The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-14

deeper than another, yet nobody tinds
fault. But because one man has
better powers in business his fellows
think it sort of injury. 1t is not
true that the rich are growing richer
and the poor poorer. Both are pro-
crossing together. We have far more
/ advantages than our parents. Mr..
Ropell has been a blessing to this
town, and his men ought to sympa-
thize with him in this emergency"
Jay Haslam went out to do the
chores feeling that his wife was right,
and he ought to have said friendly
word to Dick Ropell, who was a
schoolmate of his boyhood. True,
Dick had been in an upper class, and
they had drifted far apart in circum-
stances, but he had been an honor
able employer and was entitled to
every courtesy. Jay, as one of the
organizers of the Protective Union
which forced Mr.. Ropell to raise
wages from time to time, had gradu-
ally acquired feeling of hostility
toward his employer. As for Esther's
accusation that envy lay at the bot
tom of the current discomfort, he
could not but admit that it was to
some extent true.
Never had Jay Haslam felt 30 COM
pletely at sea as the following morn
ing after breakfast. Not to go to the
factory Not to be laying out the
days work.
II believe I shall go away and look
for employment" he said.
mo you WON'T" replied Esther
promptly. "Mr. Ropell has stayed
by you all these years, now you stay
by him. No other town is half so
favorable as this where you are best
known and have SO many friends.
Don't be in hurry. We are not 60
ing to starve at once, and meantime
| you 60 up to virgie's room and hang
the picture we gave her for her birth
day. I'll find occupation for you a
few days about the house, never
fear"
He came down in ten minutes with
a sober face and called his wife into
the sitting-room. "Look at this" he
said, and handed her a note which
he had found on Virgie's dressing
table. 1t bore the heading of Thur
mand & OVERLY, the bankers, and
read as follows:
"Dear Virginia:
"Can you come down town this af
ternoon by way of Walnut street? l
wish to talk with you. FRED"
Esther read this note and put her
face in her hands.
"Why, it's not so bad as that
mother. There is nothing very ter
rible in this, provided Fred OVERLY is
a young man of good habits. am
a little doubtful about that, however"
said Jay.
But Esther took a more serious
view "It is always bad when a girl
ceases to confde in her mother.
Virgie has never told me that any
young man meets her on the streets.
And girls are so easily deceived"
"I'll give Virgie piece of my mind
and I'll see Fred OVERLY, too" cried
Jay, starting up.
''Not for the world. She is seven
enteen, and very proud. She must
be led, not forced. Do you find out
his character, and I will have quiet
talk with her and see how far this
affair has gone. They must be we'll
acquainted if she let's him address
her as dear Virginia"
Much exercised, Jay Haslam set
out at once. The result of his queries
made him uneasy. He was told that
Fred OVERLY drank and gambled,
and that he frequented certain
saloon. Keeping careful watch, Jay
himself saw the youth enter the
place.
Arriving home after this discovery,
he found McKown awaiting him, Mr..
Ropelrs coachman.
81 have bit of an errand with ye,
sir" said the honest Scotchman. San
odd one, too. Can ye tell anything
about Mr.. Ropell's money matters?"
"No sir, if l knew l should not
tell"
"Don't misjudge me, Mr.. Haslam.
It's not my own curiosity makes me
ask. He has two aunts in Pittsburg
that brought him up, and he has been
their support for twenty years. They
are worried, and wrote me confden-
TALLY, asking about him. They knew
nobody else in town to ask, I'm
thinking"
$50 to Bowen, the bookkeeper.