Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-17
wo women every night I come home by the

two women every night / come home by the
late train?"
The girl sat on a hassock and laid her
mead on her fathers knee, he smoothing her
hair caressingly.
What is all this pother about, Edna
Why are you so anxious about my being out
late?"
II was afraid you were in danger; / read
what was said in the paper about your defy.
ing the men, and-and-"
Sartwell laughed quietly
My dear girl If you are going to begin
life by believing all you see in the papers,
you VIII have an uneasy time of it, | can
tell you something much more startling
which has not yet appeared in print"
What is that, father?" asked the girl,
looking up at him.
That you have been most unruly child
all day, causing deep anxiety to those respon-
sible for your upbringing'
Edna sank her head upon her fathers
knee.
Yes" she said, that is quite true 7
have been dreadfully wicked and rebellious,
saying things | ought not to have said"
And leaving unsaid the things-ah well
none OF us Is quite perfect. 1t is a blessing
there is such thing as forgiveness of sins
otherwise most of us would come badly off. -
Somehow, when you are here nothing
seems to matter, and any worries of the day
appear small and trivial, and | wonder why
they troubled me- but when you are way
well, it's different altogether"
That is very fattering to me, Edna but
you mustn't imagine I'm to be cajoled into
omitting the scolding you know you deserve.
NO. can see through your diplomacy 1t
won't do, my dear girl, it won't do
1T isn't diplomacy or fat.ery; it's true.
III take my scolding most meekly If you tell
me what happened today"
Il refuse to bargain with a confessed
rebel. Still, as | must get you off to bed
before morning, l will tell you what han
pened An attempt wGs made to settle the
strike today. The men had a meeting to-
night, and | waited at my club to hear the
outcome. had man at the meeting, who
was to bring me the result of the vote as
soon as 1t was taken. A young man-onc
of the strikers, but the only man of brains
among them-saw me this afternoon. and
made certain proposals that l accepted.
Gibbons was to be renOunced and a depu-
tation OF the men was to come to me- We
should probably have settled the matter in
ten minutes. If 1t had come off"
Then he failed, after all his trouble?"
Who faied?"
"rhe-the young man you speak Of"
Edna found her role of deceiver a diff
cult one. She was glad her father could
not see her face, and bitterly regretted Civ
ing Marsten promise not to tell of his
visit.
"Yes, he failed. OF course, there was not
time to canvass the men properly and at
the meeting, Gibbons, who is a glib talker.
won over enough to defeat the efforts of
the others. 1t wasn't much of victory,
but sufficient for the purpose They had.
understand a very stormy meeting and
abouts"
And what Is to be done now?"
"Oh, We are just where we were. I'll |
wait few days more, and IL the men do
not come back, I'll fill their places with a
1nf I lnt,tt
rs last resort, but | won't be played with |
very much longer. Now dear girl YOU |
know all about 1t. so to bed, TO bed at once |
md sleep soundly. This dissipation cannot |
De allowed, you know"
He kissed her and patted her affection
lteiy on the shoulder. The girl, with
guilty feeling in her heart. crept upstairs
is nolselessly as she had descended
CHAPTER XVII.
Albert Langly found new and absorbing
interest In life. This interest was friend
ship, the pleasures OF which the organlst had
lever before experienced during his lonely
md studious existence. He became a con-
itant visitor at Braunts rooms, and began
oacrlng Jessie the rudiments of music. find
ng her willing and apt pupil as well as a
'ery silent one Her gaunt face and larse
iorrowful eyes haunted him wherever he
vent, while she looked upon him with an
I'VE such as she would have bestowed upon
! belng from another world; which perhars |
10 was, for he certainly had little relation
NIP with this eager. money-seeking planet
'oe Braunt was quite content TO sid In his
and smoke. However small the
money Is for the housekeeping a working
nan VIII generally contrlvo TO provide him
elf with tobacco.
AS often as not Braunt was absent when
lis daughter had her music lesson. for Mrs.
irundy has little TO say about the domestic
rangements OF the extreme poor. The en-
Ire absence OF all world wisdom I'm the
oung man would have made II difficult for
ny one to explain to him why two people
rho loved music should not be together as
ften as opportunity offered had there been
ny one who took interest enough in him or
: her TO attempt such an explanation. The
irl. who had even more than her fathers
'orshlp or harmony. was fascinated by the
rgan!sts marvellous skin upon the lnstru-