The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-27
BY ROBERT BARR.
scopyright, 1896. by Robert Barry
cHAPTER. xf.

Sartwell showed little sign Of The
wear and tear of the strug-
gle. He walked from the sta
ton to the Office every morn
ing at his usual hour, as if every
thing was going on to his entire salts
S faction. He was always dressed with
scrupuious neatness. and he invariably
carried in his hand a trinity folded UNI
brella, which no one had ever seen him
undo, for when it rained he took cab.
The umbrella seemed a part of him,
and a purely ornamental part; he was
never met on the etreet without it. No
man could say when Sartwell pur-
chased new suit of clothes; each suit
was precisely the same as the one
which had preceded it, and it was al
ways put on before It's predecessor be-
gan TO show signs of wear.
There was as, little change in Sart-
wells demeanor toward his men as
there was in his clothes. He did not
keep his eyes on the ground as ne
passed along the street to the gates, nor
was there, on the other hand, any Del
Egerency in his manner. The men had
gone out; that was their affair. He
nodded to them, or bade them curt
'.tiood morning" as had been his habit
before the trouble. Few of them had
the presence of mind to do otherwise
than raise their fingers to their caps,
or answer, with the customary humble,
"MoGnin' sir" Habit is strong in the
human animal, as has often been
pointed out.
No one of all those concerned was
more anxious for the strike to end than
Sartwell, but none the less was he de-
termined that it should end his way
lie saw the openings in his armor
through which, with a blindness not
understandable TO the manager, Glib
hons neglected to thrust
Curiously enough, it was not Gibbons
thai Sartwell feared in this contest,
but Marsten. He knew the young
man had been strongly against the
strike but he also knew that he had
thrown in his lot with the men; and
although the leaders of the strike, up
to that time. had held aloof from Mars
ten. pretending to look at him as a
covert traitor to the cause, still Sart-
well feared that they might take him
into their counsels at last, and that he
would show them the way out of their
difficulties. The manager had made it
his business to learn all he could of
what was being done by his opponents,
and he had been amazingly successful.
He knew OF Marsten's visit to Barney
and Of the generally futile result of
that conference; but he had so slight a
confidence in -Barney's good sense that
he feared some hint may have been
dropped by the artist which would
show the men how anxious Monkton &
Hope were for a settlement on almost
any terms. AS time passed, and Sart-
well saw that Gibbons still held Mars
ten at arms length, he became less and
less anxious. Affairs were rapidly ap-
preaching a crisis when Marsten's aid
would be useless.
A few days after the announcement
OF the reduction in strike pay had been
made, Sartwell, approaching the gates
in the morning, saw Marsten standing
alone at the street corner. The man
ager had almost passed him without
greeting on either side, when the elder
man suddenly stopped, turned half
around, and said sharply:
..Sn picket duty Marsten2 ?"
No. Mr. Sartwell.'
mot in their confidence, perhaps"
Il suppose 1 am neither in their con-
fidence nor in yours, Mr.. Sartwell."
Rather an uncomfortable position,
is it not2 7 should like to be one thing
or the other if 1 were in your place,
Marsten."
I am one thing. l am entirely with
the men"
Perhaps, in that case. you are afraid
to he seen talking to me. Some of the
men might happen to pass this way"
II am not afraid TO be seen speaking
with anybody, Mr.. SartweIl''
3.Ah. you are young: therefore you
are brave. I have known a smaller
thing than this conversation to cost
man his life, but perhaps times and
methods have changed since my early
days 1t is a pity you are on the
wrong side for your bravery to be ap-
preciate6. The masters of this world
always value talent and courage and
pay we'll for them. The men do
neither. That is why they are usually
beaten in a fight, and ii is one of the
many reasons why they should be.
have a few words to say to you; the
street corner is not a good pace for a
private conversation. VIII you come to
my Office in an hours timer"
DO you wish to speak about the
striker
yes said sartwen, looking with
some intentness at the young man.
We have no other subject of mutual
interest that I know Of
Very good. I merely asked because
whatever you may have to tell me