Middletown transcript., 1900-04-21

Thursday night came he went down TO
a meeting of the chess club and had
good time with his favorite game, for
he was a fine player and was engaged
In series Of games which We're being
played for the state championship.
The superintendent of the Sunday
school had lately timidly approached
Mr. Hardy and asked him if he would
not take class Of boys In the Sunday
school. What, HE take class of boys!
He, the influential, wealthy manager
Of one Of the largest railroad shops in
the world-HE give his time to the
teaching of Sunday school class! He
excused himself on the score of lack OF
time, and the very same evening OF his
interview with the superintendent he
went to the theater to hear a roaring
farce and after he reached home spent
an hour in his favorite study of chem
istry in his laboratory at the top of his
house, for Mr.. Hardy was man Of
considerable power as a student, and
he had an admirable physical constitu-
tion, capable Of the most terrible
strain. Anything that gave him pleas
ure he was willing to work for. He
was not lazy, but the idea of giving his
personal time and service and talents
to bless the world had no place In his
mind.
And so as he lay on the lounge that
evening and listened to his wife's plain
statement concerning his selfshness he
had no intention to give up a single
thing that gratified his tastes and fed
his pride.
After a silence just about long
enough for some one to give the expla-
nation just given, Mrs. Hardy said,
speaking coldly, as if it were a matter
of Indifference to her:
"Mr. Burns, the foreman, called
while you were out"
"He did? What did he want?"
"He said four Of the MEN in the cast
ing room were severely injured this
afternoon by the bursting of one Of the
retorts, and the entire force had quit
work and gone home"
Couldn't Burns supply the place Of
the injured men? He knows where the
extras are"
'"That was what he came to see you
about. He said he needed further di.
rections. The men fatty refused to
work another minute and went out in
a body don't blame them much.
Robert. don't you believe God will pun.
ish you for keeping the shops open on
any SundayT
Nonsense. Mary" replied Mr.. Har-
dy Yet there was a shadow Of IN
easiness in his tone. 1.-The work has
got to 60 on. 1t is Il work of necessity.
Railroads are public servants; they
can't rest Sundays"
Then when Gcd tells the world that
it must not work on Sundays he does
not mean railroad men? The fourth
commandment ought to read: 'Remem-
Der the Sabbath day and keep it holy,
except all We men who work for rail.
roads. Ye haven't any Sunday"
Mary. / didn't come from one SER
mon to listen to another. You're worse
than 3Ir. Jones'"
Mr.. Hardy half rose on the lounge
and leaned on his elbow, looking at his
wife with every mark of diSpleaSure
on his face, and yet as he looked some
how there stole into his thought the
memory of the old New England home
back in the Vermont hills and the vi
sion of that quiet little country village
where Mary and he had been brought
up together. He seemed to see the old
meeting house on the hill, at the end
of long, elm shaded street that strag-
gled through the village. and he saw
himself again as he began to fall in
love with Mary, the beauty Of the vii
lagn. and be had vision of one Sun
day when walking back from church
by Mary's side, he had asked her to be
his wife. 1t seemed to him that q
breath of the meadow just beyond
Squire Hazen's place came into the
room just as it was waited up to him
when Mary turned and said the happy
word that made that day the gladdest,
proudest day he had ever known.
What, memories Of the old times!
What!
He seemed to come to himself and
stared around into the fire as if won
dering where he was, and he did not
see the tear that rolled down his wife's
cheek and fell upon her two hands
elasped in her lap. She arose and went
over to the piano, which stood in the
shadow, and, sitting down with her
back to her husband, she played frag-
ments of music nervously. Mr.. Hardy
lay down on the lounge again. After
awhile Mrs. Hardy wheeled about on
the piano stool and said:
Robert, don't you think you had
better go over and see Mr.. Burns about
the men who were hurt?"
"Why, what can do about it? The
company's doctor will see to them. l
should only be in the way. Did Burns
say they were badly hurt?"
Zone of them had his eyes put out,
and another will have to lose both feet.
think he said his name was Scoville."
what! Not Ward Scoviller'
II think Burns said that was the
name"
Mr.. Hardy rose from the lounge, then
lay down again. "Oh, well. l can go
there the first thing in the morning. |
can't do anything now," he muttered.
But there came to his memory a pic
ture of one day when he was walking
through the machine shops and heavy
piece of casting had broken from the
end of large hosting derrick and
would have fallen upon him and proba-
bly, killed him if this man Scoville, at
the time workman in the machine de-
partment, had not pulled him to one
side at the danger of his own life. AS
it was, in saving the life of the mana
ger Scoville was struck on the shoulder
and rendered useless for work for four
weeks. Mr.. Hardy had raised his
wages and advanced him to response
BILE position in the casting room. Mr..
Hardy was not man without generos-
ity and humane feeling. but as he lay
on the lounge that evening and thought
of the cold snow outside and the dis
tance to the shop tenements he readily
excused himself from going out to see
the man who bad once saved his life
and who now lay MANNED for life. II
any one thinks it impossible that one