Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-13

" h&Qll fiiIEIH
'My Mamma Is Gone," Sobbed the
Child.
counter with Snyder to save the
health of Nina.
A new and surly gateman barred
the way.
And he tried to force his way past
The burly bully. The scuffle was short
and decisive. Hurd was thrown, limp
and painting, up against the fence. He
hadn't the strength of half grown
boy.
So intsntly were the men watching
each other that neither had heard
the approach OF Powers and his
prospective son-in-law.
Whats the meaning of all this7"
the latter asked.
please, Mr.. Powers, I've come
back to work. I've been laid up. I
was hurt you know"
Recognition showed in the face of
Travis.
Hes the man who assaulted sny-
der" he said, turning towards the
millionaire.
"You-you thugi" thundered Powers.
you can't work here. We have no
place for disturbers like you. Get
out"
Perhaps II was because of the anger
aroused by his resentment against
Hura Perhaps 1t was because the in
creasing eXtravagances of Laura made
him desperate to increase his in
come. Perhaps 1t was only because of
pure cussedness But at any rate
Powers went straight from his en-
counter with his old employee at the
gate to his office, sent for his worthy
foreman, and issued the Sunday work
order that caused the strike and filed
hundreds of homes with want and
poverty and starvation. And all dur
Ing the weary weeks of the unequal
struggle between capital and labor
Nina Hurd, law slowly dying, while
her husband sat helplessly by, sub
sisting on the charity of friends and
buying medicine with the money DIR.
Gray forced upon him.
CHAPTER ".
If Laura Powers had been less
thoughtless-less selfish-if she had
taken an interest in the condition Of
her fathers employees before the aft
ernoon of her interrupted Colonial
party, this tale of hardship and pri-
might never have been written.
The day after the. party found
her starting out alone on mission
Of charity and exploration. All night
long the word, starving" had been
ringing in her brain, and she meant
to find out for herself II the wives
and children of her fathers striking
employees were really suffering. She
meant to find out, too whose fault
1t was and~she determined that II
they were tNng oppressed so that she
could live in luxury and elegance,
that things would have to change.
And now driving slowly through
the streets formed by the cottages of
her fathers men, she gazed with
sickening heart at. the signs Of misery
and distress that multiplied on every
hand around her.
One particularly pretty child, Sob
oing as II her little heart would
break. attracted Laura's attention.
And what is your name, my dar-
ling ?" she asked tenderly.
Betty Hurd," sobbed the child.
And why are you crying?"
MY mammals gone"
And Following the persistent tug of
the little ones hand Laura suffered
herself to be led into Karl Hurd's
house OF sorrow and anguish; suffered
herself to be led to the bedroom
where the stricken husband, stunned
by grief, sat staring down into the
cold and sightless eyes of the wife
who had offered herself on the altar
of toll and tyranny.
Laura stopped to the little child,
and gathering her in her arms she
sought to give her some Of that
mother comfort she would never
know again. Yielding to an impulse
she opened her purse and poured its
contents into the hand of the little
one.
Easily Influenced as children are,
Betty grabbed the money from
Laura's hand and running gayly to
her fathers side she tugged at his
tie:
See what the lady gave me-"
Duly Karl raised his pain laden
eyes and gazed dumbly at the pretty
benefactor who stood at the foot of
the bed in sorrowing embarrassment.
Mutely he nodded his dumb thanks.
II will be back to do what l can
later" And Laura. sobered and
chastened by what she had seen, slow
ly left that house of sorrow. But her
unpleasant experiences were only be-
ginning. Pandemonium reigned at
the house three doors. away-the
house of Tim Shand-aggressive Tim
Shand, champion of the men and the
spokesman of the committee that had
bearded Powers in his own home at
the Colonial party the day before.
Furniture was piled high on the
sidewalk and men wearing the badges
Of the sherifr's office were carrying
more of 1t into the street despite the
violent protests of wilcss disheveled
Mrs. Shand.
Laura's interest Has aroused, less
by. the spectacle itself than by the
fact that Perry Travis. her flance and
her fathers legal advisor, was direct
bg the work Of the despoilers.