The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-05

support themf
tsThey have no funds, sir" Peter
said, sadly, turning away.
And when the men heard this theI
cursed the you mlll.owner with all the
bitterness of hate, but when young man
suggested force, and limited at something
else, there was deep sullen growl-but
it was not favorable to the proposal
There were little ones that wanted food
and raiment; there were wives thai
worked through all the lull in the storm,
while the men stood idle and their union
failed them for lack of funds.
One evening after dinner Parsons
strolled through the village on his way
to visit his iancee. He had come to the
conclusion that he had nearly won the
fight, but the surrender of the strikers
must be unconditional before he accepted
it. The fault was not his; he had given
warning. Two of his old workers passed
him by, and though they looked at him
appealingly, he did not appear to see
them, There was circus in town, and
the streets were filled with wagons and
people from the country, mixed with
that crowd that follows in the wake of
circus. Parsons strolled by the great
tent, where the venders of peanuts and
popcorn were shouting their ware, and
then walked on to the house whittier he
was bound. Miss Anderson was not at
home.
"She went out directly after dinner" !"
said her mother, "and promised to re-
turn at once. She was bound on On er-
rand of charity, and will surely be back
before the darkness.
John Parsons sat on the piazza and
smoked his cigar slowly. He was ct
peace with himself, and in very good
humor with certain person in whom he
believed implicitly. Facts were nothing
to him if he did not choose to be con-
vinced by them, but he could bring him
self into belief in anything that pleased
him. He was thinking that the lesson
of the strike would be q good one for
his men and also for other mill owners.
He did not notice that the minutes
slipped swiftly by, and that Miss Ander-
son did not return. Suddenly he real
lied that it had grown quite dark, and,
looking at his watch, saw that nearly an
hour had elapsed since his arrival. He
hurried into tho house.
II think that she was going to Barton
street," said the old lady. ''She surely
ought to have returned.".
John started. He recalled the crowd
ed streets, the rough crowds, and his
heart sank. He was madly IN love with
her, but the realization of the fact came
at that moment. 1t was quite dark, and
horrible chapter of possible happen
ings flashed through his brain. He
thought of the gaunt, hollow-eyed men
he had refused that day to see, and the
idea of revenge suggested itself. AS he
reached the gate three figures approached
and stopped.
"Good night" he heard the voice OF
Miss Anderson say. ~ am much
obliged" And as two forms disap.
pepred, the girl walked into her lovers
arms.
"Who were those men2" he asked,
quickly.
"Friends, john" she answered. 81
was coming home, being detained longer
than I thought, and was passing by the
headquarters of your strikers-your
strikers" she said softly, "when two
men came forward"
"Scoundrels" cried John Parsons,
fercely, catching the girls hands in a
tight grasp.
"No, John, no." she replied, vehe.
mently. "One of them came up and
took off his hat. Excuse me, miss,
he said, but there's pretty tough crowd
in the village tonight, an Jim and me
thought we'd better say as we'd see you
home;' and they did. They acted as
gentlemen-true gentlemen-never say
ing a word until spoken to-; and they
came all the way home with me through
that horrible crowd. They were so good
and kind, and wanted to knock man
down who stared at me-"
ssDid they mention me9" the young
man asked.
"They said they knew was the lady
as Mr.. Parsons was to marry"
In one brief moment all that he had
ever said against the working-man came
into John Parsons's mind, and in that
time he thought of the old baron and the
men he called his interiors. Liberty
was equality in one way, after all.
The next morning the whistles Of John
Parsons's iron mill blew Justify at seven
o'clock, and when he arrived there half
an hour later, he found all the men as.
sembled in the court yard wondering
what was to come.
The young man mounted o box.
"Men," he said, "we have probably
both been in the wrong. l, at least,
have, and will confess it. The anvils
await you, and the forges are lit. Go
to work. Let the past be forgotten.
We will begin all over again and work
together. To-day is Wednesday,; on
Saturday you will receive one weeks
pay in full. I know that money is
scarce, and I want to thank you for hav-
ing acted as-men."
And the cheers that arose from these
honest throats were heartler than those
that greeted Mr.. Murphy six months
ago.
~ guess the ghost of my old ancestor
is laid effectually now," laughed Par
sons to himself. "He couldn't appre-
ciate the cru of chivalry and free labor"
--Harpsr's Weekly.