The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-03-21

Rhena Dwight flushed, then paled
again. and her lips parted as II she
were offering . prayer. The members
Of the army remained motionless. The
cid miners who had known him a. q
boy stared at Stuart as II he were an.
ether person, ~ indeed he was now.
he was still standing where he had
risen, and all eyes were upon him
when through the silence Of the room
came the sound Of host Of marching
| feet II was q measured. heavy
sound. and instantly every man in the
room had risen. Some one near the
door shouted into the room: There's
been . fight down at De Motif They'l
bringing soldiers up here!''
The next instant every man in the
room was struggling for the door,
Stuart was near the platform, and II
seemed like the most natural thing In
the world that in the confusion that
attended the sudden and unceremo.
NOUS exit Of the audience he should
be talking with Rhena Dwight.
And in the midst Of all the noise of
overturning chairs and the growing
tumult just outside the door Of the
hall Stuart told her his experience of
the morning. when he had for the first
time felt the personal touch Of the d.
vine power and heard the call to his
soul, Follow ne." as the living and
risen Christ had spoken to him. Some
how 1t seemed altogether the most nat
ural thing in the world that this part
of his inner life should become known
to this slight earnest faced figure In
the Salvation costume. Rhena clasped
her hands together, and her eyes glis-
tened with tears.
Thank you, Mr.. Duncan. for telling
me-" she said simply.
It all took a few minutes only, and
Stuart, after speaking to some Of the
other members Of the army and receiv-
ing hearty "God bless you. sir!' from
all Of them, started to go out. When
half way down the aisle he turned and
went hurriedly back and said:
miss Dwight. hope you will not
risk your life In the crowd tonight. !
don't know what the men are going to
do. but you have dared enough already.
I beg you will not venture among the
miners tonight"
He did not wait to hear her reply.
She looked surprised. and as he went
out he wondered II he had spoken more
like commanding than beseeching. But,
once out In the street. he was absorbed
in the sight that met him In the square
which had lately been the scene Of so
much excitement.
AS the facts grew upon him Stuart
asked himself II the events Of the
strike were about to come to climax
with a tragedy that night. During the
evening, while he had been at the Vas.
PLANES and In the Salvation Army
hall, the miners at De Mott had come
In conflict with the troops, and in the
fight that took place the troops had
fred. killing two Of the men and
wounding several others. Before an.
other volley was fired, however. the
miners had fairly swarmed over the
handful Of troops. disarmed them. and
after brief but fiery debate they had
resolved on vengeance that to the
mind Of the north men was in keeping
with the occasion. They had secured
the officers and men Of the two troops
and placing them in the center Of the
crowd marched them over the range to
Champion, there determined to give
them a short trial by the public mob
and then shoot the officers. They had
marched over to Champion because the
two miners who had been killed had
lived there. The bodies were brought
over with the crowd. carried into the
square and placed at the foot Of the
band stand. The captured men and Of
flcers were massed directly In front OF
the dead bodies. The great crowd Of
miners filed the entire space outside
and around the stand.
All this Stuart learned as he came
out into the street. lie was sick at
heart as the truth grew on him. Never
In all his life had he seen the Cornish.
men, the Danes, the few Italians. the
all SO united and so pos
sessed with the one thought Of venge-
ance. The moon was fully up now.
and 1t flooded the square with its mel.
low light. 1t was frosty. and not n
breath Of air was stirring. Never had
Stuart imagined such a scene possible
in the town Of Champion. A dozen
men had gone up In the band stand
The tragedy was about to begin by the
public trial Of the troops, to be follow
ed by the predetermined shooting Of at
least half dozen Of them.
For a moment Stuart remained mo-
tionless, smitten with dumb hopeless
ness. The whole town was In the grasp
of the mob. The handful of police was
powerless. What could possibly resist
the torrent that was about to be let
loose. and where would it end? There
was no hope of assistance from other
troops nearer than Hancock, 100 miles
away. Before they could arrive the
tragedy would be acted out. Stuart
groaned as he thought Of Eric and his
influence. Nevertheless he had him
self just begun to spring into tho
crowd and raise his voice alone against