The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-05-22
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER Nv.
1t was now 10 o'clock, and the day
seemed to him cruelty brief for the
work he had to do. He entered the
office, and almost the first thing he saw
on his desk was the following letter.
addressed to him, but written in a dis
guiSed hand:
Mr. Hardy-Us in the casting room don't need
no looking after. but maybe the next pot of hot
iron that explodes will be next the offis if you
thinks we have bodies but soils some morning
you will wake up believing another thing. We
amt so easy led supposes Better look to
house and employ spesul patrol; IL you do we
will blak his face for him.
There was no signature to this threat
ening scrawl. which was purposely
misspelled and ungrammatically COM
posed Mr. Hardy had received threats
before and paid little attention to them
He prided himself on his steady nerves
and his contempt of all such methods
used to scare him. Only a coward, he
reasoned, would ever write an anony-
nous letter Of such a character. Still
this morning he felt disturbed. His
peculiar circumstances made the whole
situation take on more vivid coloring.
Besides all that, he could not escape
the conviction that he was in certain
sense responsible for the accident in
the casting room. 1t was not his par
ticular business to inspect machinery.
But his attention had been called to it,
and he felt now as If he had been crim-
inally careless in not making the in
spection in the absence of the regular
officer. An investigation of the acci-
dent would free Mr.. Hardy from legal
responsibility, but In the sight Of God
he felt that he was morally guilty. At
this moment Mr.. Burns came in. He
looked sullen and spoke in a low tone:
"Only half the men are back this
morning, sir. Scoville's death and the
injuries of the others have had bad
effect on the men,"
Mr.. Hardy crumpled the letter nerv-
ously in his hand.
Mr.. Burns, l would like to apologize
to you for my neglect Of the injured
men. Who are they and how badly are
they hurtY"
Burns looked surprised, but made
answer, describing briefly the acci
dents. Mr.. Hardy listened intently
with bowed head. AT last he looked
up and said abruptly:
"Come into the casting ROOM"
They went out of the office, passed
through the repairing shops and enter
ed the foundry department. Even or
that bright winter morning, with the
:. IL h. ,4,1
phere in this place was murky and
close. The forges in the blacksmith
room at the farther end glowed through
the smoke and dust like smolderine
piles of rubbish dumped here and there
by chance upon some desolate mool
| and stirred by ill omened demons OF
! the neither world. Mr.. Hardy shudder
ed as he thought of standing in such al
atmosphere all day to work at severe
muscular toll. He recalled with sharI
| vividness a request made only tive
| months before for dust fans which ha(
proved successful in other shops ani
| which would remove a large part o.
the heavy, coal laden air, supplying
fresh air in it's place. The compan!
| had refused the request and had ever
said through one Of it's officers tina
when the men wore out the compan!
could easily get more.
| Mr.. Hardy and the foreman PAUSED
at the entrance to the casting room
where the men had been injured tn,
day before A few men were workin.
| sullenly. Mr.. Hardy asked the fore
man to call the men together near th
other end of the room he wanted t,
say something to them. He walked
over there while the foreman spoke t.
the men. They dropped their tools ant
came over to where Mr.. Hardy wa
standing. They were mostly Scandi
navians and Germans, with a sprin
king of Irish and Americans. MI
Hardy looked at them thoughtfully
They were hard looking crowd. Thel
he said very slowly and distinctly:
you may quit work until after Sec
ville's funeral. The machinery her
needs overhauling."
The men stood impassive for a me
ment. Finally big Dane stepped u
and said:
| we Dc HO Iliuueu W uulI NOI
these times. We no can afford it. Civ
us work in some other place."
Mr.. Hardy looked at him and reptile
quietly:
1.-THE wages will go on just the sam
: while you are out"
There was a perceptible stir anon
= the men. They looked confused an
incredulous. Mr. Hardy still looked a
them thoughtfully.
Finally the big Dane stepped fol
ward again and said, speaking NOR
) respectfully than he did at first:
'Mr. Hardy. we be thinking mayb
you would like to help towards him tn
family of the dead and others as b
hurt. l been pointed to take up purs
|. for poor fellows injured. We all TAX
hand int. My brother be one lose hi
B two eyes,"
A tear actually rolled down tn
grimy check of the big fellow an
dropped into the coal dust at his fee