Evening journal., 1897-12-31
FACING DEATH.

The strike at the foundry, starting
from comparatively small grievances,
had, thanks to the influence Of few of
the leaders, reached state where salts
factory settlement seemed impossible
The men had expected to be out a week
or ten days at the most, but nearly two
months had elapsed, and their position
was almost desperate. Several dep0ta-
tions had waited on old Mr.. Vice, the
proprietor, but had been invariably re-
ferred back to the manager, with the
understanding that he had full author
ity to deal with them.
The manager, Shotwell, young man
of intelligent sympathies from the first
had been willing, even eager, to discuss
| the mems grievances and help them to
an understanding. But when he found
| that the leaders. TO whom the men had
intrusted their cause, not only were
disposed to take advantage of his JUS
tice, but were seeking their own ends
at the expense Cf the men, he suddenly
changed his attitude and refused to lis
ten 10 any proposals other than absolute
surrender. He gave the three leaders to
understand in the plainest language
that under no consideration would he
tolerate their presence in the shops
again.
The result Of this understanding and
the contemptuous way in which tho
manager had expressed his opinion Of
the leaders and their scheming reused
these men from sullen spite to hatred.
They could not keep the men out or get
back themselves unless-well, unless
Shotwell changed his mind, and they
knew him too we'll to hope for that.
Shotwell's obstinacy had surprised
even old Mr.. Vice, who had known him
from boyhOod-lnown him so well, IN
fact, that he had sanctioned the young
mans engagement to Dorothy, his
daughter. 1t was possibly the thought
Of future partnership that made him
so determined to stand to his guns now
and show the old man and his sweet
heart that he was capable of holding
the reins.
Even Dorothy's lover hardly under
stood her. She had strange ideas of
"soul communion" that made the mat
ter Of fact young man gasp, and she had
an uncanny lKnack Of demonstrating the
proof of her beliefs by reading his un-
spoken thoughts with an accuracy that
to less healthy, wholesome young fell
low might have been embarrassing.
But withal she was so womanly and
tender and her fancies so pretty that
gradually he grew used to them and
found himself often lingering over them
and almost wishing they could be true.
To one Of these fancies he had readily
yielded. Each evening both sat wher-
ever they might be in silence for little
time and let their thoughts go out free
ly to each other; "soul talks Dorothy
called them and, whatever they were,
the result was that his love for the girl
grew more tender and he knew that in
! some subtle manner he was coming to
understand her better and better each
day. These times had been inexpressibly
dear to him Of late. They were his mo-
ments of absolute rest from the worry
of the strike, and he always felt his
brain refreshed and afterward was bet
ter able TO cope with his growing diff.
culties.
The pulse Of the strike was growing
feverish, and night after night Shotwell
, had slept at the Office, fearing somo kind
of attack on the promises. By the END
of the week very and lack Of sleep hao
told heavily upon him, and as he SAT
. smoking in the mysterious shadows Of
the early evening he determined thai
e this must be his last night alone; b,
would get watchman to aid him. Hi!
a thoughts grew vague and mixed. His
pipe fell to the floor and made hin
jump, then his eyes closed for a mo
d ment, opened sluggishly, dropped again
a and he was fast asleep.
With a start and fearful sense o.
oppression he awoke, struggling wildly
in his chair; tried to cry out, and real
lied that he was tied down. A clotl
was wound tightly over his mouth
: I while the room was filed with a subtle
d sickly odor Of chloroform. He heard
sneering laugh behind his chair and
u well, yer took a purity good nap tina
time, didn't yer?" There was an an
g swering growl from another throat, ant
the two men came round in front, botl
1, mutfied in heavy coats and pieces o
n cloth covering the upper half of thei
faces. One of them carried a small blacl
/ box somewhat gingerly to the desk ant
set it down In frtnt of Shotwell. II
v turned little brass key in it, and hid
den machinery began to tick, tack, tick
II tack, like a clock. He twisted the bo
/ around, and Shotwell saw a small dial
with the hands pointed to Q go O'Clock
One of the men attached one end of
string TO lever ON the box and wit
the greatest precaution tied the othe
end to Arthur's left wrist, then fixe
smother string to the same lever and I
D. he other wrist.
a "Eow. see here, Mr.. Shotwell, you'v