Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-01-30


shall be as long as there are wrongs to
right and rights to maintain"
But what has all this to do with us,
Eric? We have been over all this
ground before. Do you not love me?'
Indeed, truly do Eric turned his
large dark eyes affectionately toward
his friend.
"And do not love you"
eyes," replied Eric simply. But our
lives are of necessity widening out far
Their apart. What can prevent that?
In the very nature of the situation 1t
could not be otherwise. Here am adj
wishing thousands OF men to course
which is directly opposed by your ia
Their and would be by you If you We're
In his place. The time is coming when
the clash between your interests and
mine will be SO fierce that
Stuart jumped to his feet. DO YOU
mean to say, Eric. that friendship true
and loving cannot exist between you
and me simply because Of the accident
Of birth or the circumstance of wealth
or difference in surroundings? Have
we not already proved that it can ex-
ist:"
Yes" replied Eric slowly. ut can
exist, but it is in one sense an unnatu-
raj existence. You represent capital;
represent labor. Take the present sit
uation of the strike. l believe as much
rs l believe anything that 1t is right
and even religious that we do as we do.
Deep in your heart you condemn us for
the movement. II you We're in your ia
theirs place, you would feel exactly as
he does about it. How, then, can we
expect the old relation between us to
be continuedY"
Stuart sat silent, looking out over the
beautiful valley. The town looked very
pretty in its setting of hills and pines
| Ills fathers house was the most con-
spicuous residence to be seen. From
| where the two men sat it looked pala-
tial. Down at the other end of the
! town among the miners houses Stuart
could distinguish Eric's home, little
two story cottage, not different from a
hundred others. He did good deal
/ Of hard thinking in few minutes;
then he said:
Eric, you began the talk about the
difference between us. Do you want to
break of anything? Is that your in
tention?"
| Eric for the first time grew flushed
beneath his dark bronzed face. NO"
he said. 81 simply wished to state the
4 conditions under which we now live
There is no change in my feelings to-
ward you and cannot be-"
Neither is there in mine toward YOU,
Eric. Why do you place the RESPONSE
bility SO wholly on me, as if would be
the one to change or as if it rested with
me to say that our friendship was pos
sible or not?"
Because 1t does rest with you. Are
1 you not representative of riches, pow
er. intelligence, all the great machinery
which sets things in motion, society,
that world by itself, leisure culture,
advantages? And is 1t not for you as
representative of all these things to
bear the responsibility which must al
ways rest on the strong and the educat-
ed and the wealthy" Eric paused on
the crest Of wave of speech that
seemed about to break over all his self
control
Stuart after awhile said doggedly:
ut comes back to the question, Is our
friendship to continue on the old ba-
sis? / can be no other than am. If L
have been born to wealth and leisure.
and education and society and travel
and all that, 1 am powerless to change
it. And you are what you are because
tyfry hn,, f,,t.
to continue there, though you know,
Eric, you could rise out of it If you
only would"
ut is useless to discuss that point"
replied Eric quietly. But tell me, Stu
art, in answer to the main question, do
you believe in this striker
mo; can't say do" said Stuart,
with his usual frankness.
There! You see where the difficulty
nature of the situation compels a
breach in our old relations with each
other OF course believe in the strike
or wouldn't be the leader of it."
ut seems like u bad way to get at
what you want" said Stuart.
Have you studied into the details
Of the situation? Do you know, all the
facts which have led up to this move
ment?"
81 know what my father has told me.
He says the men did not consult with
the companies and went out without
warning or notice of any kind"
Eric rose to his feet. Its lie.' he
exclaimed. with sudden passion that
no one would suspect existed. 1t was
like an explosion that transformed the
man into another being.
Stuart also rose. do you mean to
say that my father lied to me about
the facts?"
~ dor retorted Eric. "He lied, and
| he knows he lied.'
Stuart took one step toward Eric, and
the two young men confronted each
other. Suddenly Eric turned on his
heel and without word walked down
the hill. For moment Stuart seemed
on the point of going after him or call
| Ing out for him to stop, but the next
moment he stepped back to the stone
and sat down. When Eric had disap-
peared behind clump of trees, Stuart
| AoSS anu NCut toW aiu Hoiilc Wy diolhSi
path.
When he reached the house, Louise
met him and told him his father want
ed to see him at once. He went in and
stood by the bed, his whole being stir
red by the interview with Eric. 1t
was the first real passion TO speak Of
that had reused his self controlled ma
ture. His father spoke with the blunt
ness that always marked his speech.
| Stuart, want you to go to Cleve
land for the company. This strike has
caused complications with our local
agents. There is important business
that ought to see to in person. Can
you go ut once? The eastern express
is due at 6 O'clock"
81 am at your service, father" re-
piled Stuart. He was still going over
his recent interview with Eric.
Here are the papers. ! can explain
Il. n ..