The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-16
CHAPTER xxIv-continued.

one of the great wicker lounging
chairs half hidden in the veranda
shadows. In a moment he had placed
another of the chairs for himself,
dropping into it YEARLY.
81 saw you at the gate" she said.
''The men are still holding out?'
I'VE are holding out. The plant is
closed, and it will stay closed until
we can get another force of work
men"
There will be lots of suffering" she
ventured.
Its no use," he said, answering her
thought. There is nothing in me to
appeal to-"
There was yesterday, or the day be-
fore" she suggested.
Perhaps. But yesterday was yes
terday, and today is today. AS told
Raymer little while ago. I've changed
my mind"
NO." she denied, you only think
you have. But you didn't come here
to tell me that?"
mo; came to ask a single ques-
ton. How is Mr., Galbraith?"
HE is a very sick man.
you mean that there is a chance
that he may not recover"
More than chance, I'm afraid
After a moment of silence Griswold
said. II did my best; you know I did
my best?''
Her answer puzzled him a little.
81 could almost find it in my heart
to hate you if you hadn't"
Silence again, broken only by the
whispering of the summer night
breeze rustling the leaves of the lawn
oaks and the lappings of tiny waves
on the lake beach. At the end of it,
Griswold got up and CROPPED for his
hat.
I'm going home,' he said. 1T has
been pretty strenuous day, and there
is another one coming But before I
go l want you to promise me one
thing. Will you let me know imme-
diately, by phone or messenger, if Mr..
Galbraith takes a turn for the better?"
Certainly" she said; and she let
him say goodnight and get as far as
the steps before she called him back
There was another thing" she be-
gan, with the sober gravity that he
could never be sure was not one OF
her many poses, and not the least al
Turing one. DO you believe in God,
Kenneth"
The query took him altogether by
surprise, but he made shift to answer
it with becoming seriousness.
L suppose l do. Why?"
1T is a time to pray to him." she
said softly; ito pray very earnestly
that Mr.. Galbraith's life may be
spared"
He could not let that stand
Why should concern myself. spe-
cially?" he asked, adding: "Of course.
I'm sorry, and all that, but
Never mind" she interposed, and
she left her chair to walk beside him
to the steps. I've had a hard day,
too, Kenneth. boy. and II guess it has
got on my nerves. But, all the same,
you ought to do it, you know"
He stopped and looked down into
the eyes whose depths he could never
wholly fathom.
why don't you do it?'' he demand
ed
Il? oh, God doesn't know me; and,
besides, I thought-oh, well, it doesn't
matter what 1 thought. Goodnight"
And before he could return the
ieave-taking word. she was gone
Raymer's prediction that the real
trouble would begin when the attempt
should be made to start the plant with
imported workmen was amply fulfilled
during the militant week which fol.
lowed the opening of hostilities Each
succeeding day saw the inevitable in
crease of lawlessness. From taunts
and abuse the insurrectionaries passed
easily to violence. Street fights, when
the trampish place-takers came in any
considerable numbers, were of daily
occurrence, and the tale of the wound
ed grew like the returns from a bat
tie. By the middle of the week Raw
mer and GrisWold were asking for 2
sheriff's posse to maintain peace in
the neighborhood of the plant; and
were getting their first definite hint
that someone higher up was playing
the game of politics against them.
No. gentlemen; I've done all the
law requires and little more" was
the sheriff's response to the plea fo,
better protection.
In other words. Mr. Bradford
you've got your orders from the mer
higher up, have your" rasped Girls
void. who was by this time lost tr
all sense of expediency.
81 don't have to reply to any suct
charge as that" said the chief peace of
ficer. turning back to his desk; and Sc
the brittle little conference ended.
"All of which means that we shall
lose the plant guard of deputies tina
Bradford has been maintaining" com
mented Raymer, as they were de
scending the courthouse stairs: ana
again his prediction came true. Late
in the day the guard was withdrawn
and Griswold, savagely reluctant, wa
FISHERMAN HAS a NEW 0NF