Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-11-05

BY Mary's side, he had asked her to be
his wife. It seemed to him that q
breath Of the meadow just beyond
Squire Hazen's place came into the
room just as it was waited up to him
when Mary turned and said the happy
word that made that day the gladdest,
proudest day he had ever known.
What, memories Of the old times!
What!
He seemed to come to himself and
stared around into the fire as if Won
Gc-lng where he was, and he did not
see the tear that rolled down his wife's
cheek and fell upon her two hands
clasped in her lap. She arose and went
over to the piano. which stood in the
shadow, and, sitting down with her
back to her husband, she played frag-
ments Of music nervously. Mr.. Hardy
lay down on the lounge again. After
awhile Mrs. Hardy wheeled about ON
the piano stool and said:
"Robert, don't you think you had
better go over and see Mr.. Burns about
the men who were hurt?''
"Why, what can do about IT. The
company's doctor will see to them. I
should only be in the way. Did Burns
say they were badly hurt?"
"One of them had his eyes put out,
and another will have to lose both feet.
I think he said his name was Scoville."
"What! Not Ward Scoville?'
II think Burns said that> was the
name."
Mr.. Hardy rose from the lounge, then
lay down again. ooh, well, can 60
there the first thing in the morning. I
can't do anything now" he muttered.
But there came to his memory a pic
ture of one day when he was walking
through the machine shops and a heavy
piece Of casting had broken from the
end Of large hosting derrick and
would have fallen upon him and proba.
bly, killed him If this man Scoville, at
the time workman in the machine de-
partment, had not pulled him to one
side at the danger Of his own life. AS
it was, in saving the life of the mana
ger Scoville was struck on the shoulder
and rendered useless for work for four
weeks. Mr.. Hardy had raised his
wages and advanced him to a RESPONSE
: BILE position In the casting room. Mr..
Hardy was not man without generos-
1ty and humane feeling, but as he lay
on the lounge that evening and thought
of the cold snow outside and the dis
lance to the shop tenements he readily
excused himself from going out to see
the man who had once saved his life
and who now lay manned for life. If
any one thinks it impossible that one
man calling himself Christian could
be thus Indifferent to another, then he
does not know the power that selfish
ness can exercise over the actions of
men. Mr.. Hardy had one supreme law
which he obeyed, and that law was
self.
Again Mrs. Hardy, who rarely ven
tured to oppose her husbands wishes,
turned to the piano and struck few
chords aimlessly. Then she wheeled
about and said abruptly:
Robert, the cook gave warning to-
night that she must go home at once"
Mr.. Hardy had begun to doze little,
but at this sudden statement he sat up
and exclaimed:
"Well, you are the bearer Of bad
news tonight, Mary. What's the mat
ter with everybody? l suppose the
cook wants more pay"
Mrs. Hardy replied quietly: "Her sis
ter Is dying. And do you know l be-
ieve have never given the girl credit
for much feeling. She always seemed
to me to lack there, though she is GER
tainly the most faithful and efficient
servant we ever had in the house. She
came In just after Mr.. Burns left and
broke down, crying bitterly. 1t seems
her sister Is married to one Of the rail-
road men here in town and has been
ailing with consumption for some
months. She is very poor, and a large