Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-01-23

great fit Of hysterical crying.
Dear, you must have been burt nv
the fall" cried Stuart as he soothed
and comforted her.
mo, no! was not even bruisedr'
replied Louise. She stopped crying and
sat up on the lounge and began to ar
range her hair.
DR.. Saxon walked toward the other
end Of the room with a peculiar look on
his face. Then he wheeled around and
said with his characteristic bluntness:
Il must go back to the office. I've left
directions for your fathers treatment,
He Is not dangerously hurt. Send for
me If am needed. Miss Louise, You
had better take those powders and
keep as quiet us possible today"
He laid the medicine down on q ia
Bile and went out. A minute later his
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
holiday for him. He had used all the
money he wished, drawing on his letter
of credit without any thought Of econo.
my. His father was several times q
millionaire and never stinted the mon
ey. What he wanted was that his son
and daughter should have the best of
everything, from clothes and 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 Che did
not even like q cigar). unusually
thoughtful on some questions, with no
particular ambitions and no special en-
thusiasms. If he gave his future any
thought while abroad, 1t was simply to
picture 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 face first of all this rough In
cident of his fathers injury. In con-
nection with 1t was the strike, which
was specially personal not only be-
cause it involved the Duncan interests,
but because the leader of it was Eric
Vassall, Stuart's old playfellow and
friend. The more he thought of Eric
the more he felt the strike to be seri-
GUS matter. So much might be involv-
ed in 1t for him and Eric.
Nearly week went by before Ross
Duncan was able to sit up and talk
much. During that time Stuart faith
fully remained at home. He had not
seen Eric, and Eric, as he supposed,
had not been to see him. His father
and Louise needed his constant care.
But he anticipated meeting his old
playfellow with a curious feeling Of ex-.
element whenever he thought Of that
scene in the public square and recalled
the prayer and its effect.
At the end Of the week father and
son were talking together over the sit
uation. The miners were still out, and
the strike was still on, with 40 pros
pect of settlement.
II tell you, Stuart" said Ross Dun
can. while his great square chin grew
hard and tense, "the companies Will
never concede the demands of the men.
will never go an inch to. meet them
while they are in their present atti-
tude."
"Do you think the men ask too much,
father7"
''Too much! With ore at the present
price! It Is outrageous, just when we
were beginning to get on our feet
again. 1t has been very dull winter,
and things were just beginning to turn
our way again."
"But l thought ore had gone up. Isn't
that what the men claim as the reason
for their demand for an increase? They
say the wages ought to 60 up with the,
rise in ore"
"They are foolsp Ross Duncan
struck the pillow beside him passion
ately. 1.-THE companies were under
contract for large quantities of ore at
the old price before this rise came. The
rise will not benefit us any until we
have disposed of our old contracts"
why don't the companies tell the
men sop
"Pshaw! Stuart, you are"-. Ross
Duncan controlled himself violently.
Stuart was alarmed for him. He rose
and went over nearer the bed.
"Father, you must not get excited.
Remember what DIR. Saxon said yes
terday. You must not talk any more
on this subject"
81 shall There, can control my
self"
1t was wonderful to see the change
that came over the man. He stifened
his muscles, then relaxed them and let
his hand, which had been clinched,
open easily and lie open on the bed
clothes Then he spoke without a
| CULVER of passion, slowly and coldly:
'.The companies do not tell the men
SO because the men. wouldn't believe a
| word the companies say. Yet there
isn't man in our mines who can say
Ross Duncan ever cheated man out
! of penny or ever told him an untruth.
tell you. Stuart, the men are the most
stubborn, ungrateful, ignorant lot Of
animals that ever lived. Why, all last
winter kept more than dozen fami-
lies going with food and fuel because
they had been sick or shiftless, and I'll
warrant you those very families are in
the front row Of the parades every
morning! The men are cutting their
own throats. The companies will never