Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20
BY ROBERT BARR.

a moment met his gaze without recognizing
| him
"My name is Marsten," he said huskily
| seeing she did not know him. 81 met you
the other evening at your fathers Office
| when he and | we're talking OF the strike. -
| "Oh, yes" she replied. "At first | did not
! remember you. II did not expect to"
She paused and seemed confused, looking
| away from him.
ITO find me here" said the young man
| completing the sentence for her and gather
| ing courage as the delightful fact that he
was actually talking to her impressed Its
| almost unbelievable reality upon him. 81
did not know there was anything like this
| going on. | came to consult with Mr., Hope
| on the same subject" He flushed as the
memory of one subject arose in his mind
| and he felt his newly acquired courage be-
ginning to ebb again. He pulled himself to-
gether and ended lamely, about the
| strike, you know"
"oh." said Edna, instantly interested. "Is
| there anything new about the striker
| Yes there was meeting last night and
| Ii was unanimously resolved to quit work
The color left the girls checks.
! And are the men out? Is that why you
are here today?"
| mo; they do not go out until Saturday. I
| did what could to prevent it, but without
success. / applied to your father for this
afternoon of, and he gave 1t to me without
| asking any questions. 1t seemed to me that
| in the few intervening days before the men
| go out something might be done. when the
! enthusiasm OF the meeting had died down.
! That's why / came, but I'm afraid there is
not much to look for here"
Does father know?"
about the strike? Oh, yes"
The girls winsome face clouded with ap-
prehenson.
81 am so sorry" she said at last. II am
sure 1t is not fathers fault for he is kind to
| nUn nnn E,rap hn 10 f,,,n
she cast a shy upward glance at the young
man that made his heart beat faster, "he is
always just"
Yes ! know that is true. He will beat
the men, and that is the reason want mod
crate counsels to prevail. The workingman
is always the under dog Most of his mouth
ing friends are fools. and he himself is the
greatest fool of ALL"
Don't you think you are little hard on
the workingman? Were you here in time
to see the dancing earl?"
She looked at him with frank smile and
Marsten smiled in company with her-it
Frightened his face wonderfully and estab-
lished an evanescent bond of comradeship
between them.
"I had forgotten the earl" he said.
81 must go now. see my stepmother
looking for me. | hope you will be success
full in averting trouble at the works"
She extended her hand to him and he
took II tenderly, fearing he might grasp 1t
too closely and betray himself
Mrs. Sartwell and her stepdaughter were
the last to GO
Barney threw himself on a divan and
lighted cigarette
well, my young friend, here we are alone
at last. Help yourself to the cigarettes and
allow me to offer you something stronger
than the tea with which we regale the
ladies. We have several shots in the locker
so Just name your particular favorlte in
uynV nf cti mt vJhi \ nrHn II
and for myself. You might not believe 1t,
but one Of these afternoons takes 1t out OF a
fellow more than days work at the fac
tory. Not that ever INDUCED In factory
work myself. but l think you said 1t was in
your line"
yes" said Marsten. after declining the
offerings of his host. 1T is about the fac
tory wish to speak to you. The men re-
solved last night to go out on strike"
Foolish beggars."
worse than foolish-that is why l came to
see II you would intervene in any way so
that a better state OF feeling might be
brought about"
well now-let's see, believe have for
gotten your name, or did you tell me? All,
Observation-Disclosures many things on my
mind, don't you know? You see Mr. Mar
stem, it's really no business OF mine, al
though / must admit that your offer of the
position of arbitrator fatters me. This
makes twice l have been asked within few
days so | think l must really be a born
diplomat, don't you know. But, you see,
there's nothing l enjoy so much as minding
my own business, and this strike is no AFFAIR
of mine"
81 think 1t Is All the luxury you have
here is surely earned by the men j am now
speaking for"
MY dear fellow, you are not in the least
lattering now; you are not. assure you.
You are saying in other words that my pic
lures do not SELL"
II had no intention OF limiting anything of
the kind. have no doubt you can sell any
thing you paint"
'Ah you are commencing the artistic dis
cernment OF the British public which-at
presents an honor the B. p. does not de-
serve. 1t will come round ultimately-the
great b. II. always does-but not yet. my
boy, not yet. Give 1t time and 1t will pour
cash in your lap. l regret that the moment
how shall put it?-well, up to date, has not
arrived. The workmen whom you honor by
associating with at present supply-as with
perhaps with unnecessary bluntness you state
1.-THE financial deficiency But the public
will pay for it all in the end-every penny
of 1t, my boy. You see these pictures around
the walls? Very WE'LL l hold them at f2, 900 |
each. / had little difficulty in holding |
them, for section OF the great British |
public has up to the present time, evinced |
any dogged desire to wrench them from me |
in exchange for so much gold. What is the |
consequence! i shall increase the price $500 |
every year, and the longer they hold OFF the |
bigger sum they will have to pay, and serve |
them jolly right, l say. Ten pictures. f2O 900 |
this year. Next year. f25,0O0, and so on. |
With property my hands increasing at |
that rate, l should bo an idiot to urge peo-
pie to buy. Ground rents in Begravia are
not in 1t with my pictures as investments.
So you see, Marsten, when my day comes
the factory will be mere triviality as an
income producer compared with my brush,
don't you know"
But In the meantime?"
"In the meantime, | am getting along
very nicely, thank you. The strike will not
affect me I'm the least. The men may have
to diminish the amount OF shag, or what
ever awful mixture they smoke, but | shall
not consume one cigarette the less. / have
done nothing to bring on this struggle II
the men want to fight. then. by lingo! let
them, say t.
THE fight is not yet actually on, and
won't be until Saturday. Now is the time
for cool-headed man to interfere and
bring about an amicable understanding.
Won't you at least make the attempt, Mr..
Hope?"
MY dear Marsten, the way of the self
appointed arbitrator is hard. | was reading
in this mornings paper about your charming
meeting last night. and l noticed that one
man who interfered was kicked of the plat
form and thrown out into a side street. That
Ia the idaa pf how an initial