The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
THE MUTABLE MANY
by
ROBERT BARR.
CHAPTER xxxv1.-coxrrxuED.

dayf' she asked.
"Yes. It Is called for 6 O'Clock this even
ing"
'Do you think the strike would end II they
gave you another week."
-: feel morally certain IL would. There Is
sure To he n split At to-niCht's meeting OF the
-nen. You see II is called In direct opposition
To Nfarstcn's wishes. and that shows no Is los
ing whatever hold he ever hnu on the strikers"
''Then wouldn't YOU bejustiaed In saying
nothing about this communication from the
n%hipowncrs until tho next directors meeting?
You would know by that time what. the result
OF tho strikers meeting was"
"My dear Edna. YOU make proposals that
take away n mans breath. No, that wouldn't
DO. The directors must have full intorma-
ton. | could not take the responsibility of
holding back anything that bore on their In
t%rrests. whatever nigh be the result to my
eelt: but | can't help Wishing the message had
rono astrnv for n day or two"
II am going to the office ut O o ,lock tonight.
father"
sartwell laughed. but in a mirthless. despon-
dent Kramer.
''lIadn't you bette: come at 8 and give the
directors your opinion OF them? I'm sure IL
wouldn't be very latterinV."
you mustn't make fun of me. father. The
situation IL very serious. and I couldn't bear
thc suspense of waiting until you came home.
Unjust ka1w what happens. 80 please don't for
bid me. Besides. IT may lie your last night
there. and | should like to bring you home"
-'Oh. II won't he my last night. shail not
leave the old firm like that. I shall stay until
the new manager is installed and everything
running smoothly. Even though n man is de-
fcRtcd. Tdna. he owes II to himself to retreat
in rnod order. and sometimes n mastery re-
treat IA as good n b. OF 0eneralship as q vic
tory. As everything Is perfectly quiet. you
may come II you are anxious. ne Of course you
are; or I could telegraph you. II you would
rather. But It is a foreCone conclusion. l am
sure OF that. Whenever they see this message
and learn there has been little progress made
in filling up the works. they will succumb-and
J don't know that I can blame them.
'"rhcy have vast interests at stake. and they
have backed me we'll up to the present. when.
II 1t hadn't seen for me. they would have given
in long ago. Then I shall look for you at six.
MY dear. Take a hanson from the station. and
nsk Ito man TO wait in the yard of the works.
Wuit for me in my room IL I happen to be
absent when you come. I shall toll tho
comm'ssionaire 70 look after you"
The girl watched the train come in and leave;
then. turning she walked tow ard her home with
o heavy heart. She went past the house and
on 10 the Common. unconsciously initiating her
father. who. when troubled In mind. sought its
breezy errapse. Several times she paused. and
though: OF sending a telegram to Marsten. ask
Zig him to meet her In the old garden at Vim
b'-dcn Mt once. There she fancied herself ap-
penling to him to put an end to the strike; but
she feared the anger OF her father should he dis
cover what she had done. even though II had
teen done FOR his sake. II did not occur to her
that rerhaps the appeal might be in vain, for
the knew she would do anything asked of her
for one she loved. and she hal little doubt that
the young man had a true and lasting affec-
i+,n for her. What, she asked herself. II
Marsten made conditions? Would she be will
fne to accept a great favor and grant nothing
in return? What ould he think II she tele
gr, phel him to come? The answer was obvi-
Gus. and. In searching her own heart. she for
tie first time admitted to herself that her re-
Fly would be different from what 1t had been
~ Easttourne.
Bnt when 1t came to the point. she could not
bring herself to he length of sending q mes.
cage. She shrank fro N playing go dangerous o
card: for. II 1t failed to win the trick, how
could she face the decentralization? Some
thing in the self-reliant ring Of Marsten's voice.
fomething in the logged Determination Of his
manner. something in the compelling glance
VI III eye. WHTDeu neT tDaC OF even CO please
the girl he loved would he be untrue 10 the flag
urder which he fo~ught-nnd something In her
own heart told her that she herself would think
less Of him II he did. Yet, II he refused. sne
could never speak to him again; she was Ger.
tain Of that. Having made an appeal in vain,
ale could never grant one of hts own. or even
hs:en to It. She thought of the pleasure II
would be TO her to have him PLEAD his cause
once more. and read his answer in her willing
eyes before her lips could speak It: but II he
refused her when she begged him to spare her
father the i'm impending huinilia lion of defeat,
there could be no more friendship between
II EN-. Edna at LAST returned to her home. be-
wildered in mind and hesitating to act, and
listened to a honlily on the sinfulness OF vast
ing ones time. although she heard or under
stood but little Of the admirable discourse.
AS evening drew on the girl became moro
and more anxious. and impatiently awaited
Ihe. hour that was to take her to London. She
hnlf expected a telegram from her father. but
az none came she knew the situation had not
her hanson drove into the yard OF the Works;
the gatekeeper was evidently on the watch
for her. and had the gates open. closing them
after her. The silent. deserted air Of tho huge
place had q most depressing. influence on her
a. she mounted the stairs that led to her
as she entered. entirely alone and looked round
absent mindedly when he heard the door open.
to l.slp Da @y s srt.r n Il. said you have come
III there must To packing, I am ready to help.
father"
I'm afraid that's all there's left 10 do. dear.
But we're not going tn show the white feather,
are We? I've Just teen planning a lovely little
your on the Continent for you and me, where
we shall forget. for n time. that there Is such
an ugly thing. ms n strike in the whole world.
1Ou'ii 10 u princess. and I'll be the old do
thioncd king; they ALWAYS went to the CONT
nenf. You know. after n defeat"
~SnrtwclIs attempt ut bh ntcr Was n gloomy
failure. and he avoided his daughters eye,
pretending 70 be sorting out no ne papers. She
into her eyes.
at last.
NO. They are In there yet. arranging the
terms Of surrender-or hardly that. for
there. are 70 terms. They simply give the men
el they AK which, of course. they might
have done n month ago. and saved all his
bother. ! know now II would be VIII sn they
lizard about the shin lying unloaded in AuE-
tralla. lltr was not an ounce OF fight left In
them. and ] felt sure q nlo y dealt 80 far away
would appeal 10 what little Imagination any OF
them has. IL seems to them decisive. but. OF
course. IT'S nothing Of the kind. IL is merely
o theatrical Bit OF 'yplay that should have no
bearing OH the result. But there IL little use
In kicking against fate. 1hov are at this mo-
meIt engaged IN writing out their Letter of ca
pitulntion-as II IL made any difference how
you worded an acknowledgment Of defeat and
n SnrT.nHur .f NHpr nfaEazT Ia m Lon ~ ,.,-.