The weekly examiner., 1901-06-15

education and travel. And Stuart had gone through college and through Flu rope with about the same easy feeling of having comfortable time. He was perfectly healthy, had no vices Che did not even like a cigar), unusually thoughtful on some questions, with no particular ambitions and no special en- thusiasms. If he gave his future any thought while abroad, it was simply to picture life of business in connection with his fathers mining interests. That was his fathers desire, and Stuart did not have any other.
 He had come home from the picture galleries and cathedrals of the old world to face first of all this rough in cident of his fathers injury. In con- nection with it was the strike, which was specially personal not only be- cause it involved the Duncan interests, but because the leader of it was Eric Vassa1l, Stuart's old playfellow and friend. The more he thought of Erie the more he felt the strike to be seri- ous matter. So much might be involv ed in it for him and Eric.
 Nearly g. week went by before Ross Duncan was able to sit up and talk much. During that time Stuart faith fully remained at home. He had not seen Eric, and Eric, as he supposed, had not been to see him. His father and Louise needed his constant care. But he anticipated meeting his old playfellow with a curious feeling of ex- citement whenever he thought of that scene in the public square and recalled the prayer and it's effect.
 At the end of the week father and son were talking together over the sit uation. The miners were still out, and the strike was still on, with no pros pect 6f settlement.
 'I tell you, Stuart" said Ross Dun can, while his great square chin grew hard and tense, "the companies will never concede the demands of the men. I will never go an inch to meet them while they are in their present atti- tude"
 "Do you think the men ask too much, father?"
 '"Too much! With ore at the present price! It is outrageous, just when we were beginning to get on our feet again. It has been a very dull winter, and things were just beginning to turn our way again"
 'But I thought ore had gone up. Isn't that what the men claim as the reason for their demand for an increase? They say the wages ought to go up with the rise in ore"
 ''They are foolsr' Ross Duncan struck the pillow beside him passion ately ''The companies, were under oo+ mi of ot the old price before this rise came. The rise will not benefit us any until we have disposed of our old contracts"
 t'Why don't the companies tell the men SC? -4..P .Pshaw! Stuart, you are"- Ross Duncan controlled himself violently. | Stuart was alarmed for him. He rose and went over nearer the bed.
 Father, you must not get excited l Remember what Dr. Saxon said yes terday. You must not talk any more on this subject"
 q shall. There, I can control my self.''
 It was wonderful to see the change that came over the man. He stiffened his muscles, then relaxed them and let his hand, which had been clinched, open easily and lie open on the bed clothes Then he spoke without a quiver of passion, slowly and coldly:
 "The companies do not tell the men so because the men wouldn't believe word the companies say. Yet there isn't a man in our mines who can say Ross Duncan ever cheated a man out of a penny or ever told him an untruth I tell you, Stuart, the men are the most stubborn, ungrateful, ignorant lot of animals that ever lived. Why, all last winter I kept more than a dozen fami- l lies going with food and fuel because they had been sick or shiftless, and I'll warrant you those very families are in the front row of the parades every l morning! The men are cutting their 1 own threats. The companies will never give in."
 Stuart did not say anything for awhile. Then: Don't you think, fla | ther, that the men have been very quiet l and law abiding? There has been no disturbance thus far"
 "Wait till we get the new men in from Chicago and then see."
 twill the companies try to do that?
 'aThey certainly will if the strike con- tinues another week. We lose our con- tracts unless we can deliver the ore as specified"
 ''Isn't it a little remarkable, father" said Stuart after another pause, ''that | the men have opened their meetings in the square every morning with pray | er?'
 Ross Duncan uttered a sound that l represented more scorn than a hundred i words.
 Whom do they pray to-the devil?'
 'sThe prayer I heard the first morn ing came home was as good prayer as I ever heard in church."
 ''Who offered it?'
 "sEric," replied Stuart, flushing up a little.
 ''He is the leader of the whole strike, | i. |