Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-01-09

freightroom ah- .,Jiration.
Then he accosted BfUdef.
"Waitin' for Harris team, amt yer?r
Bruder looked at his wife, and she
said, Eyes,
"Goin' ter work on the job, amt
yer:"
Again Bruder looked at his wife, and
again she said, YES"
"Well, I'm right glad ter see yer
said the unconscionable diplomat eff
fusively. Il tell yer, we've been havin'
great COINS on aroun' here"
Again Bruder looked at his wife, and
again she said Eyes" softly and press
ed little closer under the shelter of
his mighty thigh.
Between you and me-" continued
the willy Smith, 'these woodchoppers-
l mean the Beaver Meadow fellers,'
he fastened to explain as slight con-
traction of Bruder's forehead warned
him that any slur upon the craft would
not be welcome-"don't know when
they're well off,"
He paused and Bruder looked at his
wife, but she remained silent.
"Of course l amt got nothin' against
these men here, and it may not sound
well comm from me, me bein' in the
employ of this corpora ton, as amt sup
posed ter show no partially, but seems
ter me these men is little unreason-
able. Yer see," he went on as neither
Brhder nor his wife spoke, "times have
been pretty hard around here, with
crops failin' and good deal of sick
ness in the neighborhood, and I think
these men ought to been glad to get
steady employment. OF course they're
really in the power Of the company,
cos they amt got no money, and the
officers knows it, and so they cuts
down their wages. Now, some of 'em
finds out that the big fellers is maxim
dead loads of money, and so they
makes big kick and goes on strike
So the company jest shuts down, and l
heard the superintendent say as that
they was goin' to start process Of
starvation. OF course l don't want
that to go no further"
ibid the company treat the men
fair?" asked Mrs. Bruder.
"Of course it did," said Smith quick
~ "Ain't they got right to pay their
money out any way they like? Couldn't
these men pick up and leave if they
didn't like it?''
'sMost of these men has their own
homes, hasn't they?" asked Mrs. Bru-
der.
Yes, they has, said Smith, "but if
they keeps on this way they won't
have no one left in their homes" Then
he added as he walked toward the Of
fee: "Ye'd better come in and sit
down. Harris team may not be here
for an hour yet. They generally comes
ter meet the down train. Big Four is
waitin' here fer it ter pass
He adroitly halted the couple in
front of the open door of the freight
room, and instantly the maternal eye
of Mrs. Bruder caught the little coffin.
'Whose is that?" she asked.
That's Cy Selden's baby" said
Smith, lying heroically.
Mrs. Bruder looked at her husband,
then back to Smith. "What allied it|
she asked. 'Cholera morbus?'
Smith drew closer and lowered his
voice bit. THAT'S what they give
out" he said, "but between you and
me it didn't have enough ter eat"
Just then Smith found sudden bust
ness in the ticket Office, where he re-
NAMED until he heard the booming of
the down train, when he went out on
to the platform to pass up the mails.
He fingered for moment and watch
ed "Big Four pull out from the sid
ing; then he looked all around. There
was no one in sight.
How'd yer do it, Bill?" asked Jack
Lundy that night, while half dozen
strikers smoked and listened,
81 didn't do nothin', and l don't
know nothin'," snapped Smith. "They
come, and they've gone, amt they?"
And then to modify therebuke the good
soul continued in tone that smacked
suspiciously of tenderness as he pulled
his pipe rehectively in the darkness:
Strange; 1 used to know those folks
years ago-didn't know it till terday-
they was good deal younger then
just married, l guess-they were pref
ty poor-had little baby that died.
don't know, but folks aroun' there said
the little thing died-cos it didn't
get-enough-ter eat"