The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-08-22
CHAPTER v.
Crossroads.

"hard-tap," requiring quick and heavy
sledging to break out the hardened
fire-clay and slag in the tap-hole. The
Stag that had floated on the metal was
now dripping into the cinder pit, send
ing up a shower of golden sparks.
Roman Andzrejzski, melter in charge
OF the furnace, was watching the
scorched, haggard face of his second
helper" That young man, leaning
with an air of exhaustion and discour-
agement on his inverted sledge, was
coughing violently. He had been just
tree months in the heat and toll the
open-hearth furnacemen must endure
and an unnerving fear was upon him:
that his steadily waning strength
would not hold out.
vat iss It? Zick?" Roman spoke
in the slow, careful fashion that was
his habit when he used English.
Mark shook his head. "Tuckered
out"
"Tuckeredt out?" Roman looked
at him gravely. You drink too much?"
Il don't drink at ALL"
>"That iss goot. Mineself," Roman
explained naively, 81 drink too much.
Unit that ISIS not goot. But always /
hat been very strong. 1t ISIS the douple
turn" he added. 1T ISIS very hardt
on the young. Later it gets not SO
hardt-zometimes. Ware do you lif?"
with Frenchman in Rose alley.
Rose alley-it stinks! It's too near
the mills. / can't sleep for the noise.
I'm tired and my head aches all the
time"
For two, three days then you must
not work but zleep."
Marks red eyes darted angry sus-
picion at his chief. 81 suppose you
want my Job for somebody else" he
sneered.
mo. You are a goot worker. Unit
] like you"
"All the same" Mark answered dog
gedly, Il quit when have to-not be-
fore"
You do not belief me-" Roman
shrugged his big shoulders. Vat do
you. eat?"
"Oh, soup and brown bread and po-
tatoes mostly. That's the trouble.
guess"
"Hundert t'ousandt defils! 70 little
unit you work here! You are Ameri.
can, YOU must eat Wy you not LII
another placer"
The Trenches sort o. think they're
friends. They wouldn't understand"
70? But here" Roman shrugged
his shoulders again, "it ISIS man must
be for himself.-ve work now" They
returned to their task.
Even double turns have an end. The
night shift came on at last At the
trough for cooling tools Mark washed
away the grimy sweat that streamed
down his face. Then he donned a dry
shirt and a heavy overcoat. Despite
this covering his overheated body
shivered when the raw. early April
wind struck him.
"Vait!" And Roman was beside
him. II hat decitedt. You come LII
by my house."
II guess not" Mark answered wear
lily. Il guess you don't want me-"
Il hat decitedt," Roman repeated.
You hat been goot friendts to your
friendts-you will be to us also. l hat
big house. II ISIS still there: you
shall zleep unit not hear the mills. Unit
my Matka, she ISIS goot cook. Unit
meppy you make friends Wit my Piotr.
He bass no American friendts."
You might get tired of me-"
10? Then viii l tell YOU" said
Roman simply. "Alzo, you viii tell
m. ven you get tiredt of us. Unit you
viii not be chargedt too much. You
win GOMEZ"
Mark hesitated, then laughed grim.
~. will / comet"
"ooot!" Roman laid kindly hand
on Marks shoulder. Now will You
belief me unit not work till the coldt iss
VEIL You viii come tomorrow"
And. the matter arranged, they part
"a for the night
Romans house, big only by com.
Derason with threeroom tenements,
was a quiet street on one of the
c1tyb seven hills. Mark was tucked
away N third-story room. Not even
n1s fancy. less lively than in months
agone but still fertile, could conceive
ne cheap bed and rocker, rag CARPET
and Imprinted table as the trappines
o. Injury. But 1t was clean and com.
1ortahle. through its windows swept
the clean air for which his country.
ered lungs were starving and the mills
voFo heard only as q subdued. not nm.
musical rumble. Also. immeasurable
s boonl there was In that house a bath.
tuo; ~ attendance upon 1t astonished
oven kazia. who esteemed bathing
moro highly than did the rest OF Ro.
nnn'o household. The Matka's cook.
1ng. qpplsmented BY Kazia's arts, fell
mn ellDrt-of Romans prospectus and
~ fafo had substance.
~ tnroe dsys. hearkening to Ro-
uoa1 oo1nsel 10 did nothing but
80 and at His cold disappeared.
HI n1eging strength revived. Then
- Gqve himself anew to the endless,
nasTew grind--toil. eat sleep and toll
Hotaa's hssss. Il b true. contained
eoFot than comfortable beds and q
oo(G1ob. fact to which Mark gave 1t
~ ~ oeant attention. There was
@u1n himself, In the. milIs precise,
~ unnurried workman, outside q
injured, impulsive GIANT with .
y nngovsEned appetite. There
- 81