Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-20

pause: God bless you, Eric! God help us to solve these questions with his wisdom, for ours is weakness and fool ishness.'
 Fries eyes were shut. Then a tear stole out from the closed lids and rolled over the pale cheek, and Stuart left him so.
 He hurried down into the town and drove first out to Fries cottage, which was on q side street three blocks from the square. Fries father and mother l were dead. and he was not married. He was living with his grandmother and two cousins, young boys who eN- pected in time to enter the mines. Fries home life was strange and had it's influence on his life to shape it as it was. Stuart left word with the grand mother that Erie would be with him for awhile and then drove back into the square and went into the office.
 It was the old office room of his fa- ther, but since Ross Duncan's death 1t had become a sort of headquarters for several mine owners who had railroad interests in Champion and mining property in the other ranges. Three or four of these men greeted Stuart as he came in and at once began to argue with him about his course in the strike and it's probable results on the out come of it.
 Now. Duncan" said one of the men, a large. florid man, who wore big seal on heavy watch chain and looked important it is necessary for us all to move together in this matter. Things have got to q point now where it is q question whether we are running our own business or having it run for us by q lot of wild, ignorant fanatics engi- neered by Salvation Army cranks and other fools of the sort'
 Stuart had all he could do to keep from striking the man ill the mouth as he spoke of the Salvation Army. That delicate face in the army bonnet, that llneeling figure in the midst of the mob, that prayer, the sweet, clear. refined voice-all smote his imagination and memory as his eyes looked past the big man out of the window which opened on the scenes of the past evening. It was good proof perhaps of the genuine nature of StuartS new manhood that he calmly listened until the speaker was through aid then said quietly: T do not regard the Salvation Army as you do, MT. Wyman. My dearest friend, EIic Vassall, is member of it, and I believe we owe our freedom so far from laWleSsness to the religious influence eXerted by the army"
 Stuart's reply surprised all the other men. The big man reddened and was about to say something when one of the others spoke up:
 That aside, MT. Duncan, we do not see your reason for refusing to get new men in and starting up again. Your re- fusal gives the strikers encourage ment"
 '.I believe they ought to have the scale they demand" replied Stuart quietly.
 "We don'tp' exclaimed the first speaker viciously. "I'll see every strik- CT starve before I'll grant anything like the terms they ask. The price of ore at present wouldn't allow it.''
 "But,' said another of the men, speaking to Stuart, who remained standing in the middle of the room, ''the Cleveland men are determined to set new men at work today. The first load will come in on the noon train. Troops are coming with them. The two companies that were here last night have gone on down to the lower range early this morning. We have the game in our own hands if we act to- gether. You are the largest owner here A good deal depends on your acf1nn ss ,-------- -s.--l>>r<s------