The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-10-02
v.
CrossroSdA

II had been an unusually stubborn
-hard-tap." requiring quick and heavy
sledging to break out he hardened
dre-clay and Stag in the tap-hole- The
alag that had loated IN 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
Dcorched. 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
three months in the heal and toll the
o~pen-hearth furnacemen must endure
hnd an ~unnerving fear was upon him;
MAT his steadily waning strength
would not hold out.
Vat ISIS 1t? Zlck+" 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
a him gravely. You drink too much?'
81 don't drink at ALL"
That iss goot Mineself," Roman
Explained naively, Il drink too much.
vfnt that iss not goot. But always ]
hat been very strong. 1t ISIS the douple
turn" he added. 1T ISIS very hardt
on the young. Later 1t gets not SO
hardt-zometimes. Ware do you lif?'
With a F~renchman in Rose alley.
Rose alley-it stinks! It's too near
the mills. l cant sleep for the noise.
I'm tired and my head aches all the
time"
For two, three days her you must
not work but zleep."
Marks red eyes darted angry eus-
picion at his chief. Il 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, 81 quit when l 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 defls! 10 little
unit you work here! You are Ameri-
can, vol must eat. Wy you not lf
another placer"
THE Trenches sort o. think they're
friends. They wouldn't understand"
20? But here" Roman shrugged
his shoulders again. sit iss a mar must
be for himself.-ve work now" They
returned to their task.
Even double turns lave 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. q hat decitedt. You come lif
by my house"
Il guess not" Mark answered wear
lily. 81 guess you don't want me-"
Il hat decitedt," Roman repeated.
y AoA DtNA bOOI llItDul6 " gOul
friendts-you will be TO us also. l hat
a big house. 1t 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 will ! tell you" said
Roman sim ply "AI1o ypp vii tell
us. ven you get tiredt of US. Unit you
VII not be chargedt too much. You
Will come?"
Mark hesitated, then laughed grim
ly. will I GOMEZ"
"Goot!" Roman laid a kindly hand
on Marks shoulder. Now will you
belief me unit not work till the coldt ISIS
veil. You will come tomorrow"
And, the matter arranged, they part
ed for the night,
Romans house, big only by com
paIison with three-room tenements,
was on a quiet street on one of the
city's seven hills. Mark was tucked
AWAY in a third-story room. Not even
his fancy. less lively than in months
agone but still fertile, could conceive
he cheap bed and rocker, rag carpet
n implanted table as the trappings
OF luxury. But it was clean and com
Portable. through its windows swept
the clean air for which his country.
bred lungs were starving and the mills
were heard only as a subdued, not un-
musical rumble. Also, Unreasonable
boon! there was in that house a bath
tub; his attendance upon 1t astonished
even kazia, who esteemed bathing
more highly than did the rest of Ro-
mans household. The Matka's cook.
ing. supplemented by Kazia's arts, fell
little short of Romans prospectus and
10 fare had substance.