The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-13

| the busiest streets or the CITY; then.
without apparent reason. passing out
into the suburbs, they filed down the
dark slopes into the mines below. 1t
was nearly evening of that day when,
with shouldered tools, like a retreat
ing army, the multitude of rebellious
| miners. with measured tread, slowly
tramped back through the streets of
| Avon. At length, wearied and dust :
covered, the workers came to a stand
still before the well kept buildings OF
the foreman's home; here each and
every man. without murinur. quietly
laid down his tools with which he had
| toiled INCREASINGLY year after year
laid them down before the beautiful
| green encircling the house and with
defeated yet resolute faces moved
| thoughtfully to their ho,nes--homes
| soon to be visited by hunger and star
walton.
Mr.. Warren. though kind and
benevolent man, Il Just and honest
| employer. was often accustomed to
! slight seemingly unimportant matters
until they grew to prodigious size. when
necessity forced him to do something
| that quickly. AS yet he had made no
noticeable move: he seemed dunn
| founded by the recent burning Of the
| breaker: he had seen how easily ra-
| tional being could be transformed to
| an ungovernable demon: how that
demon ruled with destructive hand.
| But he had seen too late, and he knew
! very little could be done till the pres
! ent excitement was over.
But he had a beautiful home and a
devoted wife besides his pretty daugh-
| ter Mildred. perhaps their lives were
| in danger! Thus the non-partisan in
| habitants of the city thought. and
| hoped for some action on the part of
| the manager that would soon settle
| the strike. But Mr.. Warren was en-
| tirely at sea as to what should be
done: he had talked with the men pub
| licly and had told them he was at
| present unable to allow an increase in
| wages: OF the other hand he had to
make reduction. But now, they
would not believe him.
And so the days passed by with af-
| fairs in an unsettled condition. Dur
| ing the time that followed. dressed in
holiday attire. the miners paraded the
city. Speeches We're delivered and the
topics of the hour debated in the most
public places: but the time soon flew
by. the poorer classes became desti-
tute and cry arose for food. Few OF
the wealthy people dared give assist
ance. and it would directly help the
strikers. yet there was one whO morn
ing and evening. carried food into
these poor district. No one molested
her and no one suspected she was the
| managers daughter. Mildred Warren.
The home she most often visited and
which most needed her assistance was.
strangely enough Antonio's. His
family were nearly starving when she
made her first visit, but so often had
she gone there, and so much hope had
she inspired in the children, they were
becoming more like their former selevs.
From the first the whole family natur-
ally took a great liking to their pretty
helper, but no one so much as AM
tonic. Before no one had seemed to
care enough for him to visit his family
in their need. And in some way these
visits had touched chord within him
that had long been silent. 1t vibrated.
it thrilled him, and he felt with each
return of her visit renewed pleasure
he felt that some one, some where,
was thinking of him in his disgrace.
He had brought it upon himself, but
Mildred thought he needed friend
none the less.
Yet. while Mildred was thus minis
terinS to his suffering family, while
the inhabitants of Avon were all un-
mindful of any impending danger. An
tonic was stealthily completing plans
for the total destruction Of the city.
or late ofttimes thoughts OF carnage
and devastation was his chief delight:
the picture of Avon enveloped in
hnl Of
him wild demon-like joy. He glorled
in the noise and crash of falling build
ings. and the rabid cries of a mad
dened multitude were music in his
ears; he loved to listen to the tramp of
marching feet--everything with clamor
and uproar was fuel for his burning
spirit of revenge. Driven on by this
ungovernable passion, the plans We're
now nearly laid for the burning of the
city. In fact, he was ready--only for a
favorable night was he waiting.
A few evenings later as darkness
fell down over the sleeping wind-swept
city. little did the inhabitants think
that about their homes. even beneath
their doors death lay in hiding; little
did they think what the morrow might
bring forth: and, had they known. no
doubt many would have shut their
eyes and buried their heads like the
foolish ostrich of the desert with dan
ger near at hand. On that evening, as
Mr.. Warren sat reading before the fire,
his daughter entered, looked earnestly
at him for moment. as though she
know she might not see him again, |
and then, leaving the house stealthily,
haStened out into the street
1t was IA dark night and cold, the |
wind roared about with ever increas-
ing swiftness, while here and there |
great drifts of snow blocked the streets |
and swirled and addyed about her as |
though bent on some errand of death: |
yet through this binding storm OF |
snow and wind Mildred bravely made |
her way and entering at last the |
poorer part of the city, hurried toward |
a line of low, wood-colored houses.
Had you been upon one of the uuiet |
back streets OF Avon that night, when |
the storm ragged most furiously, and |
had you known that Antonio C'ape0lo,
slyly up the street, intended
to have revenge by burning the city
that night, you would have noticed
him closely, Though his step was not
50 elastic as few months ago, still,
as he pushed on up through the fast
drifting snow, there was a noticeable
qulckness about his whole person.
The agony and pent-up revenge in /
his mind showed in The defiant flash |
of his eyes and his stealthy, crouch
ing movement. But suddenly ne
stopped, looked fiXedly at something
for a moment. and then went hurried
ly forward. There, nearly covered by
the recent snow, was young girl
grasping tightly in her hand a letter