BY twos and threes
number of men have gathered in dis
used brickfield at Roston Bridge. The
night is dark and wild. and SO are the
thoughts which of late have possessed their
minds. There is no fear of interruption
here as with terrible earnestness leader
turns those thoughts into words. All is
agreed upon. and they disperse. But one
fingers behind unperceived. What is he
muttering?
'sMiss Mabel, bless Ter art! Hoo'11 moan
be brunt if Olive owt do VII it. Eaur Jem
'ud deed ony fur FER, when he geet vary
near kilt il TIL axIdent j. tn moline. Her
ovid feyther deserves t. be brunt deeuth.
But that 'ud pain tn lass, SO here's off fur
t. sojers. They'll quoiten 'um VII thur
guns"
Again it is night-dark and stormy.
What figures are those crouching under
the wall which surrounds the manor
park? What brings them abroad on such
night? They are bent upon wrecking
Rockleigh Manor by that most horrible OF
all agents of destruction-fire! The last
whispered instructions are given, the wall
is scaled, and they advance on their terri
BILE GRAND. Steadily, silently, stealthily
they move on. On the south side of the
mansion is large old fashioned conserva
tory, whose framework is of wood. They
force an entrance, and soon a light is APP
piled to the staging, and the flames spread.
Alarmed by the glare, Mr.. Brunton ap-
pears at window and steps out upon the
lawn. The incendiaries rush on him they
hate. But now the dull thud of advancing
horsemen is heard, and half troop of dra-
goons is seen in the open. Their arms
glitter in the lurid glare. The order is Civ
en- to dismount, and leaving their horses
in charge of the men told off for that pur-
pose they advance at the double, Lieuten-
ant Egremont at their head. The rioters
will not be baked of their prey and scorn
to run. Mr.. Brunton is already hurt by
stone hurled at him by one of the rioters.
Surely that club swung by powerful
arm must fell him. With a desperate
bound Egremont seizes the would be MUIR
derer from behind, and they fall together.
In few minutes all is over. The rioters
have fed, leaving some of their mates in
the hands of the soldiers.
Nab, who has reached the window left
open by her father just as her lover falls,
springs to his side. In the fall his head
has struck against the sharp edge of the
pedestal of statue, and he lies apparently
insensible.
''Oh, Frank, :" cries she, "speak to mel
IVY love, Hy loVe, you dro UlHe! Lou
must not leave me!'
Her father, stupeied by the attack,
seems incapable of further establishment
and stands silently by In the meanwhile
the fire has completely consumed the con-
servatory, but the progress of the flames
has been SO rapid that they have spent
themselves too soon for the confagration
to reach the house, which practically re-
mains untouched.
Some six weeks later the Manchester
Dispatch announced the cessation of the
strike and also contained the following
paragraph:
ga marriage has been arranged and will
shortly take place between Frank Eyre
mont, ESQ.,, of the Eighty seventh dra-
goons, and Mabel, only daughter of Stuart
Brunton, ESQ.,, of Rockleigh Manor
London Tit-Bits.
War and Education.