Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-02-04
FACING DEATH.

The strike at the foundry, starting
from comparatively small grievances,
had, thanks to the influence Of few OF
the leaders, reached "a state where salts.
factory settlement seemed impossible.
The men had expected to DO out a week
or ten days at the most, but nearly two
months had elapsed, and their position
was almost desperate. Several deputa-
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 We're seeking their own ends
at the expense of the men, he suddenly
changed his attitude and refused to lis
ten to 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 the
manager had expressed his opinion of
the leaders and their soheming 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 obstinaoy had surprised
even old Mr.. Vice, who had known him
from boyhood-mown him SO we'll, 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
10 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
tar Of fact voupo man oasn ana oha hod
an uncanny knack 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 30 womanly and
tender and her fancies 10 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 20 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 lao knew that in
some subtle manner lao 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 tho worry
Of the strike, and no always felt hts
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 ut the office, fearing some kind
Of attack on the premises. BY tho end
of the week worry and lack of sleep had
told heavily upon him, and as no sat
smoking IN tho mysterious shadows of
-