The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-27

Mr. Hardy felt little better for the
partial confession and parted with his
minister at the next corner, going
down TO his Office
CHAPTER w.
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
OH his desk aas the following letter.
addressed to him. but written in 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 offs if you
thinks we have bodies but no soils some morning
you will wake up believing another thing We
amt so easy le, supposes. Better look to
house and employ spesul patrol; il you do
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 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 ii.
and he felt now as If he had been Grim
tnally careless in NOT making the in.
spection in the absence of the regular
officer. An investigation of the acct
dent would free MIR. 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
effect on the men,
Mr. Hardy crumpied the letter nery
ously in his hand
MIR Burns. would like to apologize
to you for my neglect of the injured
men. Who are they and how badly are
they hllrt?"
Burns looked surprised, but made
answer, describing briefly the acct
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 on
that bright winter morning, with the
air outside SO clear and cool, the atmos-
phere in this place was murlly and
close. The FORCES in the blacksmith
room at the farther end glowed through
the smoke and dust like smoldering
piles of rubbish dumped here and there
by chance upon some desolate moe
and stirred by i'll omened demons OF
the neither world. Mr.. Hardy shudder-
ed as he thought of standing in such an
atmosphere all day to work at severe
muscular toll. He recalled with sharp
vividness a request made only two
months before for dust fans which had
| proved successful in other shops and
| which would remove large part of
| the heavy, coal laden air. supplying
fresh air in it's place. The company
| had refused the request and had even
said through one of its officers that
when the men wore out the company
could easily get more.
| Mr.. Hardy and the foreman paused
at the entrance to the casting room
| where the men had been injured the
day before. A few men were working
sullenly. Mr.. Hardy asked the fore
man to call the men together near the
other end of the room; he wanted to
say something to them, He walked
over there while the foreman spoke to
the men. They dropped their tools and
came over to where Mr.. Hardy, was
standing. They were mostly Scandi.
nayians and Germans, with sprin
king Of Irish and Americans. Mr.
Hardy looked at them thoughtfully
They were hard looking crowd. Then
he said very slowly and distinctly:
"You may quit work until after SEQ
ville's funeral. The machinery here
needs oyerhauling."
The men stood impressive for mo
ment. Finally big Dane stepped VI
and said:
I'VE be no minded to quit work
these times. We no can afford It. Give
as work in some other place"
Mr.. Hardy looked at him and replied
quietly: @i 81. s5..
'The wages Will 80 On jxst the same
| while you are cut
There was q perceptfble stir among
the men. They looked confused and
increduIous. Mr.. Hardy still looked q,
them tkshghtf~9F.