The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-09
THE SCAB
BY P. c. MACFARLANE
corYslcAr. 1910. ~ TIKI PEARSON rusn,sarse co.


The evening meal was eaten In a
grim kind of silence.
The father had absent-minded Ca
resses for the baby and Tommy, but no
words, and they both eyed the big man
wonderingly
It's wonder that boy wouldn't
come honle,v declared John, staring
hard at the empty chair which had re-
manned tenantless to the close of the
meal.
"Oh, I've been so worried about
him." said Jennie With pent-up feeling.
He came home at noon over the back
fence. and went out that way again.
He never said a word about trouble,
though
And did you tell him anything?"
No, somehow, 1t seemed so humili-
ating."
The back steps creaked softly just
then, and the kitchen door opened and
closed with Quietness unlike Jack,
but the tattered figure that backed I'D
against the stove and stood blinking
one eye solemnly was at least recog-
nizable He was hatless. The unblink-
ing optic was closed and blackened.
His face was scratched and cut. His
lip was swollen and tiny trickling
stream of carmine oozed down from
one nostril and was occasionally swept
away BY the tenderly caressing lick Of
his tongue. His shirt was torn open
at the collar. His coat and pants were
mud-soaked, while a vision of drawers
yawned through gaping hole in one
stocking. He chung resolutely to his
book strap, and the books themselves,
with jammed and twisted corners, gave
evidence of having been used as a
weapon OF defense. For a moment the
lad endured the questioning gaze OF
his father.
b-boy said you was a scab,'' he
remarked in what he tried hard to
make a tone of unconcern, "and
Licked him for It," and then added,
dorbtfully, hesitatingly. "but-but-
are you?"
John started almost fiercely as he
heard again the knife-like stab of that
hated word. But little Jack, with his
damaged face. wounded and uncom-
planning soldier in the war, looked up
SO seriously and SO Loyalty that his
heart was softened instantly.
Are you, Dad" he asked again,
more seriously, and less confidently.
Eat your dinner, boy. said the
father, land we'll talk about 1t after
wards
With tender solicitude he heaped the
boys plate, and watched the disappear
ancs with the greatest satisfaction.
taking pride in the thought that there
would be food upon his table next
week also. the best food journey
man molder's wages could buy. When
the meal was finished, there was a
suspicious brightness in John Martins
eyes as he took his son upon his knee,
the son who had earned the right to
his fathers confidence by shedding the
first blood in behalf of the principle
for which he was contending. And
when the father had done, having
made the sacred and inalienable right
to work stand out more clearly in his
mind than ever before, the boy dis
concerted him with a question:
But why don't you stand by your
gang?" he asked "Hully chee."
In the silence that followed the boy
slid down from his knee and stood
looking at him disapprovingly. why.
say, he continued, not saucily but
stoutly, If | couldn't make living
for the family without takin' sides
against my own crowd, I'd throw 'em
IN the river like sack of pups
Then he turned disdainfully and
marched off to the sink. where he pro-
ceeded with sundry grunts to remove
the scars Of battle from his face
"i'll bet lick that Flanagan kid
again tomorrow" he muttered vic
iousiy, between splashes
AS for John Martin. he sat. gazing
at the floor. one hand upon his knee.
The other toying absentIy with his
pipe. For the first time really ser!-
ous doubt had entered his mind. Was
it possible that the instinct of this
innocent child was more sure than all
lis finely reasoned conclusions? Was
true that he had no right to go
against his class? The sickening fear
that II might be, and that he who had
deemed himself a martyr for liberty
sas only miserable traitor, crept
into his heart. For an hour he sat
eowed in forbidding silence. TO be
sousec at last by bang at the door
II was group Of the men, come as
they had come so many times before
argue and to bully. John welcomed
hem gloomily.
The first to enter was Stockdale. a
aeavy-shouldere2 Englishman, who
nae been there before Behind him
walked the Scotchinan, McKichnie
taller, with clear blue eyes. red cheeks
ana csnny face, with queer lighl
Oh it. Next came two big. angular
men with great hands that reached al
most 10 their knees, and ponderou:
feet that they planted with clums,
ssolidity. These men had lumpy
! inshed faces. and faxen hair wa.
matted low on their foreheads. Ths
asst was German-iooking person with
= face the color of beeswax He wore
thick glasses over eyes that had /,
great deal of white in them HI,
/. nreast was like pouter pigeons ant
he looked very bright and very merci
/ less
I The giant Swedes sat on the lounge
( Stockdale and McKichnie took chairs
( but the German remained bolt uprigh
in the center of the room, looking a
John. who. having discharged the TEN
/ porary duties Of host In 0fferin;
AZ H.. 1. -