Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-11-04
CHAPTER II.
LARGE RESPONSIBILITIES.

LARGE
4 week after the death and burial
Of Ross Duncan, Stuart and Louise
were talking together of their future
plans. Louise lay on a lounge, looking
very pretty, dressed in mourning of a
fashionable pattern. She appeared
vexed at something Stuart had just
said and tapped her foot smartly
against the end Of the lounge.
Il have no patience with you, Stu
art. Why don't you talk sense?"
Il thought l vas talking sense" re-
piled Stuart, who was standing up by
one of the windows of the room look
ing out on the front lawn. He turned
and walked back to the end of b
room and continued to pace up and
down. He was very thoughtful and
part of the time seemed not to near al
that Louise said.
We'll. yON lose all your sense the
minute the subject of these horrid min
ers up" continued Louise. IF
l was the governor of this state, I
would order out the militia at once"
WHY" asked Stuart, with a slight
smile. THE men are not doing any
thing. What would you order out the
troops for:"
Il would get new men in to take the
mems places and then order the militia.
And, you know, Stuart, it will have to
come to that at last"
Stuart answered nothing. He was
thinking hard of that very thing.
Louise went on talking while he stood
still by the window for a minute look
ing out at the hills. Il regard fathers
death as caused directly by the miners.
They frightened the horses and caused
the accident that killed him. l don't
see how you can side with the men in
this strike"
Il don't" said Stuart without turn
ing around.
Then why don't you do something
to start up the mines? Haven't we a
right to manage our own business and
hire other men? If the miners threat
en- to interfere, we have a right to call
for state troops"
Il hope it Will not come to that" re-
piled Stuart gravely as he walked up
to the lounge and sat down by his Sis
ter. Louise. l want to talk plainly
with you about this matter. l do not
feel just as father did about it."
You just said you didn't side with
the men,"
Louise sat up and arranged her dress.
Some ribbons at her throat kept her
fingers busy for a minute.
81 don't side with them in the n
that believe they are doing the right
thing to strike this way. But l be-
lieve they ought to have more wages
and that the companies ought to pay
them the scale they have drawn up"
Stuart was talking aloud to his sister,
for the first time really expressing his
convictions as they had grown on him
every day since his fathers death had
thrown the burden of ownership upon
him.
Louise heard his statement with a
frown. For awhile she was silent;
then she rose and walked out of the
room, angFily saying as she went:
ROSS Duncan's son is not much like
his father. That's true if you did say
it"
Stuart rose and went over by the
window again. He was veXed not with
Louise, but with the whole situation.
Since his fathers death he had gone
through a great many struggles, and
each one had left him with the feeling
of his responsibility heavier upon him..
The strike was in the same condition
as when it began. The different mine
owners at Cleveland had conferred to-
gether and were united in their deter
mination not TO yield to the demand for
higher wages. Stuart had been asked
to come down to a conference to be
held in the city that week. He expect
ed to leave the next day. AS he stood
looking out at the stock covered hills
he knew that a crisis was rapidly ap-
preaching and that within the next few
days events would De precipitated that
would leave their mark upon his whole
life. He was not a coward, and that
was the reason he could not run away
from the situation. The interests OF
the mines at Champion were all in his
hands, but the other mines on the up
per and lower ranges were involved
with his in the general strike. He was
not at full liberty to act alone. Be
sides, the men had within a week form
ed a union and would not treat with