The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-09-11
CHAPTER v.
Crossroads.

fire-clay and Stag 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 Andzrejzsh, 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
three 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 ISIS 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 ISIS goot Mineself," Roman
explained naively, II drink too much.
Unit that ISIS not goot. But always ]
haf 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 a Frenchman in Rose alley.
Rose alley-it stirIs! It's too near
the mills. l can't sleep for the noise.
I'm tired and my head aches all the
time"
For two, three Gays 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, 81 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
can, you must eat Wy you not lif
another placer"
''The Trenches sort o. think they're
friends. They wouldn't understand"
80? But here" Roman shrugged
his shoulders again. "it ISIS man must
be for himself.-Ve work now" They
returned to their task.
Fvon double TURNS bovo opl 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 dry
shirt and heavy overcoat. Despite
this covering his overheated body
shivered when the raw, early April
wind struck him.
'Vait!" And Roman was beside
him. 81 hat decitedt. You come LII
by my house"
Il guess not" Mark answered wear
fly. Il guess you don't want me-"
81 hat decitedt." Roman repeated.
You hat been goot friendts to your
friendts-you will be to us also. / hat
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 simply. "Alzo, you will tell
us. ven you get tiredt of us. Unit you
will not be chargedt too much. You
will Gomez"
Mark hesitated, then laughed grim
ly. will l GOMEZ"
"Goot!" Roman laid kindly hand
on Marks shoulder. Nov 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
parison with three-room tenements,
was on a quiet street on one of the
city's seven hills. Mark was tucked
away In third-story room. Not even
his fancy. less lively than in months
agone but still fertile, could conceive
the cheap bed and rocker, rag CARPET
and implanted table as the trappings
Of luxury. But 1t 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 subdued, not un-
musical rumble. Also, Unreasonable
boon! there was in that house a bath
tub; his attendance upon it 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
the fare had substance.
For three days, hearkening to Ro-
mans counsel, he did nothing but
sleep and eat His cold disappeared.
His tagging strength revived. Then
he gave himself anew to the endless,
narrow grind-toil, eat, sleep and toll
again.
Romans house, it is true, contained
more than comfortable beds and a.
bathtub. fact to which Mark gave at
first but scant attention. There was
Roman himself, in the mills a precise.
patient, unflurried workman, outside a
good-natured. impulsive giant, with
child's ungoyerned appetite. There
was Hanka, his wife. always called
Matka-mother-a drab, shriveled lit