Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-12


their way among the guests at Laura
Powers colonial party.
At last Tim and the angry Powers
came face to face.
For a moment the two men glared
at each other. And then Shand, with
the self-command and eloquence that
had made him a leader among the
workmen, quickly made his plea for
Justice
I'VE come to you. Mr.. Powers, be-
cause we realize that you do not know
what the men have suffered. We
know that If you had realized the
awful tyranny of your underlings,
! conditions would have been improved
long ago. We ask you to take the
men back under proper working
conditions And, (this firmly) we
ask the removal of Snyder. Not for
ourselves alone but for our wives and
children we appear They are starv-
ing"
"Let them starve," was Powers an
swer
Laura was a surprised and startled
witness to this stirring scene. She
had never realized before that there
was such thing as starvation. Only
today at luncheon she had ordered
an entire roast destroyed because It
had not been cooked to suit her. Prob
ordered enough food thrown away to
feed several of the starving families
of her fathers striking workmen
A great compassion was born with
In her Her features showed the dawn
of wondrous pity. Putting her arms
about her fathers neck she asked him
to tell her all about the strikers and
their hungry families. Laughingly
he put her from him.
girls like you ?" he toldsher go and
join your guests. They will miss
you"
There was a troubled pucker in her
brow as she left him, a preoccupied
air as she Joined in the merriment.
CHAPTER III.
Nina Hurd was frail and delicate
woman of 50. A constant battle with
poverty had left its marks. Far into
each night she toiled with needle in
a desperate endeavor to eke out the
little family's slender income.
Bent over some hand sewing, urging
her weary fingers to unceasing en-
deavors to add to the slowly increas-
ing pile of finished garments beside
her, she hardly deigned to raise her
eyes from her work. when a COM
motion at the unpainted front door
of the shabby cottage warned her
that she was having visitors at an un-
usual time.
Two laborers appeared at the door
way supporting the half unconscious
Hurd between them. His head was
covered with blood. His eyes were
CLASSY. His feet shufhed and seemed
200 heavy for him to lift.
"Your husbands been hurt, ma'am,"
said one of the men, as guided by
Nina. they half dragged, half carried
the injured man to the scantily fur
nished bedroom and propped their
stricken comrade III the shabby bed.
The happenings of the next few
hours were as a dream to Nina. She
had a hazy recollection that one Of
the men had called the kindly-faced
and gentle DR.. Gray. She vaguely
remembered having fed something to
little Nina. She dimly sensed having
helped DR.. Gray and one of the lab
orers dress her husbands wound. But
from out the chaotic tumble of her
tangled memory, one thing stood bold
and clear. 1t was the verdict of the
doctor, spoken in gentle, kindly tones.
Your husband has a severe in
jury to the skull He cannot work
for many weeks"
But Nina Hurd was not the only
one to whom these words had sent
their horrible portent. Through the
throbbing of Hurd's battered temples,
through the half paralyzed numbness
of his brain they penetrated to his
Bubconscious understanding. and made
him realize the awfulness of the
poverty they foretold.
Followed days and weeks of des-
perate struggle for Nina. while Hurd
slowly recovered his strength. Sitting
impotent in his chair, the injured
Stevedore watched his frail and
faithful wife grow frazier with each
succeeding day. Each stitch of her
needle was a separate anguish to him.
Each time the bit of sharpened steel
entered the clotn It was as IL II pene-
trated his soul. Small wonder he n~-
solved, while sitting there, that Jake
Snyder and his Millionaire employer
would pay-pay dearly for this trag-
edy of tyranny and toll in which he
and his little family were playing the
leading roles.