The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-06-26

and met his glance, and the utter despair in the
old face almost caused Rob to cry out in pity He
could stand it no longer, and walking resoutely
through the shop, he opened the door of the office
and went in.
The superintendent was there and Robs fore
man, and with them stranger, distinguished
looking man whom Rob set down as one of the off
clals Of the company. All three looked up as he
came IN, and the superintendent said: Hello, Rob.
What is itl"
Mr. Harding" began Rob, wishing the others
were not there, yet determined to get through it,
Mr.. Hinton tells me has been discharged"
The superintendent looked annoyed and the
str8nger looked at Rob with sudden interest.
'Well! said Mr.. Harding.
The reason. he says is that you won't have
work for us BOTH
eyes, that's the reason" said the superintendent
shortly; 4 can't see how it concerns you, Rob- You
won't be discharged
Rob- fearing he was antagonizing his SUPERIOR
FASTENED to add: Il just wanted to ask you
whether you would keep Hinton if l gave up my
places"
"Of course answered the superintendent his
stare betrayng the surprise the strangers presence
deferred him from expressing.
"Thank you-then it's bargain" said Rob- and
turned to the foreman
Mr. Smith won't you tGll Hinton at noon that
he is to stay But don't tell him that | quit
ting
''Well.n said Smith. in bewiiderment; he was an
boy was giving up. But what about your school
ing, Rob-"
ooh. that can wait" said Rob brightly He was
cheerful again that the thing was done, and
went back into the shop with his usual sprightli-
ness
The stranger, who had watched the boy atten-
lively during his talk with the superintendent,
waited until he was out of hearing. and then ad-
dressed some inquiries to the foreman. He listened
thoughtfully to the story of Rob's struggle to de
velop the best that in him, but made no com
ment' and completed his business with the super
intendent
He was one of the directors of the company
and there was to be meeting that afternoon to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of closing the car shops
adjoining the iron works. for the winter. The meet
ing to be at / o'clock and as the stranger was
on his way to the place of meeting he met Rob re-
turning to finish his last day at the iron works
The boys face downcast, for although his
mother had been proud of his act, she had taken
the loss of his place, with its consequent result to
him, very hard. So it was a disconsolate face he
turned when the stranger touched his shoulder
My lad" said the man. "you look if you
gret giving up your Job to that other man"
ooh, no, sir" replied Rob, smiling bravely II
don't at all. was only little bit blue, wondering
why couldn't both hold our jobs" He laughed
at joke on himself, and the stranger smiled at
him kindly moment before going on.
The man found some of his associates already at
the meeting place. One of them hailed the new
conner as Merriam, and asked him if he were in
favor of closing the shops.
"No," said Merriam.
why not Z" demanded the other
"Fll tell you when the time comes" sair Mer-
riam, and refused to argue the matter He stood
at the window watching the rain which was falling
drearily until the meeting opened and then he adj
dressed his colleagues He was too shrewd to allow
the others to declare their positions so decidedly
that their abstinacy would prevent receding, and
he began quietly:
Gentlemen, before we discuss this matter |
wish to relate incident that came to my notice
while l was gathering information this morning"
He told the simple story of Hinton's discharge
and Robs resignation
"Now, gentlemen, make no comment [ only
ask you to consider what that lad was giving up.
Does there not flash before your minds the glorious
promise that made your hearts leap high at sew
enteen! He is but seventeen, age when the spirit
chafes terribly against unpromising waiting and
his mother is old that each days delay heightens
the risk that she may die before her son comes into
his own in the worlds strife.
81 want to say to you that / was unutterably
ashamed before that boy. What is the reason ad-
yanced for closing the shops! That they will not
pay this winter. My friends ask you what we
lose by their running. Nothing. We simply fail
to gain pecuniary profit And suppose we even
lose. What to you and me is that loss compared to
what that boy IS sacrificing! 1t is the drops
this pane to the flood in the street. You know that
l am not given to mixing business with sentiment
but [ say unto you that if [ voted to close those
shops l should eternally see my shrveled soul meas
ured against that lads great one; and | ask you as
men, can we vote ourselves unutteraby below par
with boy whose existence, ordinarily, would be
too insignificant to touch our consciousness"
There was breathless silence as he ceased speak
ing, and it was some time before his hearers re-
covered themselves Then one said:
Merriam, why didn't you wire me you had the
thing fixed, and save me this trip!'
"None of us intended to vote against the shops
anyway" said another and they all laughed Mer-
RAM knew he had gained his end. The shops would
not shut down, not that winter at least.
That afternoon Rob was startled out of his pre-
by visit from Mr. Harding and
man whose keen gray eyes made him
feel as if they taking X-ray picture of
him.
'This is Mr.. Reynolds our president, Rob-"