The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-10-21
A FACTORY ROMANCE.
DY LULU u. HANDLE.

eaid Annie Holmes, in response to my
question. at seems queer, don't it,
but folks kind o look down on factory
girls. Now, some o. the girls at
Drumlcys' was nice ms nny girls. OF
course some of 'cm was dressy, an
talked nn' laughed loud, an liked TO
promenade the streets evenings to
show off their finery; but they never
meant o harm by it, as / could see."
''Somo o 'em, too, used TO leave the
shop in work hours, or stand nn' look
out o the windows nm gossip; aud
Drumloy Bros. didn't like that. They
wanted the machines in use all the
work hours. They had cross little
Dutchmnn, named Voelker, for u fore
man an machinist, an whenever he'd
come in from the engine-room nn'
ketch 'em at the windows, he'd scold
'em; an though the girls laughed at
him, an jawed back sometimes, they'd
always go bacls to their machines.
"But when it come to locking 'em
into the building in work hours, to
keep 'em there, tho girls didn't like it
n bit. Drumley Bros. had high
picket gate made an fixed in the
street doorway, an TINT was kept
locked from quarter.pnst 7 till II an
from quarter-past till 6. An my
wasn't the girls mad!
"Of course the quieter girls didn't
say much; but the Others did. They'd
sing, an you could hear it plain above
the hum of $50 machines or 30: We'll
hang Drumley's gate on the sour apple
tree ; an 80 on. That made Voelker
mad. He'd stop the machines (you
see they was all run by steam, an
THROWN off belt 'ud stop 'em ally
an it 'ud get still all at once, an
cveryboay'd look up jest MS innocent
to see what was the matter. An then
he'd scold, an the more he said the
madder he'd get. But they'd sing it
again.
"Finally. some of the bolder girls
went to Drumley Bros. an COM
planned about it. They said they
wasn't cattle to be shut in with high
gate, an if it wasn't took down they'd
go out on a strike. SO the firm
agreed to take the gate down. but kept
the door locked instead. That didn't
seem quite so aggravatin', but some
folks said, what if there'd be fire, the
girls 'ud all be crushed to death in
that narrer stairway before the door
could be opened; an I expect it
wasn't safe.
"You seem to like to listen, so I'll
tell you all about Willie. if you like |;
never told nobody before, an you
mustn't ever tell it again, will you?
"Well, il you won't give no names.
But they'll think somebody was awful
silly, though. Willie was the clerk
that used to give out the work, an
keep count O. what We took an what
we brought back.
''All the girls liked him. he was so
bright and kind, an handsome, too /;
he was most always jokin' an laughin'
with 'em, and maxim the strange ones
feel at home right away. He was
business, too-wben you'd fetch back
your work he'd stand behind his desk
an say, Number, please?' (an' /
knew he must known mine by heart)
an he'd put everything down just as
careful. used to so like to look
over the top of his book an watch
him mark it down with his sharp
pencil - he wrote so true an
pretty, an made such beautiful fig.
ures, prettier'n print. He was good
boy, too-he went to church reg'lar,
him an'-his sister. Sometimes he
took somebody else-no, you needn't
look at me that a'way-'twasn't me.
1t was Frank Benton. She was girl
that worked there. too, pressing stays n
straps. Did you ever see crab-appls
blossoms is. kind O. blushin' an
bright, and not large enough to seen
coarse. do think they're the pret.
tiest blossoms that is. Well. Franz
Benton always minded me o
them. She was little slip o.
. thing, O. Auttery, now here
now there. never still, with he