Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-10-04
CHAPTER XVI.

>fE not Gays on. Dall
and his father moved down to
the shops. Two cots were
4 placed in the pattern room,
where they slept and where Roger
Oakley spent most of his time reading
his Bible or in brooding over the situ-
alton. Their meals We're brought to
them from the hotel. 1t was not that
Dan suspected the men of any sinister
intentions, but he felt it was just as
we'll that they should understand the
utter futility of any lawlessness, and.
besides. his father vas much happier
In the solitude of the empty shops than
he could have been elsewhere in An
tioch. All day long he followed Nc
Clintock about, helping with such odd
jobs as We're necessary to keep the ma
chinery in perfect order. He was com
pletely crushed and broken in spirit.
He had aged too.
At the office Dan saw only Holt and
McClintock. Sick of Kerr's presence
and exasperated at his evident sympa-
thy for the strikers-a sympathy he
was at no pains to c~onceal-he had laid
him off, a step that was tantamount to
dismissal. Miss Walton was absent OH
her vacation, which he extended from
week to week. 1t was madden;ng to
him to have her around with nothing
to do, for he and Holt found it difficult
to keep decently busy themselves now
the shops had closed.
Holloway, the vice president Of the
road, visited Antioch just once during
the early days of the strike. He APP
proved-being of an approving DISPOSE.
tion-of all Oakley had lone and the.i
went Jack home to Chicago. after tell
ing him not to yield a single point in
the fight.
We've got to starve EN- into submits
SON. said this genial soul. There's
nothing like an empty stomach to sap
a mans courage, especially when he's
got a houseful of hungry, squalling
brats. don't know but what you'G
better arrange to get in foreigners.
Americans are too independent"
But Oakley was opposed to this.
1.-The men will be glad enough to ac-
cept the new scale of wag a little
later. and the lesson won't be wasted
on them.'
YES, know, but the question is, dc
we want 'em? l wish Cornish was
here. l think he'd advise some radical
move. He's all fight
Oakley, however, was devoutly
thankful that the general was in Eng
land. where he hoped he would stay
He had no wish to see the men ruined.
A wholesome lesson would suffice. He
was much relieved when the time ar.
rived to escort Holloway to his train.
All this while the Herald continued
it's attacks, but Dan no longer minded
them. Nothing Ryder could say could
augment his unpopularity. 1t had
reached its finality. He never guesse;
that, indirectly at least, Constance EN-.
DRY was responsible for by far the
greater part of Ryder's present bitte:.
ness. She objected to his partisanshiI
OF The men, and this only served to in.
crease his verbal intemperance: but
IN spite of the antagOnism of Their
views, they remained friends. Con.
stance was willing to endure much
from Ryder that she would have re-
sented from any II else. She Liked
hlm, and she was sorry for him; Tx
seemed unhappy, and she imagined he
suffered as she herself suffered anG
from the same cause. There was still
another motive for her forbearance
which, perhaps, she did not realize
The strike and Oakley had become {;
mania with the editor, and from hin
she was able to learn what Dan was
doing.
The unpOpularity Of his son was q
source Of infinite grief to Roger Oak
ley, the more so as he took the burden
or 1t on his w shoulders. He brood
ed over it until presently he decided
that he would have a talk with Ryde,
n explain matters to him and ask
him to discontinue his abuse of Dan
There was a streak in the old con
vlct's mind which was hardly sane, FOL
no man spends the best years of his
life In prison and comes out as clea,
headed as he goes in.
AS he pottered about the shops with
McClintock he meditated on his project
He was sure IL he could show Ryder
where he was wrong and unfair At
would hasten to make amends. Ii ncv.
er occurred to him that Ryder had
merely followed in the wake Of publ,
opinion, giving 1t definite expression.
One eyening-and he chose the HON
when he knew Antioch would be al
suppe" II the streets dcSc"lrd-lc
stole from the shops without tel!iHe
Dan where he was going, NJ he had 4
shrewd idea that he would put n We,
on his scheme did he know Of II.
with all his courage his Dnce slack