The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-30

finger and pointed to the change she had
thrown at him.
What is it. sir?"
Mistake"
The strikers pricked up their ears.
There isn't any mistake, sir. 1 told you
the cigars were 50 cents each.'' replied Kate
Mullenix. Rucker pushed back his coffee
n sliding Off his stool. walked forward.
Change isn't right" persisted McTerza
looking at Kate Mullenix.
why not?"
You forgot to take out e cents more
for that last cup of c-c-coffee,"
the Reading man.
Kate took up the coin and handed q quar-.
ter back from the register.
That's right" put in Rucker promptly;
make the scabs pay for what they get
They're spending our money"
The hesitating Reading man appeared fol
the first time aware Of an enemy; inter
ested for the first time in the abuse thai
: had been continually heaped on hiuc since
he came to town
He returned Rucker's glare.
You call me a scab. do your he said al
last, and with the stutter all out.
Il belong to a labor order that counts
thousands to your hundreds. Your scabs
came in and took our throttles on the Read
ing-why shouldn't we pull your Iatches gu,
here? Your strike is beat. my buck. and
Reading men beat it. You had better look
for a job on a thrasting machine"
Rucker jumped for McTerza. and they
mixed Tx clouds in a cyclone.
For a minute 1t was a whirlwind, and
nothing could be made Of It: but when they
could be seen McTerza had the best man In
our camp pinned under a table, with his
throat In one ham, like the latch of a throt.
tie.
Nicholson at the same moment, raising an
oak stool. smashed it over McTerza's head.
The follow went fiat as a dead man, but
he must have pulled up quick. for when
Neighbor rushed In and whirled Nicholson
into the street, the Reading man already
had his feet. and a corner to work from.
Reed. the ~trainmaster. was right behind
the big master mechanic.
Rucker was UP. but saw he was outnum-
bercd.
Hurt. Mac?' asked Reed, running to-
ward the Reading man.
The blow had certainly dazed him: his
eyes rolled seasick for a minute; then he
stared straight ahead.
Look out" he muttered. pointing over
Reeds shoulder at Kate Mullenix: she
going to faint"
The turned, but Kate was
over before her brother Sinkers could reach
her as he ran in. Rocker moved toward
the door.
As he passed McTerza he sputtered VII
lafnously. but Neighbours huge bulk was be-
tween the two men.
Never mind" retorted McTerza; next
time I get you Ill ram a billiard c-c-c-cue
down your throat
1t was the first intimation our fighting
men had that the Reading fellow could do
business, and the affair caused McTerza %
be inspected with some interest from be-
hind screens and cracker boxes as he saun-
tered up and down the street.
The Reading men were hated; Mcrrerza
was slated for the very worst of it. Every
body on both sides understood that-ex-
cept McTerza himself.
He never understood anything. for that
matter. until it was on him, and he
dropped back into his indifference and reck-
lessness almost at once.
He even tried the short-order house again.
That time Mrs. Mullenix herself was in the
saddle.
There were things in life which even
McTerza didn't banker after tackline more
than once, and one was a second in
tetview with Mrs M%ullenix.
But the fellow must have made an i'm
preston on even the redoubtable Mrs. Mary.
for she privately asked Neighbor, as one
might of an honorable adversary, for
peace's sake, to keep that man away from
her restaurant; so McTerza was banned.
Oddly enough, McTerza had one friend in
the Mullenix family. On the strike ques-
ton the house Of Mullenix was divided
| against itself.
All held for the engineers except the
youngest member. Sinkers. Sinkers was
telegraph messenger, and was strictly a
company man.
He naturally saw a great deal of the new
men. but Sinkers never took the slightest
interest in McTerza till he handled Rucker.
After that Sinkers cultivated him. Sinkers
would, listen just as long as McTerza would
stuttef. and they became fast friends long
before the yard riots.
| The day the carload of detectives was i'm
| ported the fight was on.
Scattering collisions breaking here and
! there into open fights showed the feeling,