The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-03-10
hadn't the strength OF = ha,f-srown


boy.
So intently were the men watching
each other that neither had heard the
approach OF Powers and his prospec-
tive son-in-law.
whats the meaning of all this?"
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 mil
lionaire.
"You-you thug!" Numbered Pow
ers. "You can't work here. We have
no place for disturbers like you. Get
out"
Perhaps it was because of the anger
aroused by his resentment against
Hurd, perhaps it was because the in
creasing extravagances Of Laura made
him desperate to increase his income.
perhaps 1t was only because Of pure
cussedness, but at any rate Powers
went straight from his encounter
with his old employee at the gate to
his Office, sent for his worthy fore
man, and issued the Sunday work Or
der 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 lay slowly dying, while
her husband sat helplessly by, sub
sisting on the charity of friends and
buying medicine with the money Doc
tor Gray forced upon him.
~.
II 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-
walton, this story Of tyranny and toll
might never have been written.
The day after the party found her
starting out alone on a 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 If the wives
and children of her fathers striking
employees were really suffering.
And now driving slowly through the
streets formed by the cottages Of her
fathers men, she gazed with sicken-
ing heart at the signs of misery and
distress that multiplied on every hand
around her.
One particularly pretty child, sob.
bling rs if 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 moth
er comfort she would never know
again. Yielding to an impulse she
opened her purse and poured its con
tents 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
sleeve and lisped in her childish pratt
tie:
See what the lady gave me-"
Duly Karl raised his pain-lader
eyes and gazed dumbly at the pretty
benefactor who stood at the foot oil
the bed in sorrowing embarrassment
Mutely he nodded his dumb thanks.
II will be back to do what I can
later" And Laura, sobered and chas
tened by what she had seen, slowly
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 sheriff's Office were carrying
more Of 1t into the street despite the
violent protests Of the wildly di
sheveled Mrs. Shand.
Laura's interest was aroused, less
by the spectacle itself than by the
fact that Perry Travis, her fiancee
and her fathers legal adviser, was di.
recting the work of the despoilers.
"And what does this mean, Perry?'
she demanded in tones that compelled
prompt reply.
These men are strikers. They must
go. They won't work We need the
houses for others who will" His re-
ply was jerky and stilted.
But l thought these people had
paid for their homes out of their
wages" she persisted.
He remained silent, both to her
question and to the insistent demands
of Mrs. Shand, whose excitement and
hysteria were growing with each pass.
ing moment.
Answer. mel" and Laura stamped
her pretty foot in anger.
"They are only partly paid for" The
answer came slowly. They are only
partly paid for, and as they remain
in your fathers possession until en-.