Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-16
YEARLY, for he had outstayed his wei.

x
anger. Breaking so abruptly into the
quietude of a village night it sent a
thrill Of nameless fear into those that
heard A shrill whoop punctuated the
discord, and now and again grating
drunken laugh rose above the noise.
Then the ring Of breaking window
pane was heard: q moments silence.
and the babel, louder than before, and
added to by an irate proprietors bias
phemous tongue, broke forth afresh.
Its that dreadful canal crowd. This
must be pay night" explained Miss FL
well to Arson in answer to his query.
A little figure glided down the street,
hurrylng from the noise as fast as two
bowlegged pins could carry him. He
mumbled come indlstinct breathlesS
words as he passed.
Barbara went to the gate and looked
up the street, and Arson held an UNI
brella over her head. A couple Of hun
dred yards away the light from numer-
Gus saloons that drew their sustenance
from the canal workers shed q weird
and Internal illumination over crowd
Of men moving about unsteadily for the
most part, for the liquor had circulated
freely. All were talking at once and
loud, and In the distance II sounded
like the Swapping and snarling of
pack Of fighting dogs.
The neighborhood Of the big ditch
and the towns along its course often
felt the blighting effect Of the congre-
CATION of thousands of hard drinking
men. Dissatisfied laborers. primed
with alcohol, had wreaked vengeance
upon bullying foremen upon one or two
occasions, and once had gone further.
and for some grievance, fancied or real,
had wrecked expensive machinery of
their employers. Good people, unused
to the ways Of construction hands, and
supposing that all the men were equal
ly bad with the parasites and hangers
on who infested the vicinity, lived in
q state Of continual terror, especially
when pay days came around.
Cognizant of all this, Barbara heard
the clamor with alarm. A vague pre-.
sentiment Of impending danger to some
one near to her possessed her. and her
hand, resting on the gate, trembled.
The crowd appeared to be forming into
line with the object Of marching down
the road past the Elwell house and
toward the canal.
From out of the shadow in the other
direction two men appeared, talking
volubly but low and walking swiftly
to the scene Of the uproar. A third
followed in run at their heels. The
latter was little Andy Cusack. Kirby
and Chaplin. who were the first two,
looked with what appeared to be ap-
pretending intentness at the mob
ahead Of them. Miss Elwell hailed the
mannikin as he approached. MIR. Gu
sack, what is it?" she said.
Cusack pulled up with jerk and
gazed questioningly at the girl and her
escort. "Oh." he muttered as he
recognized her and turned again to
follow the other two.
"Cusack, stop!" said Barbara in
we'll simulated tone of command.
He halted obediently.
What is the matter down there"
she asked again.
"Where? Down there? oh. faint
anything, 'cept that McDonald's pets
is goin' to celebrate the occasion with
appropriate ceremonies"
"What occasionY said Arson as Gu
sack stopped.
The little man blinked absently at
the stranger and, turning to Miss FL
WELL said, They're settin' out to give
reception or somethin' like that
don't know what-to Mr.. Imrie for the
-whoapr' He had put out his hand to
| steady himself against the open gate,
but missed 1t, and as he tipped over
his stiffened outstretched arm brought
up against a tree. He struck an atti-
tude, with one leg crossed before the
other, the toe Of one boot dug into the
gravel and arm akimbo. "'s'cuse me-"
he said to no one in particular.
The mention Of Imrie's name caused
the girl new apprehension What
about Mr.. Imrie?" she asked anxiously.
"John L.? Why, they're goin' to do
by John L. as he won't forget for
many day." said Cusack. emphasiz-
ing his words meaningly. MELON
AIDS pets dom raise trouble very often
Mess they got mighty good reason,
cause they's quiet men, but John L.,
| he
/ A hiccough interrupted him.
"What do you mean? Are they go
ing to harm him? Are they going
down to the canal?" asked Barbara.
"Who? The gang? Sure"
"With what intention"
II don know" Then, after slight
pause, "They got the key to the pow
der house,
"But, Cusack, they would not harm
Mr.. Imrie, would they?"
"They got nothin' particular 'gainst
John L. or Mac either, but they're des-
prit with their wrongs an the liquor.
dom you see?" He swung about like
sapling blown about in the wind From
down the road the growl Of the assem-
bled workers continued undated, its
suggestive hideousness effectively YER
flying the tenor of Casack's remarks.
ooh, what do they intend to do to
himg' said Barbara.
II don't know-throw dynamite sticks
at him Mess he sees 'em first"
She emitted frightened little "Oh!'
and Cusack observed with satisfaction
that his efforts had been to some pur-
pose.
"And you, Andy Cusack." she said,