Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-23

4 known IN
| object OF her visit.
II am glad you are home" she said
and her voice sounded strangely sweet
| in the ears OF a man accustomed onl..
! TO the raucous accents Of the factory
| and tho street. "I have lust been to
| tho homes Of some OF the poor people.
You know how they live. never saving
a cent. They Will soon be in desperat to
want. Oh. Mr.. Burton, they ought to
go back to work."
John hardly knew what 70 .,y
Mary was the last person in the world
| whom he wanted to contradict hut
his innate candor conquered
IT is only fair to point out that the
people themselves voted for the strike, /"
he said
"oh. yes" agreed Mary, earnestly.
Il am well aware OF that. but tho truth
| IS that they do not know what Is hest
| for them. They need leading, direct
| Ing. l believe you have influence with
! them You could make them go back
| ii is your duty to do So"
The girls presence was very frag-
/ rant In that lrowSy room. She brought
t with her breath OF new and exotic
/ lie. Her big eyes looked up into tho
/ mans appcaiingly. Seeming TO sense
! her power, she drew nearer and whis-
/ pcred:
You must do this for their sakes
/ and for mine"
/ John capitulated. For her sake he
! would have done almost anything But
/ the first real service he could render
her. he thought. would be to strancle
/ that SNUG looking person, Reeves. to
/ whom she was supposed to be engaged
Having gained her point. Mary
Temple fastened out. and was seated
| in the car before John had time to
| open the door for her. He had in
| tended n bn
union that night. but the promise Just
made rendered his presence there noe.
cssary. With 4 sigh-for he hated all
| this turmoil and angry discussion-he
went TO the hall and faced his fellow
workmcn
! And he surpassed himself. Quite
| unconsciously he adopted some OF tho
| EeNiVa!st preachers phrases and Ideas
I welding them into his own rugged and
/ forcihle expressions B.Il Thompson.
level-headed follow. soon realized
/ that some extraordinary influence was
NJ work, or Burton would never have
gone back on the very principles he
was wont to advocate so strongly. Iie
! tried, therefore, to get the men to
| postpone decision till next day. But
tho young orators eloQuence was more
| powerful than tho older mans cxpcri
encc' Ihc strike was declared at an
end. and John and mis- mates went bacle
to work; but never sight tr sound Of
Mary Temple was vouchsafcd during
week or more, TO the man whose
waking Thoughts and nightly dreams
were ever of her.
At last Burton could hcor tho ton
SION no longer. Summoning all his
resolution, he dressed in his good
clothes one evening after leaving work
ana resolved to call on Miss Temple
with the preteXt of inuuirinE as to
whether or not she had conplcteiv re
covered ,f
outside his boarding house he cncoun-
tered Bill Thompson and another
workman.
Hello he said chcerfully
Comm TO the union mcetin'?" in
quircd Bill
Burton shook his head
No he said. not just now any
how. may drop in later. Sec you
then, perhaps"
His abstracted manner. no less than
his spruce attire, puzzled Thompson.
What's wrong wi john" inquired
the other man.
| The same old story" said Thomp-
on sadly. Hes being fooled by a
woman, guess"
| John walked straight to the fashion
fhic quarter Of the town, in which the
! Temple mansion occupied one of the
| arEcst and most attractive sites II
was not Johns way TO abandon an
enterprise once he had undertaken il,
% he rang the bell without hesitation.
gave his name and was admitted by n
Goubtful-cyed maid when he asked to
be allowed TO see Miss Temple
After a slight delay, he was ushered
nto richly furnished drawing room
and found Mary there with her fiance
The girl was in evening dress. \ SUI
pcrb diamond necklace flashed from
the whit" skin Of her throat. There
were diamonds in her hair, in her cor
sage and on her fingers. The glitter
or them seemed TO dazzle John. 1t
vas with a positive effort that he
forced a halting tongue to announce
tho purpose OF his visit
The girl heard him with chilling in
difference that soon merged into a
/ supcrcilious smile.
Really. Mr.. Burton" she said, ut Is
I presumption on your part to pay a
social call here. fear you must have
/ misunderstood both the extent OF the
| service you rendered me and the ma
! turc OF the appeal ! made subsequently.
! like to be outspoken In such matters.
I That strike had to be ended. Fathers
/ clients were bowling for steel. and
I thought that a woman's tongue might
7 prevail where mans logic was at fault.
I Moreover, father promised me a $4,000
/ necklace If | succeeded. Here it Is.
II was worth trying for. wasn't it?"
4 AND she touched the GlitterinE gems
on her throat, with those delicate fin
So" " nose clasp Ildu OICc tuIliIct JONI
| Burton's being to its innermost fiber.
He was literally struck dumb. He
heard as one i'm n dream, Mary's next
words to Reeves:
II am under certain obligations to
this man. dear. Will you see that he is
rcwarded?'
John could only stare after her in
blank amazement as she swept out OF
the room. He was quite unaware that
Reeves had thrust some bills into his
hand. He almost staggered in the
EFFORT TO win clear of the house, but
matted in the hall to gaze at the bills
IN his hand. When his benumbed
brain understood what they meant he
threw them from him savaSely. Ho
laughed, too. not in his wonted CHEEKY
way but with the harsh cyncism of
a man who had suddenly and irrevoc-
ably lost faith and hope and reverence
ON the way TO his poor lodgings he
remembered the union meeting, and
turned TO go there, resolved now to
n h lot al =