Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-08-13
Copyright, 1901, by Clinton Ross.

i HAT morning lit wal
] ca near dawn-the new su
II III perintendent was tired
out, for the situation
II was grave, and the last
IL days and nights had
ti been busy.
The men were out II
the steel mills. and they were as rough
and mixed a lot as you could find.
The new superintendent had started
In as one of the steel workers and had
mastered his trade SO well that now
with little previous mechanical train
ing, Delafield had thought him the man
for the position at Otranto. The cause
Of the trouble had been due in great
measure to the old superintendent
(BillingsD lack of tact. and Delafeld
who had watched DENLY from the first,
had considered him the man.
For three years he had worked among
the men-knew them from A to Z-and
had gone his way up mastering details
He did not seem to have q vice or a
falling, though when he had appeared
at Otranto he was a sorry enough fel-
low. He had brought letter from
Bronson. himself one Of the principal
directors. recommending him to Della
fields good graces.
81 don't want any favoritism on ac-
count of Mr.. Bronson's letter." he had
said. "All l want is q chance to begin
In the mills at the very lowest rung of
the ladder. am strong enough or
shall be when am myself again"
Delafield had looked him over. put
ting him down as man who had gone
to pieces and thinking that he would
wear out. But he did not wear out.
and Delafield, watching him curiously,
had seen him day by day, his face
growing strong, his slight compact,
muscular figure gaining grace that
rough clothes could not hide. He was
a gentleman, certainly, Delafield de-
cided. But he had no mail; no one in
Quired for him. Whether his real
name were DENLY or not nobody knew.
He never accepted Delaneld's invita-.
tlon to dine-that came after q year.
He was curious, isolated figure, with,
directly the manager saw, the power to
command men. The engineers, With
their mechanical school experience
men who brought a touch Of the city
to Otranto, some men from the 30
phisticated world, too-began to defer
to him, and Delafleld. watchful Of ev-
erythlng, saw it all. Directly he was
advising with this man Of 80, Of whose
past he knew so little, but who was
certainly an educated man.
Once his curiosity led him to ask Che
had asked no questions when DENLY
had appeareO:
"You are a connection of Mr.. Bron.
son'sr'
mo"
"Or-excuse me, won't you-you were
sent here to learn the business"
81 came here because had to have
work. That was all. My matters are
of no consequence to any one"
But Delafield still had private the.
ory that this was some one from the
powers who might suddenly develop
into q director. and, outside Of his ad.
miration for Denby's pluck and apd-
tude, he gave him further Difference.
But DENLY required nothing, nor books
save those bearing on his trade. nor
companionship-only his thoughts and
his work, for which he had a Ber-
serker rage. And now. after three
years, during which he had not stirred
from Otranto, he was the new super.
intendent.
Otranto is 20 miles from Byfeld,
among the wooded northwestern Penn.
sylvanian hills. For 20 miles about
there is nothing but rough hill coun.
try. The place has 5000 miners and
steel workers. There is no one else
there save the local merchants and the
keepers, nothing but the
high, desolate hills that DENLY had
grown to like.
Now, after this hard day, out Of sheer
exhaustion he had sunk his face in his
hands on his desk In the superlntend-
ent's Office and slept. Fifteen hundred
of the steel workers were out. and oil
day q sheriff's posse Of 80 men, the su-
perintendent, q few clerks and a few
others who had not gone out had pro-
tected the company's property. Della
field was In Pittsburg. This morning
q militia company would arrive. The
matter would be knocked into order, OF
course. But DENLY must hold out. For
a week he had scarcely slept.
he was dreaming Of places far away.
Of events long past. when the sheriff
touched him on the shoulder.
''They are out there - everywhere
swarming. Mr.. DENLY. and here is q
man to speak to you"
DENLY, his blond hair in disorder
around high forehead, wheeled about.
"Well, Lynch. what's the matter
now"
Lynch shuffled from side to side, his
burly hands bulging his pockets.
81 am not for burnin and pullin to
pieces. It can't do no good"
"Only hurt yourselves. Of course. But
you made US fight to keep you from
yourselves"
"You have worked among u.s." !
II work among you now" /,
"But for the company"
$50 do you. Lynch. Well, what Is Il"
81 have been talkin this among the
men. but they are mad"
II ought to know that"
"And they are madder about the sher.
iff and madder about the soldiers. Why,
If it hadn't been for you
"Don't mind me-"
eff 1t hadn't been because many
knew you and respected you they'd
had this thing over your heads long
ago."
They'd burn the company's houses.
I suppose, II they had anywhere else
to put their families" DENLY remarked.
EYES," said Lynch, with grim smile.
"they would. But now It's come to the
pass where they can't be held back.
Nothin can hold them back. Those OF
us that has stood up can't any longer"
"Poor devils. poor devils, why can't
they know? They are only trying to
vtarve themselves. They can't hold
anti