Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-14

tear rolled cEer his face.
 Come now" broke in the doctor, ap- parently gruffer than ever. ':One would think you two hadn't seen each other for year at least! We must get him ready for the operation. Stuart you promised to help me. Give me your at tention now.'
 The doctor soon had his patient as comfortable as the nature of the inju- ries would allow. The case arrived, the gash was sewed up quickly, and at the end of the hour Ross Duncan was resting under the influence of 8 draft, while the doctor, Stuart and Louise were in another room talking over the accident.
 | The sister of Stuart Duncan was very pretty, very proud and very selfish. She was 6 years younger than her broth CT. She had been two years to a finish ing school in New York, but had not finished any particular branch of study. She could play the piano little and the harp little and do other things, ] except housework, a little. She lay on the lounge now, with Stuart near by stroking her head, and told the story of the accident:
 Father and I started to drive down l to the station this morning to meet you, Stuart. When we reached the crossroad leading up to the Forge mine, we were early for the train, and father | drove up to the engine house on some | business. When we got up there, the miners were gathering to march down to the square. It was the first news of the strike we had had. Father was very much excited and talked to the men to persuade them to go back to work. Some of them talked back in the most insulting way said they were free men and did not have to work for a corporation and all that. You know how they talk, Stuart. Nothing makes father so angry, and 1 don't blame him. l think the men are simply horrid to l make all this trouble just now as I was getting ready to go east for that yachting cruise with the VaspIanes, and this strike will probably stop their going.
 "Then father jumped out of the car riage and was going to give one of the men who insulted him good thrash ing, and serve him right, when the rest came around and made him get into 1 ther so angry, and I was scared almost to death, the men were so rough. We drove back to the crossroad, and at that steep turn by that old Beury shaft we came upon crowd of miners marching into town from the lower range. They were carrying a large white banner with some horrid pie ture on it. The horses were frightened and turned and ran right toward the old shaft. I don't know what hap pened then, only we were thrown out, and it is q miracle that I was not kill ed. Jem, the cOachman, was driving, and be fell on a pile of shaft ore. He ran up to the house and got the other horses and brought father and me home. l tainted away several times. and when l saw father laid on the bed with that awful gash on his head 1 thought he was killed. If he dies, the miners will be to blame. If it hadn't been for their going out on this strike this horrible accident would not have happened. It's all as horrid as it can be!'
 At this point Louise burst into a great fit of hysterical crying.
 Dear, you must have been hurt by the fall!' cried Stuart as he soothed and comforted her.
 "No, no! I was not even bruised- replied Louise. She stopped crying and sat up on the lounge and beg to ar range her hair. -,
 Dr. Saxon walked toward the othe, end of the room with peculiar look on his face. Then he wheeled around and said with his characteristic bluntness: ''l must go back to the office. I've left directions for your fathers treatment. He is not dangerously hurt. Send for me if I am needed. Miss Louise, you had better take those powders and keep as quiet as possible today''
 He laid the medicine down on a ta- horse was heard rushing by the veran- da and down the road.
 So this was the home coming of Stu art Duncan after his years absence abroad. He had visited with interest many of the famous capitals of Europe He had sauntered through museums and picture galleries, he had studied not very profoundly, but with genuine interest, the people he had met and the customs he had observed that were new. The year had been very largely q holiday for him. He had used all the money Ire wished, drawing on his letter of credit without any thought of econo. my. His father was several times 9 millionaire and never stinted the nor, ey. What he wanted was that his son and daughter should have the best of everything. from clothes aid food to education and travel. And Stuart had gone through college and through Eu rope with about the same easy feeling of having comfortable time. He was perfectly healthy, had no vices (he did not even like cisar), unusually thoughtful on some questions, with no particular ambitions and no special en- thusiasms. If he gave his future any thought while abroad, it was simply to picture a life of business in connection with his fathers mining interests. That was his fathers desire, and Stuart did not have any other.
 He had come home from the picture galleries and cathedrals of the old world to fooa first of all thiS rOnph iO-