Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-04-25
the whole city is patrolled?"

$50 that the miners cannot come
burn us all up"
This amused Ann. How silly! Why
should they do that?'
Because we mine owners live here.
1t is not laughing matter to us.
Word has come to us through reliable
sources that your nice friend Munro
has planned II raid, and every young
man in the town has been enrolled in
the home guard"
Ann laughed outright at this. Jean
nette, you people have been eating too
much lobster salad and ice cream.
You're all suffering from nightmare.
There isn't word Of truth In what
you've been saying"
When Don came down she continued
to mock, and all through dinner she
perversely defended Munro and listen
cd to Barnett's boastings of what they
We're going to do to open their mines
with entire lack of sympathy
II don't pretend to comprehend what
you men call business" she said, but
it seems to me that rather than waste
millions OH Il useless war would al
low the miners few more cents pay
just us Il matter of economy"
But it's the principle of the thing.
We don't intend to be dictated to by
these red neckers' They must come
to our terms. I've been deceived In
Rob. He and Kelly are playing u two
faced game with us"
81 beg your pardon, they IRE not"
she hotly answered. "They are doing
just what you ought to do. They're
paying their men good wages and
treating them properly"
Peabody put in n word. If might
venture, l don't know Il thing about it
except what Munro and Raymond told
me, but 1t seems to me Ann is right.
AS understand it, these chaps are con-
tending that III making this change
from three shifts of eight hours each
you shouldn't lay off aslot of men and
put the rest on two shifts of nine hours
each at eight hours pay. Isn't that it?"
well, yes; but, you see, it's really a
new system altogether"
But in the change you don't intend
to accidentally pay 80 cents or 30 cents
or whatever it may be for that extra
hour?"
1.-The pay for days work will re-
main rs 1t is now"
Peabody smiled. "a mere shuttle
Come, be frank. You fellows have
fixed up n new deal in which the cards
go against the miners. They protest
and now it is a matter of gun play as
you say out here"
Mrs. Barnett looked relieved II
wish you'd talk him out of it, Wayne"
Peabody, with lawyers pleasure
went on with his analysis. But there's
third party here which is of more in
terest to me than either you or the I'M
ionists, and that is Raymond's party
of the third part. They are standing
clear for the present, but If you crowd
them to the wall they'll take hold, and
then, as Kelly said, you'll have wild
cat by the tall / wish l could wait
and see how you come out, but I've got
n big case on for the 10th and must be
in Washington"
".rhe whole thing will be settled in n
day or two" declared Barnett. when
we go up there again it will be with n
thousand men and fully armed"
"That is harsh arbitrament," said
Peabody, with a gravity which was al
most solemnity. 81 would advise you
to settle this case out of court"
Ann interposed. ~ think you both
take too serious view of the whole
thing Mr.. Raymond laughs over It"
"AIr. Raymond was probably trying
to keep you unalarmed," answered Pea
body. ''And now that you are out of
it do not think it well for either you
or Louis to return to it."
Louis uttered Indignant cutlery. ooh,
see here! I've got to go back. Pm help
ing Raymond"
81 guess he'll have to stagger along
without you, Louis" replied Barnett.
You better not go into this miXup
again"
I "I'll go back whenever please"
The dinner was finished with pleas
anter topic, and when the men were
alone with their cigars Peabody care
lessly remarked: I'm going to take
Ann back with me il she'll go. don't
like the idea of this youngster dragging
her into all this filthy turmoil. Why, 1
found her living in log cabin with an
Irish family-pice people. but no place
for her."
THAT'S the singular part Of it. She
seems to enjoy 1t. She wrote Jeanette
from up there pretty regularly, and she
out and out said she liked it. And she
is gay as a bird-she's lost some of her
fat-I never saw her looking filter"
Peabody unused. "She is changed. l
can't quite make out why or how. She
was like schoolgirl for spirits last
night. Do you suppose it's the high
altitude"
MY dear chap. 1 suspect it is a man,
and fear it is Munro" said Barnett.
II hope not, for her sake"
II do, too, and for your sake; but I've
seen too many women 80 TO pieces in
that way to feel any assurance. 1t
wouldn't have been SO bad IL she'd tax
Ell up with Raymond. for he is a fine
fellow aside from his present stand:
but there, again, he was too respectful,
too near her own type. 1t needed
wild devil like this cowboy captain to
stir her imagination"
Peabody's cigar was broken between
his fingers. Don, you scare mel"
Barnett, having fairly crushed his
friend, now tried to comfort him. "All
this may be wrong diagnosis, and /
hope 1t Is, but if l were you l would
go to her and use words that would
startle her. She needs the strong
hand"
Peabody rose, all the quizzical lines
OF his face lost in a plexus Of doubt
and hesitation.
Ann wondered at the change in Pen
body, but had no chance to speak to
him for some minutes, for couple of
young men were detailing their stern
plans FOR invading Skytown.
The large library was soon filled
with people who had heard of AIMS
return from the peak, and the girl was
profoundly amused to find herself talk