News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-02-27

| tonight" said the doctor. He went iD
to see Eric again, and Stuart and the
minister remained in the hall. They
! talked together a little while, and Stu
art was expressing his fears of the out
come when his telephone rang.
He went to it and cOnversed mo.
ment. Then turning to Mr.. Burke he
said, "Do you feel able to go out this
EVENING"
"Yes, | am lame little and do moi
look very presentable, but feel able
as far as that goes"
Stuart went to the hall closet and
brought out an overcoat for Mr.. Burke
He then put on his own, saying as he
did so, 1--WE just had a message from
| the Iron Cliffs company that the min
| ers are gathering in great mob down
in the square, and they think had bet.
ter come down and use my influence
to prevent an outbreak"
do you feel able?
Eyes, l guess so. Pm sore and lame
| that's a fact, but no bones broken, and
it seems case of duty. The doctor will
stay with Eric"
HE will. ehp' said the doctor, who
! lust then came out of the room behind
Stuart. You're as much in need OF
watching as Eric. Take off that over
coat and go up stairs to bed!'
"Now, DOCTOR" replied Stuart with a
sad smile, IL don't like to say won't
but shall say it this time. feel as if
| ought to 90 down to the square. There
| is going to be bad nights work, I'm
afraid. but not without a protest from
Mr.. Burke and myself
"All right. so your ways! And if you
| get your heads broken don't send for
me to glue the pieces together again
| The doctor went back to Eric, and
| Stuart. after sending word that he and
Mr.. Burke would be right down and
| after ordering the servants to bring
around horse and buggy, drove hur-
riedly away.
AS they sped down the hill they pass
ed several groups of miners swinging
! along the road at a smart foot pace
! But when they reached the square
there was so large a crowd gathered
overlooking into the streets, that Stu
art drove around into one of the al
legs and hitched his horse near the
church at the rear. He and Burke then
came out into the space bounded by
the church and the railroad depot plat
form.
The miners had not been in the habit
Of assembling at night. All their meet
lngs up to this time had been at noon.
Their present gathering was a new
development of the strike, and as Stu
art and the minister crowded in at the
corner by the church they both said to
themselves that there were elements Of
very dangerous character compressed
into that spot the commercial and So
cial center of the town.
In the first place, there was an un-
usually large number of drunken men
in the mob. 1t was growing noisier
every minute. The band stand was
crowded with miners. Two of them
were trying to speak at the same time
on opposite sides Of the stand, and
the confusion was doubled by their at
tempt. The mob of men swayed rest
lessly about the stand, which was
lighted by an electric hanging lamp.
The square was almost as light as in
the daytime. Out on a side track of
the railroad which skirted one side of
the square the troops that had come in
that afternoon were quartered in the
coaches which brought them. There
were two companies. and they had
been ordered for some reason to re-
main over at Champion that night.
Every allusion to the troops seemed
to excite the miners to anger. The
speakers in the stand mentioned them
often and pointed toward their quar-
tiers. A good deal had happened that
day to rouse even the sluggish, stoid
men of the north. Eric's injury, while
lamented by very many, was really
cause for rejoicing by another large
and rough element who were glad to
have his leadership displaced by that
of more radical but less capable men.
Stuart could not help saying, "If Eric
were only herew For the first time be
realized what great power Eric had
possessed. 1t was no small general
ship to hold this rough, turbulent mass
of uneducated men in check. There
was no one to take Eric's place.
Stuart had no definite plan to pursue
In coming down to the square. The
miners as they saw him spoke respect
fully and asked after Eric. He and
Burke were finally in the progress OF
their walk crowded up on the church
steps, which were covered with men.
1t was now about half past o'clock
and the scene was of such character
that worn as they were by the days
events, the two men stood looking out
at the faces beneath them with Ger
tain excitement that grew upon then
with every second. The noise and con
fusion were increasing. A fight oil
some kind was already in progress In
the band stand. Figures swayed bach
and forth there. The police force oil
Z Champion was meager at any time, ant
1t was as powerless to manage such 8
. crowd as this as If 1t had been com
posed Of little children.
Suddenly across all the other sound,
a in the square, rising over them, was
: heard the beat of drum. 1t was NJ