Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-11-04

Office sofa seemed so horrible so awful.
Grip and Atherton left the Office to-
gether. The puddler did not look at
Grip. He was inclined to avoid esns-
but there was something suggestive in
Grips silence.
'Welly' ne demanded suddenly, wheel
ing about and facing Grip as they were
walking in the mill yard alone.
''Well!" Grip looked at him with a
calculating eye.
I'm going to tell the truth, Mr. Gripp."
DO just as you please. 1 wouldn't"
Why? What have / TO be ashamed
of? What have / TO be afraid Of? You
heard the doctor. You heard what Mr.
Meeker asked me-sra ron know how he
looked when / told him.
"Oh. do as you please
why shouldn't l do as I please, Mr.
Grip? I've done pretty much as pleas
ed all my life. I've never acknowledged
any man as my ruler. Why shouldn't
make clean breast Of itY'
Gripp smiled. 1t was an evil sLaile II
excited apprehension. Then the pG5dler
bethought himself of the meaning Griop
might take out of his language.
-Well-there's nothing to make a clean
breast about, come to think of it,
Then you oughtn't to use the words"
"You know what l meant was going
to whip him, or he would have whipped
me- But no man living can say l ever
| took advantage of a man, even in a fight
which is as much. maybe MORE, than
you can say, Gripp.'
Mr.. Grip remarked that the mister"
was dropped now. He smiled again
and now his smile was ve-y crafty.
You smile. What are you boxing at
me like that forT' demanded Anterior.
II am no more his murderer than you
are. 1t was himself-his passion. I'm
sorry-it ought to be lesson to US. But
don't like your way of talking, and"
Here the puddler looked about him, low
cred his voice, and added, II don't like
your Internal smile, Grip, as if you
were wiser than me. or had the upper
| hand of me somehow"
Il suppose l can't live if you don't like
me-" said Gripp. ''You can make a
clean breast of it, as you say-but if l
were you | wouldn't. / donrs think it
will read well in print I'm sure it won t
make you any friends"
| The calm air Of superiority Grip as
1 SNA-A~N PAOaUNC0 tAC PtNO4SC C1C~L nc
intended. 1t goaded Atherton. who lock-
ed at him with lowering brows and a
firm mouth. There was dangerous light
in the ironworker's eyes as he said, quite
coolly now:
Grip, you mind your business-Tll
mind mine. And don't you give advice
until you are asked for it."
Then the puddler walked away ind
entered the mill, leaving Mr.. Grip to go
his own way
The sudden death of the manager occu-
pied the thoughts of the hundreds of
workers in the great iron mill. Athe-ton
was questioned by dozens of his fellows
as he made his way to his furnace. He
was compelled to answer the same ques-
/ ton score of times.
There were some who looked at him
sharply. They suspected he knew more
than he told They knew he had, from
! the hour he was assigned to his furnace,
failed to secure the good will of the
manager. He had never deferred to Pc
ters-bore himself in the managers pres
ence a trifle more exactingly than when
he was dealing with his fellow-workmen.
There were a few who recalled the pas
sages between the two men before Ather-
| ton lost his timesand money on a patent
that proved to be worthless. when they
were employed in the same mill. These
recollected that Anterior was always
rated more skillful worker and mantle.
man than Peters; but now that Peters
was dead, they were disposed to obey the
precep. which bids us speak no evil Of
the dead.
Atherton's work was done. The work
men did not require the prompting that
came quickly from the Office. The ma
joriy were preparing to quit when or
ders came TO cease work. Anterior. whose
thoughts were on the dead man, and
whose conscience upbraided him for press
ing quarrel that was the indirect means
of shortening Peters life, had his coat
and dinner pail in his hands. He looked
about his furnace to see that everything
was as it should be, and was turning tC
step out of the side of the open mill
when he heard a shout, and observed the
workmen near him looking in startled
way toward the machinery.
1 Anterior turned his head. The sight
he beheld caused him to toss his coat and
pail from him. The puddler leaped for
ward with loud cry.
Ito be continued.l