Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-10
Continued From Yesterday
CHAPTER Viii.

Continued From Yesterday
CHAPTER VIII
It was 4 o'clock in the morning; the
chill OF the April night was yielding
before the coming day. The stars
were paling. and the purple Of dawn
frightened the east
Stephen walked along the Van
dame road. He had passed six weeks
in the hospital at Montsou Very
thin and wasted still. he had felt him
self able TO leave, and he did so. The
company, afraid for its pits had sent
away one dangerous person after an
other. and he had been warned OF his
dismissal They offered him gratul-
" Of a hundred francs. with pa
ternal counsel that work in the mines
would henceforth be too hard for him
He refused the hundred francs. He
bad already received letter from
PIuchart. summoning him to Paris and
inelosing money for the jOurney-hls
old dream was realized
on the previous night he had slep.
at the Jolly Good Fellow. When he
rose he had a wish to 90 and say
farewell 10 his comrades before TAX
ing the o'clock train al Morchiennes
As the first rose tints OF sunrise
struck the plain, stephen paused.
breathing with pleasure the pure air
OF early spring
He had seen no one: Mother Maheu
had been once at the hospital. but
probably had not been able to come a
second time Stephen knew that the
village Of "The Two Hundred and
Forty" had resumed work at Jean
Bart. Mother Maheu as well Is the
rest.
Little by little the deserted roads
began TO fiji with the miners, who
talked with Stephen in passing. TheN
said the company abused it's success.
After two months and half of the
strike. the men, conquered by hunger,
had returned TO the pit and had been
forced to accept the tariff-this dis
guised abatement in wages, horrible
at present because red with the blood
Of their comrades
An hours work had been stolen
from them, and they had been made
10 break their oath never 10 sur
render Work had Recommended ev-
erywhere at Miron, the Madelalne,
CreYecoeur and the Victory
Again along the roads the troops
of miners passed like a herd of cat
tie. and they shivered as Of old in
their thin clothing, their heads bowed
their hearts bitter with desire for
vengeance.
When stephen reached Jean Bart
the descent had begun-the cages
were being drawn up. He stood
motionless for a moment in the midst
OF tho noise and hurry. watching the
monster as u swallowed its ratlons
Of human flesh The sight Of the
cages disappearing filled him with a
horrible dread-he had TO turn his
back.
In the great. il-hghted shed he did
not see the CounteuanCe OF single
friend The miners, waiting lamp in
hand glanced toward him, then drew
back i'm a shame faced way. They
recognized him, and felt no bitterness
any longer, indeed, they seemed to
dread his presence as If afraid he
would reproach them for their
Cowardice
Presently. as a new band came up.
ne saw one Of his lieutenants during
the strike
You, also" Stephen murmured.
The other grew pale, and his lips
tremhled as he said
What could I dol have wifei"
And now stephen recognized others
and cried
You too-and you and you
They all shuddered stammering
simultaneously:
u have a mother. i have chill
dren'-We must have bread!"
The cage delayed 10 appear, and
they all stood afraid to look at one
another IN the shame Of their de-
feat
And Mother Maheu?" asked Ste
phen
4 gesture warned him that she was
about TO appear The silence con
tinued, and when stephen held out
his hand 20 each in turn 1t Was tight
~ grasped with pressure which eN-
pressed the general rage at having
yielded, the universal desire for re-
venge
Pierron came in during the last
eight days he had been the head OF
the gang the workmen drew back.
for his advancement had made him
proud The sight OF Stephen annoyed
him. but he was relieved when the
Young man announced his immediate
departure, and they began TO talk.
la Pierronne now kept the Progress
Tavern, thanks 10 the directors. who
had been very kind TO her Then he
stopped 20 abuse Daddy Mouque for
not clearing out his stable az the
regulation hour Mouque listened
meekly, then, before descending, gave
his hand 20 Stephen, and the latter
knew that the old man had par
doned him the deaths Of his children.
and was so moved he could not speak
they parted without a word on c!-
Their side
Mother Maheu isn't coming this
morning stephen presently asked
Pierron
The other affected not 10 hear, bu'.
after a little he moved away under
preteX. OF giving an order, and called
back.
What? on Mother Maheu why,
there she s."
She had Just come out OF the
shea IN her vest and breeches. with
her lamp In her cap The company
had made a charitable exception in