Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-17
CHAPTER Xxx.
Victory of the TripIice.

1T is no use. gentlemen" said Vic.
Morris to the High Council Of Four,
who had been convened on the fol-
lowing morning to decide what was
to be done as to the disaster" the
miners of Kirktown are no more to
be condemned in body than employ
ers. managers or engineers! | do not
know whether the fire was lighted by
any man in our employ. Such a thing
is possible. of course. | have always
thought that there was rotten. bad
streak in the new drafts from the
south mouthers most of them,
breeders of ill-blood--''
'I am glad to hear you speak like
that, Mr.. Norris" said James Kahn,
for, to tell the truth. I have heard
it whispered that you yourself were
not exactly faithful to your employer"
Then. Mr.. Kahn said Vic Morris.
with sudden fierceness, whoever told
you that lied. And if you wish for a
more absolute contradiction, bring the
tale-bearer face to face with me-"
Kahn glanced first at his two subor
dinates. McKill and Grinding, and
then at the rather grim look on the
face Of his chief, Mr. Jacob Romer
go on, Mr.. Morris, expose your
ideas fully said the latter. He cared
nothing for the strife of heads or de-
partments, nor even great deal for
last nights fire. 1t was annoying of
course; but. after all, to put it right
was mere matter of detail All his
contracts were in his lawyers safe,
and SO long as the pits themselves
were intact. and the night and day
shifts working. nothing mattered very
much to Incubus, CORN, Romer & Co.
He had also an idea that the influence
which Vic Morris had over the best
Of the men. the ascendancy he pos
sessed over all, might be more useful
to the firm than the hasty and ILL.,
Judged measures of severity into
which the triumvirate of Kahn, Mckill
and Grinding would fain have forced
him.
AT first, therefore, he was inclined
to listen to Ludovic Morris. And &C
cordingly Kahn and his two satellites
felt the wind Of the great mans ia
vor blow cold upon them The hate of
their hearts went out to Morris for
which the strong, carless Vic cared
not whit. His single weakness had
been his passion for Vida Even his
enemies could not put their fingers
upon another. And this was perhaps
the greatest weakness Of all that
he had none. 1t lifted him clean away
from that strange, yet very human
sympathy which the worRing.class
feel for the peccadillos of the great.
Eth, but he's lad says the Ian
cashire pitman, with certain pride
IN, h fc 1,n, cfnp l-~
pace"
"Nocht till DOR YIN" will reply, in
the comparison of bosses the
"Geordies' Of Fife and the L.othians
So though his rigid honesty coul,.
not help but win him respect wner-
ever he went. and though everyone In
the pits from the bank foreman to the
youngest tally-boy, knew that Vic Nor
ris was ION their side" the rightly of
Of his discipline, and the fact that he
neither drank. smoked swore. nor
Haunted cheap iniquity, were unque:s-
tionably against him in that queer,
topsy-turvy world of the mine.
HE Is more like parson in the
pit" said "Bubbly" S,lgg, the father
of Susan aforesaid, and the champion
heavyweight of the three main pits.
Yet for all that "Bubbly' put away his
pipe in hurry whenever there was a
stir and whisper of Here's Mr..
Morris among the working faces.
Expose your ideas repeated the
chief; II am here to listen
We'll. SIR said Vic, nothing 10th.
and not in the least daun,ed, "the
work is all right. 1t frightens nobody
worth their salt. And if the men are
satisfied on point or two Tin which
they are absolutely in the right they
. VIII work to your utmost desire. So
much | hold myself ready to guaran
tee. Men who live habituallv on The
surface cannot know what goes on .un
derground. Sixteen hundred feet OF
solid rock between ones or ,w1 and
the green grass changes mems ways
Of looking at things when they have
to stay there ten or tive We hours al
stretch every day, year in end veal
out. But, as I have said! will charge
myself with all that-if so be you give
me free hand to finish the second
exits in the pits where these are mo-
already completed, and to uplift the