The Newtown bee., 1897-12-31

would be sending for the hands to go to
work again at old wages in the matter of
two or three days. Then We'll all be
earning decent pay again, and l thought
mayhap ye would be willing to let me
carry home summat in the way of bit
of -four and pork, to be paid for in the
matter of two weeks, and sooner if"
gesture. ''If men are such fools as to go
on strike without a cent of money in
their pockets, do you suppose | will trust
'em? l guess not. Why, the president
of the Monitor iron works was saying to-
day that, unless the men came back within
three days, the company would cancel its
winter contracts and close the mills un-
til spring. He thinks the hands will come
to their senses by that time. What do
you say to that?"
Mr. Jones looked over to see if his clerk
was taking in his logic. But for the down
cast face of Jacob Barlow he had no SYM
pathetic glance.
"Pay-next-weeki is. a..chap that ruins gro
cerymen. Pay-to-day is the one we sell
goods to" Mr. Jones added, that the 9TH
err might make no mistake as to the i'm
port of his answer. Jacob knew that the
mans words were founded on the common
sense which comes Of dear experience.
81 have always paid thee prompt" ia
cob said, going back to his Yorkshire
dialect under the stress of feeling, And
L thought thee'd never sickle for the
matter of few shilluns. But l won't
urge thee agen thy will"
Jacob did not stay to hear the retort
which he knew Jones would make. He
hurried out upon the street again.
There had been cold rain-storm that
day and it was beginning to clear, with
heavy wind driving the black clouds up
from the west. The same wind increased
its fury with every gust,and brought with
it freezing temperature. Jacob glanced
up at high city building and saw the
"cold wave" flag of the signal service
Haunting in the breeze, and the sight of
it reminded him that when he left home
that day there was barely enough coal in
the house to keep one small fire going
until night. Now the night had come and
little food in the house and he had not
cent of money. Martha had asked him to
fetch home little -four or even a loaf of
bread-she was famous hand at getting
up feast out of the veriest bit. AS for
the coal, just basketful of cheap sort
would do, and she would run the fire very
low. She and the children could keep
warm with their shawls on, and to be sure
the baby would be snug and happy in bed.
Martha's words were sounding in Jacobs
ears as he went out of Jones's grocery and
slouched along the street with the bitter
blast in his teeth.
This struggle had been going on for
several weeks. By odd jobs he had man.
aged to earn enough to keep them along
in miserable way. But even the odd
pieces of work were scarce, and there were
others in the same plight as himself.
That morning Jacob had gone away from
home without eating a morsel, pretend
ing to Martha that ''he was not Just well
and food went agen him, like" The self
denial had begun to tell on his strength.
Instinctively his footsteps turned home
ward again, but, as he neared the DWELL
ing, his courage failed.
They'll look at me so when they see
I've brought 'em no bundles, y he mutter-
cd. He leaned against lamp-post,
choking sensation In his throat. Martha,
my lass!' he murmured, ''if I'd thought
it was to COON to this I'd rather seen thee
marry more thrifty man. And the little
un's--I can't bear the tho't of 'eml''
Jacob wheeled abruptly and strobe i'm
petuously back TO the main street. ri
might be that there was vague resolve
In his heart to rid the world Of such q