The Red Cloud chief., 1914-02-26


ness ! will accept your resignation"
replied the manager
And while the Inundated girl was
putting away her books and putting on
her hat he wrote out q check for her
weeks salary and throw II on the
desk. She left II there as she walked
out with burning cheeks and tear.fllled
eyes. The money was sadly needed
at home, but she'd 60 hungry sooner
than touch II.
II was the noon hour. As she walked
slowly homeward unable to realize as
yet what change an hour had made
In three or four lives, she turned aside
into the woods to have a good cry and
to plan what she should do. She sat
down under tree beside great
bowlder and had come to the crying
part when she heard the tramp of men
not far away--one-two-three they
came into sight and then turned to the
left and sat down on the other side Of
the rock. They were laboring men
from the works. They had come there
to talk things over.
Miss Nettie had not come in contact
with the foreigners every hour in the
day for two years without getting a
pretty good understanding of their Ian.
guage. What she listened to chased
the tears from her eyes and made her
gasp for breath.
II was all right to skip a pay day.
There would be a double amount Of
cash to be brought from the bank the
next week. They argued that the man.
ager would bring It himself. The four
would be on hand to meet him on the
path, and he was to be assailed and
robbed. Further than that. his body,
living or dead. was to be carried to the
old hut OF a charcoal burner half a
mile up the mountain. They would
rob him and thereby rob their fellow.
wOrkmen. but avarice has no con.
science. After three or four days they
could slip away from the works and
divide the money and make safe get
away. In case the blow of the club
did not finish the manager then and
there he was to be left to recover OF
die. as the case might be. When they
had sworn a solemn oath OF loyalty
they moved away and left the girl al.
most too weak to walk home.
What was her duty in the case! II
was plain enough. It was to give Mr.
Carlisle notice Of the conspiracy. that
he might defeat II and save the funds
and his life.
She would return to the ONCE al
once
No, she wouldn't!
The manager had~insulted her and
Inundated her! He had forced her to
resign when there was not enough
food In the house to last three days
He had cut down her salary He was
prig-a cad-an insufferable egotist
II she returned he would sneer a,
her story and say that she had cooked
II up In the hope Of getting her place
back. He would ask her II she though,
him child to be thus taken In. AND
then he would swagger around and de
clare that he could look out for him
self against hundred Dagoes.
No, she would not go back to be In
suited over again.
The mother said yes, but the daugh
ter said no.
II was not for either one of them tc
decide. Next morning the girl woke
up with a fever and partly delirious
She had worried for hours. The days
came and went. The mother took ne
steps. and when Saturday came again
1 the patient was not able to lift hel
head. So Sunday, and SO a part Of
Monday. Then news came to the
house that Mr.. Carlisle and the funds
he was bringing were missing. They
said he had absconded.
Just after noon, while the mother
had run into the house Of neighboI
to CLEAN further particulars, the sicl
girl left her bed and dressed herself
and disappeared. After a long hum
they found her in the old hut on the
mountain. The manager lay there with
q fractured skull and raving. and the
sick girl had his head in her lap ant
was weeping. The money was there
Occasionally q circumstance may
change a mans whole nature!
Mrs. Carlisle insists that that mar
rage was a shocking thing. and thai
society will never receive her sons
wife, but among those who don't care
a copper whether 1t does or not are
the bride and bridegroom.
Copyright. 1914. by the Mcclure News
| paper Syndicate.)
|