The San Francisco call., 1904-12-18

palace a strike was threatened at the
mill and the air was filled with trouble
and discomfort. An attempt had been
made to unionize the men at the va
rious plants, and as this was contrary
to the compary's policy all men who
leaned toward union sentiments had
been promptly discharged. Among the
first to go was Manning. for in study
ing the subject he had decided that his
fellow workers were not very far
wrong in many OF their demands.
Instead of trying to arbitrate and to
pour oil on the troubled waters. the
company remained obstinate and re-
fused to concede to any of the demands
put upon them, and Furthermore closed
and locked the doors of their plants un-
til the men were ready to return at the
old hours and wages.
Hunger, cold and misery in every
shape and form was catastrophe that
the strikers evidently had not figured
upon, for when the winter with its
growing terrors beset them, they
threatened every form Of violence and
did all they could to batter down the
objections and prejudices OF the mill
owners. Finally matters reached cri-
sis wnen an old woman. era zed with her
losses, stole into the Tenant garden
and killed the company's president, and
the fancied cause of her own wees. as
he walked leisurely about looking at
the various flower beds.
This was the turning point of Beat
rice Tenants life. Instead of marry
ing the Prince, as she had promised her
father on his deathbed, she deliberately
broke her engagement, disposed of the
great marble home and went to Paris
hoping against hope that she might be
able to forget the energetic young labor
leader and the look that she had unwit-
tingly surprised into his tell-tale eyes
AT the end of seven busy years, dur
ing which time Beatrice had devoted
much of her time and money to the
working class, she again chanced to
cross Neil Manning's path, but in the
meantime their circumstances had
changed not a little He was a pros
porous business man, battling his way
through life in such an upright, clean
fashion that he held the respect of even
those he was fighting against. On the
other hand, while she was still her own
mistress, she was not the pampereds
darling OF the rich, for adversity and
generosity had played such havoc with
her millions that but enough of her for
tune remained to keep her from the ne
cessity of work.
Again the question OF station, Of edu-
cation and of wealth began to perplex
her and the violent opposition of her
sO-called friends made her long for a
life that would be free from petty
mummeries and fancied etiquette She
turned the question slowly over In her
mind and looked fairly at both cides of
it. On one hand there were hosts of
friends who would let her drop speedily
from their lives and thoughts, but on
the other hand, those who cared fo1. her
friendship would care for herself and
not her position in life. The greater part
of her fashionable friends considered
Manning, the labor leader. scarcely fit
to enter the doors of their aristocratic
homes. but Notwithstanding she looked
the future squarely in the face and de-
termined to live out her own life. to
please herself, rather than allow it to
be shaped by the standards of those
whose opinions and mental capacities
she had always held in supreme con-
tempt
All the way through THE Captains
of the World" is. one triumph after an
other for the workingman, and it is
meant to portray what can be accom-
plished If one has shrewd business
ability. nimble wits and boundless en-
ergy, for it abounds in examples of
self-made men reaching the place
where they are the worlds greatest
financial dictators. published by Mac
milan Company, New York. Price
81 50)