The Washington times., 1911-05-07
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
ONE WAY OUT
By WILLIAM CARLETON
Copyrighted, 1911. by Small, Maynard & Company

ways he made the weight of the rock.
against which / had striven SO yainIy.
do the work
That was something worth learning. T
| wanted TO get back and study him. T
wanted to get back and finish uncover
ing that rock. l wanted to get back
and bring the job as a whole TO finish,
SO as to have new one to tackle.
Even at the end of that first day felt
mad learned enough TO make myself a
man or greater power than | was the
GsS,IS Gay ostore: And always in the back
this toll was to lead.
hadn't yet stopped to figlte out
what the goal gas, but that II was
worth while l had no doubt. for | was
no. no longer stationary. l was a con-
structor. was in touch with big en-
terpr1se of development
don't know that I've made myself
clear. l wasn't very clear in my own
mind mind then, but i know that / had a
which I've tried to put into words. And
big joy.
l never woke up with any such feel
Ing when with the United Woollen. Ny
only thought in the morning then was
now much time / must give myself to
catch the siX-thirty.
When I reached the office 1 hung up
my hat and coat and sat down to the
tmpersonal figures like. an automaton.
There was nothing of me in the work;
there couldn't be.
How petty it seemed now, 1 suppose
the company, as an Industrial enter
prise, was in the line of development,
but that idea never penetrated as far
as the clerical department.
We didn't feel it any more than the
adding machines do.
Ruth had good breakfast for me and
when ! came into the kitchen she was
trvinr to brush the dried clay off my
overalls.
Good heavens!' said. don't waste
your Strength doing THAI
She looked up from her task with a
smile.
I'm not going to let you get slack
down here" she said.
But those things will look just as
bad again five minutes after I've gone
down the ladder"
But l don't intend they shall look
like this on your way to the ladder"
she answered.
"All right" said. then let me have
them. I'll do it myself
Have you shaved?" she asked.
l rubbed my hand over my chin. 1t
wasn't very bad, and I'd made up my
mind ] wouldn't shave every day now.
No I said. But twice or three
times a week"
Billy she broke in. that will never
do. You're going down to your new busi- |
ness looking just as ship-shape as you
went to the old. You don't belong to
that contractor; you belong to me-"
In the meanwhile the boy came in
with my heavy boots. which he had |
brushed clean. and oiled. There was
nothing left for me to do but TO shave, |
and I'll admit I felt better for II.
DO you want me to put on a high !
collar?' l asked.
Didn't you find the things I laid out
for you?"
I hadn't looked about. I'd put on
he I oef H. Inl L,o Il
into the bed room, and over chair I
saw a clean change of underclothinG /
and. new gray flannel shirt.
Where did you get this?' I asked.
Il bought it for a dollar" she an
swered. It's too much to pay. I can
make one for so cents as soon as get
time TO sew"
That's the way Ruth was Every day
after this she made me change, after
came back from my swim, into the busi-
here, and which now by contrast looked
almost new. She even made me wear a !
lie with my flannel shirt.
Every morning l started out clean
shaven and with my work clothes as
,resh as though I were a contractor my
self. / objected at first because it
seemed too much for her to do to wash
The things every day, but she said It
vas good deal easier than washing
them once a week.
I
little schemes for saving trouble. and 1t
seemed to me a good one; instead OF
collecting her soiled clothes for seven
lays and then tearing. herself all to
work. she washed little every day. .
BY this plan it took her only about an
lour each morning to keep all the linen
the house clean and sweet. We had
he roof to dry It on and she never
roned anything except perhaps the
.ablecloths and handkerchiefs.
We had no company TO cater to, and
hats all we cared.
We got around the rock all right. II
proved not to be ledge after all.
myself, however. didn't accomplish as
much as l did the first day, for / was
ilower in my movements.
On the other hand, | think ] improved
little in my handling of the crowbar
1t the noon hour / tried to start a con-
'ersation with Anton, but he under
tood little English and I knew no
Italian, so we didn't get far.
AS he sat in a group of his fellow
ountrymen laughing and jabbering he
made me feel distinctly like an outsider
There were one or two English-speak-
ng workmen besides myself, but some
ow they didn't interest me as much :
s these Italians.
1t may have been my imagination, but
hey seemed to me decidedly inferior
ot. 9
AS a rule they were men who took the
OBJ only to keep themselves from starv-
1g and quit at the end of a week or | i
wo. only to come back when they
eeded more money.
/ must make an exception of an Irish
ian l will call Dan Rafferty,. He was
big blue-eyed fellow, full of fun and
ght. with good-natured contempt of
he Dagoes, and was born leader.
I noticed, the first day, that he came
carer being the boss of the gang than
he foreman, and / suspect the latter
imself noticed 1t. for he seemed to
ave II in for Dan.