Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-31
CHAPTETR X.
Turning q Dirty Trick.

Pinckney started at first, too amazed
to speak. Finally he managed to pull
himself together.
Frances! What are you doing
here?" he exclaimed.
The girls reply was contemptuous
sneer.
81 don't have to ask what you are
doing here"
you know?"
yes" she cried. Il know you are
trying to ruin Mr.. Sommers' gun, and
that's why I'm hereto prevent It."
Her hatred of dishonesty. her love
for Sommers, her pride in the honor
of the Durants, had all combined to
drive the girl into fury Of passion
that Pinckney had never seen before.
He could not fight against 1t. He
knew that, and so he had to temporize.
Instead of showing anger he only
smiled with apparent surprise and pity.
What could have put such ridicu-
lous notion In your mind. Frances?
It's too foolish to discuss. Who told
your"
Don't try to explain. Edward" the
girl exclaimed angrily. Lucy Smith
told me. O'Leary told ner. He was
hurt because he wanted to be honest.
She came to the house to find MI.
Sommers, and borrowed her dress to
come here quickly and warn him."
Pinckney was smiling now with re-
lief. He saw he had a chance IL ne
could only get the girl out Of the way.
And you believe such story?" he
protested in a hurt tone. why, my
child, o'Leary was delirious. Smith
was drunk and struck him while they
were fishtins-a plain, ordinary fight
between hot headed workmen.
What possible reason could I have
for wanting to injure this gun? To
have 1t a success means as much to
your father and to me as 1t does to
Sommers. Think of the reputation of
the plant, Of these works, that your
father has spent his life in building
up!
why, Sommers Is here now looking
after the gun himself. II he were to
hear such a story 1t might ruin your
fathers business. You don't want to
ruin your fathers business on the word
of a delirious workman, sore on his
foreman for beating him? Don't you
see how wrong you are?"
The girl hesitated. 1t did seem
plausible. O'Leary was hurt. He had
been fighting. And then she did not
imagine any one could be so contempt
ible as to fight a rival in the way
Pinckney must be doing If he really
had planned all that OLeary charged.
The girl felt that perhaps she had
been too hasty. She felt just bit
foolish, coming there in Lucy Smiths
clothes and possibly exposing herself
to ridicule before the men. She hesi-
tated, looking at Pinckney.
From the other end of the furnace
room, where he had gone to intercept
Sommers, Smith had made out Lucy,
as he supposed. talking to Pinckney.
The drunken rage of the foreman
changed instantly to this new object
of attack.
Why should Lucy be talking to
Pinckney? What was she doing there?
He had warned her time and again to
keep away from the works, and espe-
cially from Pinckney and the office,
because Smith knew Pinckney and the
advantage which he had taken of his
position more than once to injure girls
whose fathers and brothers depended
on him for their livelihood.
The general manager was a little
car in the town. Mr.. Durant did not
come into close personal relations with
the men in the plant, and Pinckney
could take on and put off, make and
ruin men at his will. He had ruined
some, and others, Smith knew, had ris-
en- from the works through complais-
ance and pretended blindness to the ac-
tions of the general manager.
But the independent foreman did not
propose to put himself in that class.
He loved his family when he was So
ber, and no matter what he might do
himself he was determined that his
wife and daughter should go straight.
no wonder, then, the sight Of his
daughter talking to Pinckney in the
works before all the men enraged him.
With the bar In his hand he lurched
down the long room.
Hey, there!" he shouted when he
had come close. What do you mean
talking to this fellow? Haven't l told
you didn't want you hanging around
the works and not to talk to him?
Now. you get out Of here quick"
Frances turned, and Smith stepped
back aghast.
Miss Durant!" he exclaimed. 'Ex-
cuse me, miss. 1 thought you was
Lucy"
That's all right, Smith," exclaimed
Pinckney hastily. No trouble now,
remember" And he turned back to
Frances. Come to the office. Frances.
Come away from here. l will explain
everything to you fully"
Puzzled and bit uncertain as TO
Pinckney's real attitude, the girl obe-
diently followed him up a short flight
of steps and into little overseers of
flee that jutted out into the furnace
room Pinckney closed the door after
him,
Mr. Sommers' gun is just going in
TO the tempering BATH" he said. He
is here experimenting it. So you
understand all must be right. Just
wait here a few moments, and then
YOU can see Sommers himself"
The suggestion seemed reasonable.
Frances nodded acquiescence.
"All right. l will wait" she said.
Outside in the furnace room furi-
Gus hustle followed the closing of the
little office door. Smith gave the sig
nal, and the big gun. caught in the
chains from the traveller. began to rise
slowly out Of the trap furnace and
hung suspended. huge mass of white