The diamond drill., 1915-09-04
CHAPTER XIII.
Narrowing Walls.

Griswold Joined the conference with
Raymer and the shop bosses In the
Offices OF the plant the following morn
Ing. Having slept upon the quarrel.
Raymer was on the conciliatory hand.
and four of the flve department fore
men were with him. The prompt clos
Ing OF the shops had had its effect.
and a deputation OF the older work
men came TO plead for arbitration and
peaceful settlement OF the trouble.
But Griswold fought II and finally car
ried his point. "No compromise" was
the answer sent back to the locked
out workmen. and with II went the
ultimatum, which Griswold himself
snapped out at the leader OF the con-
ciliators: Tell your committee that
Il Is unconditional surrender. and II
must be made before five o'clock this
Afternoon. Otherwise. not man or
you can come back on any terms.
Then Griswold proceeded to make the
breach impossible by calling upon the
sheriff for a guard OF deputies. Ray
mer shook his head gloomily.
THAT settles II beyond any hope OF
a patch-up," he said sorrowfully. III
we hadn't declared war before. we've
done It now. I'm prophesying that mo-
body will weaken when II comes TO the
payroll test this afternoon"
Because we have taken steps 10
protect our property" rasped the
fighting partner.
Because we have taken the step
which serves notice upon them that we
consider them criminals, at least In
intention. You'd resent IL yourself.
Griswold IL anybody should pull the
law on you before you had done any
thing TO deserve II. I'm much mistaken
| II you wouldn't"
"Oh, hell" was the biting interrupt
ton; and Raymer could not know upon
what inward fires he had unwittingly
flung a handful OF infammables.
Brofin was as sure now that Girls.
void was his man as he was OF his own
present inability TO prove II. Hell
make a miss-go. sooner or later" the
pertinacious one was saying to himself
as he strolled past the Raymer plant
with keen eye for the barred gates
the lounging guards in the yard. and
the sober-faced workmen coming and
going at the pay once. IF he can
carry a steady head through what's
comm to him here. he's better man
than I've been stacking him up to be.
Later, n big, red-faced man with hii
hat on the back OF his head and .
paste diamond In his shirt bosom, came
to Join the shifting group on the OF
fee sidewalk. Broffin marked him
The mans name was Clancy; he was
Chicago ward worker, sham laboI
leader, demagogue; bad man with
pull" What chance had brought
the Chicago ward bully into a village
labor fight he was not long in nnding
Clancy had come because he had beer
hired TO come. The remainder wa
Eeasy. The town gossips had supplied
: all the major facts OF the Raymer
Grierson checkmate. and Broffin saw
a great light. II was not labor an'
! capital that we're at odds IL was com
petition and monopoly. And monopoly
invoking the aid OF the Clancys. stoo'
10 win In a canter.
Brofin dropped the stick he ha'
been whiting and got up to NOV
I away. Though some imaginative pei
sons would have Il otherwise, dc
:. tective may still be man OF like pas
q sions-and generous prepossessions-
with other men. For the time Brofiin'
. Anglo-saxon heritage, the love OF fai
play, made him forget the limitation
a OF his trade. by grapples, the oil
. swinel" he was muttering TO himsel
as he made slow circuit OF the plan
inclosure. Somebody ought 10 tel
J. them two young dacks what they're q
. against. Fora pieaynns, Id do II. m,
. self. Huhl--and the little blsck.eye
girl pisyin' fast an loose with both
. 'sm At once while the old money-octs
, pus eats 'em aliyel"
x~I-- "a -