Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-10-28

fa~ther-better, perhaps, AS God hear.
me. Raymer, I'm going 10 see to II
that she gets a square deal"
BY George! believe you are ir
love with her. %yourself!"
Il am" was the cool reply.
Well. OF all the Say. Griswold
you're a three-cornered puzzle to me
yet. I don't know what the other
three-fourths Of the town is saying, but
my fourth Of 1t has It put up thai
you've everlastingly cooked my goose
at Doctor Bertie's; that You and
Charlotte are just about as good as en-
gagged. Perhaps you'll tell me that II
isn't true"
1T isnt-yet,"
But 1t may be. later on: Now you
are getting over into my little garden
patch. Kenneth. II you think I'm 60
ing to stand still and see you put a
wedding ring on Charlotte Farnham's
finger when I know you'd like to be
putting it On Madge Grierson's--"
Griswold's low laugh came as an
easing Of stresses.
You can't very we'll marry both OF
them, yourself. you know" he suS'
gested mildly. And then: IF you were
not so badly torn up over this shop
trouble, you'd see that I'm trying to
give you the entire field. | shall prob
ably leave town tomorrow, and l mere
ly wanted to do you, or Miss Grierson,
or both Of you, a small kindness by
way of leave-taking."
DO you lei to tell me that you
are going away, leaving ME bucked
and gagged by this labor outfit to live
or die as | may? Great Scott, man!
II my moneys gone, yours goes with
it,"
you are freely welcome to the mon.
ey, Edward-if you can manage to
hang on to it; and / have pointed out
the easy way to salvage the industrial
ship. Can't you give me your blessing
and let me go in peace?"
The blessing was not withheld, but
neither was it given.
Il came here with my W back-load
of trouble. but 1t seems that I'm not
the only camel in the caravan" said
the young ironmaster. thoughtfully
What is it, Kenneth? anything you
can unload on me?"
you wouldn't understand" was
the gentle evasion.
Once again Raymer took refuge in
silence. After a time he said: You've
been a brother to me, Griswold, and
l shall never forget that. But II l
needed your help in the money pinch,
I'm needing it worse now. I'll do the
right thing by Margery; I think I've
been meaning to, all along; II |
haven't, It's only because this whole
town has been fixing up a match be-
tween Charlotte and me eve since we
we're school kids together-you know
how a fellow gets into the way of TAX
ing a thing like that for granted nere
ly because everybody else does?'
Yes; | know"
well, | guess II isn't a heart.break-
er on either side. If Charlotte cares.
she doesn't take the trouble to show
1t. Just the same, on the other hand.
I've got a shred or two Of dece.cy left,
Kenneth. I'm not going to marry my
self out of this fight with Jasper Grier-
son-not in a million years. Stay over
and help me e 1t through; and when
we win out, l promise you I'll do the
square thing"
There's only one other way, Ed.
ward; and that is to fight like the
DEVIL" he said. speaking as n who
has weighed and measured and decid-
ed. What do you say?"
IF you will stay" Raymer began,
hesitantly.
I'll stay-as long as | can" Then,
with the note of h%arshness returning.
We'll make the fight, and we'll give
these muckers Of yours all they are
looking for. Shut the plant doors to-
morrow morning and make it a lock.
out. I'll be over bright and early and
we'll place a bunch of wire orders in
the cities for strike-breakers. That will
bring them to time"
Raymer got up slowly and felt in
the dark for his hat.
"Strike.breakers!" he groaned.
"Griswold. it would make my father
cdrn over In his coffin II he could
know that we've come to that! But
/ guess you're right. Everybody says
I'm too s~oft-hearted to be a master Of
men. Well. l must be getting home.
Tomorrow morning. at the plant? All
right; goodnight"
And he turned to grope his way to
the door and through the dark upper
hall and down the stair.