Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-03-03

he reached the kentucky metropolis.
horse member of the municipal pur-
chasing board that he was ready to
talk business on a modern business ba-
sis.
Notwithstanding. he lost the contract.
Other people were growing desperate,
too. it appeared. and his bride was not
great enough. One member of the
committee stood by him and gave him
the facts. A check had been passed
and 1t was a bigger check than Tom
could draw without trenching on the
balance left in the Iron City National
to meet the months payroll at Cor
donia.
You sent boy to MILL" said the
loyal one. And now it's all over
don't mind telling you that you sent
him to the wrong mill, at that Bullin-
gers hog"
I'D like to do him up" said Tom,
vindictively.
We'll, that might be done, too. But
1t would cost you Something"
Tom did not take the hint; he was
not buying vengeance. But on the way
home he grew bitterer with every sub
IidCtcO Hllle. ne COulQ meet one more
payday, and possibly another; and
then the end would come. This one
contract would have saved the day, and
1t was lost.
The homing train, rushing around
the boundary hills of Paradise, set him
down at Gordonia late in the afternoon.
There was no one at the station to
meet him, but there was bad news in
IN hfoI r
claim it. Though it still wanted half
an hour of quitting time, the big plant
was silent and deserted. Tom walked
out the pike and found his father on
| the Woodlawn porch.
You needn't say 1t, son." was his
low greeting. when Tom had flung him
self into chair. TT was in the South
Tredegar papers this morning.
What was in the papers?"
About our losin' the Indiany con-
tract. I reckon it was what did the
business for US, though there were a.
plenty of black looks and storm
brewin' when we missed the pay day
yesterday"
missed the pay day? Why, I left
money in bank for it when I went to
Louisville!"
man didn't come out with the pay
rolls yesterday evening I telephoned
him. He said Vint Farley, as treasur-
er of the company. had made draft on
him and taken it ALL"
And the mem"
"The miners went out at 10 o'clock
| this morning. The blacks would have
! stood by US, but Ludlows men drove
'em out-made EN- quit. We're done,
Buddy"
Tom dashed his hat on the floor and
| the Gordon rage, slow to fire and fierce
| to scorch and burn when once it was
aflame, made for moment a yelling
| maniac of him. In the midst of 1t he
| turned, and the tempest of imprecation
| spent itself in a gasp of dismay. His
| mother was standing in the doorway.
thin, frail, with the sorrow in her eyes
that had been there since the long
night of chastenings three years agone.
AS he looked he saw the growing
pallor in her face, the growing speech
less horror in her gaze. Then she put
| out her hands as one cropping in dark
| ness and fell before he could reach her.
1t was her stalwart son who carried
| Martha Gordon to her room and laid
her gently on the bed, with the hus-
band to follow helplessly behind. Also,
| it was Tom, tender and loving now as
a woman, who sat upon the edge of the
bed, chatting the bloodless hands and
striving as he could to revive her.
I'm afraid you've killed her for sure.
this time, son!" groaned the man.
But Tom saw the pale lips move and
| bent low to catch their whisperings
What he heard was only the echo OF
the despairing cry of the broken heart:
Would God had died for thee. o Alb
| SALON.. my son!"
Ito be continued)