The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-06-24
miscellaneous
FACING DEATH.
BY AQUILA KEMPsTER.

The strike at the foundry, starting
from comparatively small grievances,
had, thanks to the influence of few
OF the leaders, reached a state where
satisfactory settlement seemed i'm
possible. The men had expected to
be out a week or ten da>s at the
most, but nearly two months had
elapsed, and their position was almost
desperate. Several Populations had
waited on old Mr.. Vice, the proprietor
but had been invariably referred back
to the manager, with the understand
ing that he had full authority to deal
with them.
The manager, Shotwell, a young
man of intelligent sympathies, from
the first, had been willing, even eager,
help them to an understanding. But
when he found that the leaders, to
whom the men had Entrusted their
cause, not only were disposed to take
advantage of his justice, but were
seeking their own ends at the expense
of the men. he suddenly changed his
attitude and refused to listen to any
proposals other than absolute sur
render, 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 opin-
| ion of the leaders and their scheming,
reused these men from sallen SPITE to
hatred. They could not keep the men
| out or get back themselves unless
we'll, unless Shotwell changed his
mind, and they knew him too well to
hope for that.
| Shotwells obstinacy had surprised
| even old Mr. Vice, who had known
him from boyhood-known him so
we'll, in fact, that he had sanctioned
the young mans engagement to
| Dorothy, his daughter. 1t was posi-
bly, the thought of a future partner
ship that made him SO determined to
| stand to his guns now and show the
| old man and his sweetheart 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
matter.of-fac young man gasp, and
she had an uncanny knack of demon
strating the proof of her beliefs by
reading his unspoken thoughts with
an accuracy that to a less healthy,
| wholesome young fellow might have
been embarrassing, But withal she
was so womaply and tender and her
fanoies so pretty that gradually he
grew used to them and found himself
often lingering over them and almost
wishing they could be true.
Toone of these fancies he had readily
yielded. Each evening both sat
wherever they might be in silence for
a little time and let their thoughts go
out freely 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 each day. These times
had been impressibly dear to him oil
late. They were his moments OF alb
solute rest from the worry OF the
strike, and he always felt his brain
refreshed and afterwaTd was better
able to cope with his growing diff
culties.
The pulse of the strike was growing
feverish, and night after night Shot
we'll had slept at the office, fearing
some kind OF attack on the premises.
By the end of the week worry and
lack of sleep had told heavily upon
him, and as he sat smoking in the
mysterious shadows of the early even
ing he determined that this must be
his last night alone; he would get q
watchman to aid him. His thoughts
grew vague and mixed, His pipe fel
to the floor and made him jump, ther
his eyes closed for moment, opened
sluggishly, dropped again and he wal
fast asleep.
With a start and fearful sense o
oppression he awoke, struggling wild
ly in his chair; tried to cry out anC
realized that he was tied down. A
. cloth was wound tightly over hi'
mouth, while the room was filled will
, a subtle, sickly odor OF chloroform
He heard a sneering laugh behind hi
chair and, "Well, yer took a purity
good nap that time, didn't yer?" Their,
: was an answering growl from anoths
throat, and the two men came rounC
j in front, both muffied in heavy coat
4 and pieces of cloth covering the uppe
= half OF their faces. One of them car