Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-20

straight at them, and his face lighted
 up.
 l T have given the men my word that
 l would take them back at their terms. l They have refused to come back unless
 all the other owners make the same l terms. I still think I am right in the
 matter, and the rest of you ought to 1 grant their demands. 1 do not see how
 in honesty to my own convictions I can l do otherwise. My present refusal to
 get in new men is certainly not adding i to the danger of the situation here in Champion. Gentlemen"-Stuartp paused | for a moment, then went on firnly-"f
 cannot see my way clear to hire the
 men at smaller wages than $2 day. 1
 do not ag1Sa with the statement that 1 the price of ore does not warrant the 1 increase ill wages. 1 firmly believe it | does. The plain fact is that the work of the men is such dangerous, difficult
 work that S2 a day is little enough for 1 the labor. There isn't a man of us 1 here or in Cleveland who would do the l work these men do for ten times S2 q
 day. l cannot look at it as you do. l
 shall do my utmost to prevent trouble,
 but if at any time during the strike my
 men come back I will open up with S2
 a day for the underground men:'' The other men looked at Stuart in
 added astonishment. There was silence
 ill the office. broken finally by the big
 man who had spoken first:
 Well. that beats me. If I ever ex-
 pected to hear son of Ross Duncan
 make socialistic speech! You ought
 to go on the platform, sir.'
 10 mo of ,1- of
 fensive that Stuart grew pale and
 trembled. But he controlled his pas
 sion and turned to the other men. For | half an hour more they talked animat-
 edly. while the big man sulked and smoked q bad cigar in the corner At
 last Stuart saw that he was not and
 could not be understood. He could not | give his best reasons for his position to
 these men. They lay too deep at the
 foundations of his newly found life to l be explained to men whose spiritual
 natures were buried under cash values ] of existence.
 i When he was convinced that all the 1 talk would result in nothing satisfac- l tory, Stuart went out. He felt the need i of something that responded to his own l life. He felt choked and "poisoned" i GAe could not think of a less strong Worp as he realized how firm d hold l the love of money had on the business
 world. All the time he cried out in his
 heart: God help me, ! want to do the
 right thing and will do it as fast as the l light comeS.' He examined his posi- ! tion toward the strike so far in the i light of his Christian discipleship and l heard no accusing voice in his heart ! over the judgment that he had declared
 to be just, and as he went out into the l street he felt at peace as far as that
 was concerned.
 1 As he walked the street thinking it l all over he had a great desire to have q | talk with some one he could trust who l would sympathiZe with him. At once ! he thought of the new minister. 'I
 ought to go and inquire about him
 anyway" He quickened his pace
 across the street. entered the square
 and took one of the diagonal paths to
 the hotel where Burke was staying.
 He found Andrew Burke going
 through the hotel office with a large 1 box. He saw Stuart coming in and ex- claimed:
 ''Come up, come up, Mir Duncan.
 I've got some beauties here. I want you to see them.'
 Stuart followed up one flight of stairs
 and entered large room in the corner
 of the hotel, and Andrew Burke set l down his burden, shook hands strong
 ly and asked stuart to excuse him
 while he opened his box. Stuart looked
 on worderingly.
 l It was box fail of potted plants,
 young roses most of them. As fast as l Burke took them out he arranged
 them on temporary shelf by the win 1 dow.
 There's Nyphetis, one of the most delicate roses going. And here is my 1 KaiSerine. That's a new variety just | out this year. This Catherine Mernet l is a beauty. Very hard to get q bloom in this climate, l fear. The Safrano is | better. And just see here! 1 raised this Meteor myself and had six lnagnif- f icent blooms from it last winter. Iou 1 see, my wife was visiting some reld- l tives in the east when my call came to | come up here. and 1 try to a1nuse my self until she arrives with rocks and | roses. Those are my pets. Let me 1 show you some of my friends since l | got here.'
 | The Rev. Andrew Burke brought out q tray from another room and set 1t | down on the table near Stuart linen he noticed the look on Stuart's face, and his whole manner underwent swift and remarkable change. He look ed and spoke like the strong. deep. true
 man that he really was in spite of his ''rockS and rcseS.'
 "AIr Duncan. you did not come here to talk botany or geology, did you:'
 '.To tell the truth, 1 did not, MT. Burke.'
 "What is it :" asked Andrew Burke, leaning forward and putting hand on Stuart's arm.
 It was a simple question simply put. But it revealed so strong and genuine desire to know and sympathiZe with him that before Stuart knew it he was telling his experience of the morning. The tea rose odor of the plants in the window and on the table filled the room. and Andrew Burke listened with kindlng eye and long drawn breath. | Thank God. Thank God!" he was say ing as Stuart went on. When Stuart