Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-07-16
CHAPTER v.
CrSaapoAda

Crossroads.
1t had been an unusually stubborn
"hard-tap." requiring quick and heavy
sledging to break out the hardened
fire-clay and slas in the tap-hole. The
slag that had hOated on the metal was
now dripping into the cinder pit. send
ing up a shower of golden sparks.
Roman Andzretzski. melter in charge
of the furnace. was watching the
scoYoned, haggard face OF his second
hslper.". 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 iss It? Zick1 Roman spoke
In the slow, careful fashion that was
his habit when he used English.
Mark shook his head. "Tuckered
out"
"Tuckeredt outr Roman looked
at him gravely. You drink too much?"
Il don't drink at ALL"
That iss goot Mineself,- Roman
explained naively, 81 drink too much.
Unit that ISIS not goot. But always !
haf been very strong. 1t ISIS the douple
turn" he added. TT iss very hardt
ON the young. Later 1t gets not SO
hardt-zometimes Ware do you lif?"
with a Frenchman In Rose alley.
Rose alley-it stinks! It's too near
the mills can't sleep for the noise.
I'm tired and my head aches all the
time"
For two. three days then you must
not work but xleep."
Marks red eyes darted angry sus-
picion at his chief. '1 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. II 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! 10 little
unit you work here! You are Ameri-
can, you must eat w you not lif
another placer"
THE Trenches sort O. think they're
friends. They wouldn't understand"
10? But here" Roman shrugged
his shoulders again. -it iss a man must
be for himself.-ve work now" They
returned to their task.
Even double turns have 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. Il haf decitedt. You come LII
By my house"
81 guess not" Mark answered wear
ny, Il guess you don't want me-"
.'I haf decitedt." Roman repeated.
You haf been goot friendts to your
friendts-you will be to us also. haf
q big house. It iss still there; you
shall zleep unit not hear the mills. Unit
my Matka, she Iss goot cook. Unit
meppy you make friends Wit my Piotr.
He hass 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 conner?
Mark hesitated. then laughed grim
Iy will ! comet"
"Goot!" Roman laid a kindly hand
on Marks shoulder. Now will you
belief me unit not work till the coldt iss
veil. You will come tomorrow"
And. the matter arranged. they part.
cd 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 a 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 unpainted 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 we're starving and the mills
were heard only as subdued, not un.
musical rumble. Also, immeasurable
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
Tie fare had substance.