The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-03
THE MAN OF SrALYBRIDGE
1 ROMANCE OF WOEFENDILE bIFE AlTONG THE LOFLT.
The New Lodger of Station Row and the Change Which Her Advent Wrought in tho Life of tho Giant Plnte-Layer.

He was a plate-layer and the baptis- nal register described him as James Redfern, though the Wolfendale folk knew him simply as the Man Cor, to be precise, the Chap) from Stalybridge, He was grave of demeanor and slow of speech, but his few words were forei- ble and his arguments convincing, be- ing backed by a fist about whose size and weight there could be no possible doubt. He was also a good workman and a boon companion When he got drunk his Morse blood showed itself by his manner of bursting into reasonable coherent song, usually oratorio, with which he was tolerably familiar, One Saturday night the senior curate of Saint Barnabas met an inebriate giant staggering iovially along and roaring out at the full pitch of a powerful bari tone, "The Lord is Man of War" The senior curate was shocked;he was new to the place.
 The Man from Stalybridge harmo- niZed with his surroundings; perhaps it would be more correct to say he dominated them. The smoke and dirt and grime of Woffendale; the throb- ping engines gliding hither and thither on those shining lines that crossed and recrossed each other in the beWilderine tangle at the junction Sudden and aw- ful death within few feet of him we'll nigh every minute of the day); the sin ister gloom that like the shadow of the Destroying Angel, lowered over the city as twilight fell, lit by the fierce red opf fir AoY on h11t en "a to emphasize the figure of the man as he went to and fro in the midst. New CT for a moment was he obscured by either light or darkness Always he stood out clearly whether at work or rest, drunk or sober Whether the swift engine-lights flashed over him standing motionless amid the crossing metals, or whether the yellow gas lamps revealed him rolling home sing ing songs of David, or the smoke dimmed morning sunshine fell on him going to his work, he was always strong, capable, decisive.
 He lodged in one of a dozen or so of shabby little houses beside the reGway called Station Row The Row was hardly an ideal place of residence though the sturdy Lancashire folk liked it we'll enough, Broad daylight showed it at it's worst; at night the outlook was better sometimes even picturesque, because one saw less and imagined more Only narrow foot path separated the door-steps of Sta tion Row from the railway As this path was usually full of children, the Man from Stalybridge often walked tc and from his work along the line Thus passing, whether by line or path most of the idle gossip of the place reached his ears; and thus he became aware that a slatternly woman who lived about four doors off had got 3 lodger; a fact that disposed some oi her neighbors to envy her. till a rumoi spread abroad that the lodger found difficulty in Laying the rent; whereup- on public opinion veered round and re garded the lodger in the light of 2 Judgment upon an unpopular member of the community. As time went on il became known also that the lodger was a woman, a lady, young and i'll, and that a doctor was reported to have seer her and to have said the case was hopeless. The news caused pleasant excitement in Station Row, and came with the rest, in due time, to the ears of the Man from Stalybridge.
 One afternoon in early April he chanced to return from work by the footpath. The day had been rainy, but now at five o'clock the clouds parted drifting away eastward in dusky mass es; and a burst of pale sunshine lit the gleaming puddles, the dripping caves the wet shining metals. Tn the patt stood barrow full of dark wallflowers their scent filling the fresh damp air There was the sound of an opening window, and the Man from Staly. bridge, glancing up at the woman who leaned out, looked into a face of almos perfect beauty-such beauty as he hat never seen, never imagined. The fea. lures were perhaps a little sharpeneC by illness, the temples trife ssunken the color on the cheeks too bright; yet there was the beauty, and the mar stared upward with dazzled eyes, un. conscious that he was so staring.
 Throw buach up!' she cried to the wer-seller fiinging some pennies into
 
 as a blackbirds whistle. The move. ment of her arm in its close sleeve ol rough blue serge seemed to awaken tho
 man from his trance, for he slowly turned and went on his way When ht reached his lodgings he dropped heavi. ly into chair and wiped his forehead with his arm. His landlady, bustline about with his tea, observed that the weather was warm for the time ol year to which proposition he assentet mechanically. Later he spent a hila rious evening at the Seven Stars, ( highly popular hostelry known more familiarity as the Dusthole. The beel was mixed, and so were his ideas, witt the result that strains from Samson hoated on the nurky air somewhere between eleven and twelve that night Some three weeks later the sprins swung back to winter, and the Apri days were filled with bitter winds anC driving sleet; and the Man from Staly
 bridge, coming home in a hailstorm heard the high-pitched voice of the wo man who owned the lodger. Apparent ly the latter's rent was owing, and thu land -lady's opinion of the situation
 was sufficiently loud expressed, as tn, ! front door stood ajar, to reach the ear, of the plate-layer. He stopped ant waited. Presently the woman cam, down and saw him standing outside il the pelting hail.
 What dost want?" she demanded. How much do she owe?" he inuuiret
 with calm directness, drawing a hand
 ful of silver and copper from his pock