River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-07-02

hands. Look at him now-one hand
gone and one foot manned for life.
And whose fault was that? All, if
you could have but attended the in
dignation meeting of the employees
after the accident, you need not have
asked? Time and again the machine
that manned him had been declared
unsafe, and yet our worthy plaintiff
would do naught. And after the ac-
cident, did he render aid to his in
iured employee? Not much! Through
technicality he escaped the payment
of heavy damages at the first trial,
and while the poor and helpless suf-
ferer was endeavoring to raise funds
for a second suit, he sold out and
came west. Look at him and see if
he dares deny it, Look. / say!'
Mr.. Ford half rose from his seat,
but fell back white as a sheet as he
caught glimpse of his former en-
ploye. Even the jurors could distin-
guish mental anguish from physical
agony.
"And yet another point let me
bring out" continued Archer heated
ly, while the attention of all was
equally divided between his speech
and the faces of the two cripples;
whereas the plaintiff has been in
jured, and not without carelessness
on his part at that, yet his earning
capacity has not in the least been inn
paired. He can clip just as many cou-
pOns; he can be a director in just as
many mining enterprises; he can or
ganize just as man. new land i'm
prOvement associations; in word his
head, by which alone he earns his
livelihood, has not in the least been
impaired.
Now turn your eyes to the other
poor fellow. Scarce a year ago he
earned $25 a week by the. skill of his
hands. month ago he wandered
into my office-penniless, health shat
tered, family scattered, and without
the wherewithal to ply his accus-
toned trade-his right hand. He
wSnted my advice about instituting
suit on new grounds. And mean
WHILE" he continued impressively, as
he saw the jury casting off it's Iethar-
company this soulless corporation,
as so many delight to call it, has kept
him from starvation by giving him
job as sWitchman at it's Halstead
street car sheds, where he can earn
a boys wages of a dollar a day. And
this the company did before he en-
tered into the present case.
"And yet this plaintiff, who has
never considered the Golden Rule I'M
til he himself desired to profit by it's
teachings,-th plaintiff, who would
not so much as lift a finger to save
fellow man from starvation, how
ever much he himself was respon-
sible-this plaintiff has the unmiti-
gated effrontery to appear before
you all, and to try to win his case by
winning your sympathy. If such a
quality is the much Wanted Justice
of our city," his eyes swept the
jury, the witnesses, and last of all
the gallery-"My God!" he cried, and
staggered back.
Amid the confusion, young wo-
man left the gallery unobserved.
"The defense will rest it's case" he
concluded with forced calm.
The lawyer was seated at his desk.
A verdict in favor of the defendant
company had been rendered two
hours before, and already an official
looking document enclosed in ma
nilla envelope had been forwarded to
him from the general managers Of
fee He lacked heart even to tear 1t
open from the enclosure.
Instinctvely he felt that he had
done well, but the feeling of exulta-
ton over his first success was want
ing He needed someone-no, Just
one-to congratulate him, to wish
him we'll for the future; and now
she was the last person who would
do such a thing.
If only he had known she was in
the gallery, he might have picked his
words more carefully. But now
A messenger entered the bearer of
a dainty white envelope. Mechani-
cally he receipted for it.
"And in her handwriting. Can it
be?" But his fingers which had been
brushing across the envelope, encoun-
tered hard little lump in the mid
die.
THE engagement ring" he muir
INJURED inaudibly. "But come now"
he added half aloud with pitiab |
attempt at briskness, "if the sweets
are still lacking, let's have look at
the bread and butter"
He tore open the MANILA envelope. |
The first thing that met his gaze was
a check, the size of which made him
feel dizzy. Then a letter from the
general manager fell out.
MY dear. Archer the manager
had begun in his off-hand way, Your
dramatic finale was certainly what |
won those jurors told you they
like a free show. Why. man. your
acting was so real, / could fairly see
you turn white as a ghost.
The position of junior attorney with |
our company is yours for the ask
ing"
Archer threw the envelope and con-
tents aside and gazed longingly at
the little white missive. And then he
opened it.
My Dear Jack-I fear I should |
have returned this ring without |
word had not dad happened in just as
/ was calling a messenger. He says
he admires your cool nerve in using
e,,ob +oo4ior n oroipS+ him, and IF bo ca1H