The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
M'GIhNT'S CONSCIENCE.
The Strike that Never Cana and the
Man Who Stopped It.
by Octave Thanet.
Copyright. ,''s. By Octave Thar.t.

CODpr0hf, 1883, on octave ThdHef.
Billy Hunter came back from the meeting At
almost 12 O'Clock, dead tired. Hts wife had
the coffee hot for him. and brought him in a
steamlng cup. without asking a question. Ju.
dith Hunter had been out at service before she
married Billy. and she had learned a good
many things besides cooking beef TO n turn.
Billy sat with his legs out and his head sag
cling ON his breast. It was n spring day, but
Iowa springs have chilly mig hts following
sunny days; and the warmth OF the fire, in the
alright stove, was grateful to him. To an
other observer 1t might seem a plain little par.
lor; and he might smile over the mingling OF
the gorgeous chrOmos that came with their gar
den seeds neatly framed in brown paper and
two or three photographs of famous pictures;
but TO Billy the fresh paint and bright paper,
tho ribbon and lace tides. the one plush easy
chair. and the Rlistening cabinet organ made 1t
q dream Of luxury. They had eight rooms In
the house. II you include the lean-to which was
such a comfortable laundry and summer
kitchen for Judith. 1t was a very good house.
indssd; and the garden was so large that Ju-
dith kept a tiny poultry yard. In the summer
IL was beautiful to sit on their own piazza and
be shaded by their tree treally a tree large
enough to shaded and % look at the honey
sucklo and geraniums and the green rows Of
onions and parsley. No landowner In town
could DO prouder yesterday than Billy had been
of his little domain. Now, his handsome brow
wrinkled sullenly above his black eyes arA he
Razed about him in a dreary stare, seeing and
not seeing. like a man taking fare we'll. He
sighed before he drank the coffee. His wife,
still saying no word, smoothed the short curls
which his hat had matted on his forehead. He
patted her hand. She was n tall woman, as
tall as he. and Of a fine, supple figure. Her
eyes were very bright and her skin very clear
and sho had delicate. irregular features which
changed so prettily when she talked that no
one ever found fault with their irregularity.
Its you, that I'm thinking about, Judith,
you and the kid, =" said Hunter. He nodded his
head toward the open door, through which one
could see a cradle rocker.
wen do. Billy said judith. Come. now,
you eat q piece of pie; it'll do you more good
now than for breakfast: and I'll get your pipe.
Are they going to strike, thenp'
well, as bad. They voted to send q com-
mittee TO Hollister and ask him to submit
their differences to an arbitration committee
or they'll strike Monday. HOLSTER won't
listen to them. Not to anybody. l guess, and
not to Robb and Luke wiRger. anyhow. He
sent Luke Off q week ago; an the other man is
Johnny Mellin, who's mild as skim milk.
and was put on to represent US. He'll set there
and git red in the face and say, That's right
to whoever speaks last"
but did you speak to them. Billy2 Did you
cay the things you were going to?"
Billy's face grew red. Yes, I did; and I
wish 1 hadn't; 1 never made o speech before;
but 1 felt 80 worked up about this l thought I
could talk to the boys. Jest give 'em plain sense
how this Here strike amt got q show on Gods
earth Of succeeding; but-youll say you got a
fool for a husband. Judy-I got up on my legs
and l got scared; l was just as scared as l used
to be when I'd play hockey. when l was a kid.
and met Father Mahan, and he'd DO saying,
lis your mother sick. Billy Hunter that you're
out of SCHOOL, / could feel my voice wabbling
under me. and all l could got out was some
fool things about q strike that failed was worse
than no strike; and then Robb, he got up. so
slick and with such q lot Of fine, big words
about organized labor and the great union he
hind us. and capital already on the run: and he
worked EN- up about those new fellers land
they are a disgrace; they can't manage their
blast, nohow; and they may be killing some
body any day and he got the boys lighting
mad. and he called me his cautious friend
like I was a cowardl And then they all hol.
Tered. You see. he's got such a way with him.
q little smiling, white-t eethed feller, and
smart as q steel trap, and there amt anything
on earth we workingmen like like q Teller who
can talk!'
Cant he see himself it's crazyf"
"He sees we've got $4,000 in the treasury. |
and how we've been cut down and cut down
this winter, and he sees HOLSTERS got some
big orders on now, and that's all he does see.
II you tell him HOLSTERS obstinate's the devil
he Jest laughs and says he's heard folks threat
on to bite of their noses 10 spite their faces
before. but they don't do IL, all the same, ard
HOLSTER can't bluff him. l don't think Hol-
listers so bad as they make him out But he's
got the DEVILS own temper when you git his
mad up. They'd have struck this night II it |
hadn't been for young Ftzmaurice."
But he don't belong to the union" said Ju-
dith, who was now seated by her husband, lis |
tening with absorbing interest. How'd be
get inr"
well. we've had him for a lawyer. cause
he worked for nothing and he WAS a poor boy |
that's worked up. and he certainly has done |
well by us. Well, he came In in time to sec |
Robb wipe up the floor with me, and he made
. speech: said he just got back to town this
afternoon with Alderman NIoGinnis. and he
wasn't prepared to speak, but he hoped they
would give themselves time to see things clear.
Two things was necessary, to have a good
cause and a fighting chance to win; 30 he got
them to appoint the committee; that was the
best he could id. Fitz is a good map, but he
can't stop the boys. They've got a head of
steam on. and they're bound to let her whiz.
Its q kind of crazy fever. They're mad at me.
Boys / helped many a time. Now they're mad"
His wife looked at him wistfully. IF they
Strike will It be q long strike. Bill2'
ZOO knows! l went to see Harry Losing,
and says he, Don't you let the hotheads fool
you! HOLSTERS got his mad up; he's going
10 run his business or quit. He knows whore
he can get some new men, and II you strike
herl get them. You boys will maybe fight a
week. a month, two months, and then you
will have to go back on his terms. or you won't
have the chance TO go back at ALL"
Judith clasped her hands together involun-
tarIly. But II you strike, how will we Day for
the house?"
I'VE can't pay for the house. Not unless"
lie hesitated, and she completed the word
for him mot unless my brother could pay
you back what you lent him. But he'll be
out of a job, too"
'.l.nt's it. And we've got to live, too. And
n che stores trust US they'll have to be paid.
MI InsAin0. he WAS nMlul Kind. and said