Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-15

5F - 35 s57 z f s7 2 - ssreH ne the truth dectcr.~ stuart,s voice was steady. but faint.
 The answer came after a moment, ''four father died, Stuart, an hour ago. He had stroke of apoplexy. There was some heart trouble. He did not suffer-"
 For moment everything in the uni verse 'reeled about Stuart Duncan. Then he found he was asking questions
 and Dr. Saxon was answering them. When they reached the house, Stuart met Louise first. She came to the front door and threw herself into his arms, crying hysterically. Stuart had not
 shed a tear yet. They led him into the room where Ross Duncan lay. The son
 stood and looked down at the cold face with that newly made scar on the forehead. There was no thought in his
 mind that he was now the owner of several millions Uf~wealth. He was
 thinking of the slast interview he had with that father and his parting with out a word of affectionate farewell And still the tears would not come to his relief.
 At last he went out, and the sight of his sisters grief and fear brought the tears to his own eyes. He wept with her. They talked together. The Goc- tor remained an hour and then took his leave. The night wore on. Louise, ex- hausted with the shock, had gone to her room. Stuart was finally left alone. He sent the servants all away. He could not sleep. He paced the long ! hallway until daylight. Just as the sun rose he went in where his father lay and looked at him again. Ross Duncan'S millions were of no use to him now. Of what use were they to the son? What load of responsibility had come to him now. These mines, these labor troubles, this strike, these wages-what difference if he let them all go? He had q right to do as he chose with his own. He would dispose of it all and live abroad. He would what! He was planning all this and his father dead less than 24 hours!- And, then, what responsibility did rest upon him? What difference did it
 make to him what wages the men re-
 ceived? Was he his brothers keeper? Were they his brothers? The whole
 thing was complex, irritating. His fa-
 ther's death had thrown a burden on
 
 He was disturbed by a noise in the
 street before the house. He went to
 the window and drew aside the cur tain. The measured tramp of heavy feet was heard coming down the road. A column of men, four abreast, came
 into sight, with one man q little in ad-
 vance of the others carrying banner.
 It contained a very rude drawing of
 rich man and a poor man. The rich
 man was saying, What do you want?"
 The poor man was saying, "Crums
 from the rich mans table," It was all very crude and one sided in every way. The column of men swung by, nearly 500 miners on their way from the up- per range to join the strikers in Cham
 pion in their regular morning gather ing at the park. Every man as he
 went by turned his head and looked
 up at the house where the dead mine
 owner lay. It is possible that they
 saw the son standing there.- He watch ed the column tramp through the dust
 and disappear down the road. And as he turned back toward all that remain
 ed of the mortal flesh of the man who
 had been worth so many millions he was conscious that he was face to face
 with the great problem of his own ex- fstence, with which was involved the
 problem of thousands of other men. How Wiz he answer that problem?