Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-03

"God LESS you. Stuart! Aye, aye,
that belongs to lie, as my Cornishmen
say when they mean II ought to he SO.
You've chosen the hest. pluckiest and
most chaHle ter endowed woman in all
Champion. or the state for that mat
ter. Well. well. l knew 1t all the time!
You and Eric think I'm so busy that
don't have time to notice anything.
Put that's because see SO much more
than you do in a given time" There
was short pause "If were you,
Stuart, wouldn't keep that glove very
long. IT isn't just fair this cold wealth
err"
Thank you, doctor. have been
thinking of that" replied Stuart.
He had grown very thoughtful sud-
denly His life had opened out into
another possibility with this new expe-'
rience. Hc was conscious of its bear
ing upon all the rest of the problems
that knocked Mt his heart and mind
for answers, and when he babe the
doctor good. night he went into the
house thrilled through with the most
profound conviction and persuasion
that his lfe would shape this way or
that according to the response of Rhe-
M Dwight's soul to his. He was star
tied rs for the first time he realized
how strong his feeling was and how
little. he knew of hers. What could
sl,a Jo 10 Kin, ,,,ffJ, n II tho coof,I /5SAp>u
ence Between them? 1t is true lie had
come to u place where social differ
eHces counted for very little with-him,
but how could he tell what she might
think now that her life moved on the
plane Of Salvation Army methodist And
then there was his money and all She
had deliberately moved OFT from tho
world of wealth and fashion in which
he still remained, of which he was yet
part. They were sepnsated IN this
way by great gulf of difference. On
the other hand, he reflected, they had
one great and common bond Of sympa-
thy in their Christian faith. After all,
was not that stronger than anything
else? What were conditions or artifi-
cith social distinctions by the side of
the all powerful oneness of spirit
which disciples of the Master possess
ed in common? 1t was with that last
thought on his heart that he finally
went to rest.
He did not speak 10 Louise or his
aunt Of the evenings adventure when
he saw them In the morning. His
statement Of the evening before con-
corning his feelings toward Rhena had
driven the two women into position
Of hostility to him that did not find I'm
mediate expression in words, but was
very apparent none the less. Louise
was angry to think that. her attempts
to deceive Rhenq might and psobably
would result in nothing. Aunt Royal
ignored the subject definitely, but there
was no mlstaking her entire opposition
to Stuart's present attitude. It was
true she did not understand him. Stu
art was too engrossed in his perplexi-
ties and plans and too much absorbed
in the new life to feel all this very
deeply, and yet 1t showed him how
squarely his new life was henoeforth
to conflict with the old.
It was two days after. that that Stu
art, Eric and Andrew met again. to talk
over matters, this time at Eric's cot
tage. Rhena had recovered. She was
up and doing part of her work. Stu
art had called to Inquire after her, but
had not seen her. He could not help
feeling that when he did have an op-
portunity to speak 1t would be an
eventful meeting for him. He had An
herited a large portion Of his fathers
abrupt determination Of conduct and
action. All this faculty, intensified In
another direction under the influence Of
his spiritual awakening, burned. as
strong rs in the old Stuart, only for
another purpose. Paul was Saul Chris
tianized. And the new Stuart was Us
likely to act in matters that required
decision with as much quickness as
the old Stuart, only with a larger and
truer vision Of. the meaning OF the &C.
ton.
The three men met with a more seri.
GUS and thoughtful bearing than ut the
other meeting. Every day in Cham
pion now intensified the situation and
increased the sum total of suffering.
There was no outward sign of the I'M
ion weakening. The winter had set in
definitely, and 1t looked very much as
II the mines had closed down for the
season. Stuart remembered one win
ter when tho mines had closed for q
month through action of tho owners in
order to force up the price of ore. That
was when he WINS a boy. He could still
remember something Of tho suffering
ut that time. Now 1t promised to be
infinitely worse.
eric. you have moro influence with
the men than any one on the ranges.
Can't you persuade the union to do
something to arrive ut n ,decision?' ~
asked Stuart aillttlo vaguely. He was
feeling around after answers to q thou
sand questions. and he started the talk
nimlessly because he was preoccupied.
WELL what can L do? The owners
are the ones to arrive at decision.
Can't you persuade them to agree to
our demands and your own promise OF
So n day." replied Eric. who never hes.
ltated to say what lie felt no matter
how abrupt it might seem.
mo; have no influence that way
with the other owners. You ought to
see some of the letters I get from
Cleveland. tell you the owners will
not give In. The whole situation Is
horrible. Sometimes, Eric. Andrew, ]
| feel rs if the men were destitute of all
sense. What right have third or a
fourth of them to keep the rest from
work because all cannot get the same
wages?"
"rhey don't look at 1t that way. The
principle is with them all based on the
right or wrong side Of the demand fol
the 50. AT the same time. as said the
other day, look at the strike from an.
other point Of view. am ready to &C
knowledge 1t Is miserable way to try
to get justice done. The men can new
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