Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-04

excuse mo If lock the door, won't
you? I don't want to be interrupted
in what I've got to say"
AS he spoke Lafferty had moved TO
the door. softly turned the key in the
lock, and lowered once more over the
desk. all, 1t seemed, without taking his
eyes off the face of Martin, whose look
of complete justification deepened
when Lafferty laid package of cur
rency upon the blotter before Martins
gaze in such way that the little rub
ber-stamped figures upon the white
paper band that cncircled it showed
plainly $1,000.
End the strike before tomorrow
noon and that moneys yours" breathed
Lafferty softly.
Ten minutes ago II would have been
as much as Lafferty's life was worth
to have made that tender. But now.
after Bolan-and after what Lafferty
had told him the men outside were
saying, for it did not occur to him
that Lafferty might have lied--Martin
only eyed the money stolidly, thinking
how far five thousand dollars would
take him and his little family from
this scene of strife, and how much of
peace and comfort 1t would buy them.
Also he was thinking how incapable
were his fellows Of approaching the
kind Of sacrifice he had been making
for them. The contact of these two
ideas IN his mind was like the ming.
ling OF gases that became explosive
upon contact. The storm seethed
through his brain like n chariot OF
fire. and passed ont leaving his 10y
atty to the union burned to a cinder
while he thought only OF himself and
of his immediate own.
At what Lafferty deemed the psyche
logical moment he laid a second pack.
age on top the first But, Judging by
the fitting expressions on the strike
leaders face, he only wavered for a
moment and then decided in tho mega
tive. Very slowly and deliberately
Lafferty, with an affcctionate caressine
of the edges Of the bills. laid the third
package upon the second.
Fifteen thousand dollars!
Martin turned shrewd eye upon
him.
"If they think we're whipped, why Is
somebody willing to pay fifteen thou
sand dollars 10 have the strike called
Off"
"It's the canal contract" answered
LafYerty, frankly-"to be let tomorrow
noon in Chicago, with work enough in
IL to keep every shop in Rockport 20
ing for three years. RockDort's got the
inside on that from the start by reason
OF location and advantages in water
, transportation in and out. The whole
Rockport crowd has sort of gone in
, cahoots on The deal to keep from bid
, ding against each other It's figured
for Medros, Seaman 4 Co. to name the
low figure. The rest'll bid high, and
Medros will bid high enough, too, fol
, plenty of profit. but low enough to get
the business from other iron centers
but-and here's whore you come into
the deal. Martin--there Amt one of 'en
, can get surety company to so or
their bond for time deliveries, anG
, that's what the specifications call for
, without this strike is settled first. Now
You're the leader of this strike. Dom
matter how near the men are to layin
down. and don't think they're so aw
ful near myself as some OF your Owr
crowd does we all got sense enough
to know that you can keep 'em out fol
weeks and weeks and months yet; ever
If n lot of 'em would go back to work
Won could stu hang on and keel
. things tore up so they wouldn't make
satisfactory Roadway with great big
, fun capacity longtime contract like
this canal deal will be- DO you see?'
, And Lafferty turned over the palm o.
. his hand dramatically. as. leaning Owe