Williams news., 1919-08-22
Elsie T akes Command
 ae By WILL T. AMES


 (Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News paper syndicats)
 A ferry boat load of the shipyard men piled pell-mell over the wharf, across the railroad tracks and onto the main thoroughfare of the town, at the foot of which lay the makeshift slip. They were roughly clad and grimy and strong. and, many of them, handbook ing.
 There had been crap game on the boat coming over and it had not gone smoothly. Three of the men among the thousand showed the marks of it, for they were more or less bloody and still white with anger.
 The three, each with friend or two, stopped at the saloon at the foot of the street to wash off the stains of the row. The rest of the workers paid no heed but hurried on homeward. There was little laughter or joking. What conversation there was among them was unsmiling and 1t was plain to be seen that the yeast of discontent was at work.
 |@ At the street corner two blocks from the wharf girl stood by the curb, watching the passing throng and look ing for some one. By and by she caught sight of tall, roughly fash toned young fellow with thick hair that looked f1axen by contrast with his sun- burned skin.
 He spied the girl at the same in- stant, said a brief word to the com panfons of the moment, and stopped beside her, automatically reaching out for the bundles she carried. The girls eyes were shining. What do you know, Billy? I found place! an honest-to-goodness apartment. Mrs. Els heard about a couple that are go- ing out of town-somebody she knows. She's a good old thing, after all, Billy, and she went right down there and got them 10 keep still about 1t till we could get a chance at the place.
 i've been down today and engaged it. It's an old house, Billy, but there's three rooms and bath and only one other family, the folks that own it; they live downstairs. I guess they're boosting the rent two or three dollars. But we should worry-with your pay. It's our lucky day, isn't it. Billy?"
 But Billy Noxon didn't respond to the
 
 as she had anticipated. While Elsie lay in wait for him there she had ex- pected that he would throw up his hat and shout Places to live-to really live and keep house like regular civilized .people-were simply unob-, tainable in the town. The Noxons had been light housekeeping in a single room for four months. like hundreds of others.
 Don't know as there's any use in fussing about it, Chick" the boy finally replied soberly. Were likely to have to get to blazes out of this mans town any time now. The gangs pretty sore, and they're likely to tie can, any time at all, to the bunch of grafters that are running the tea kettle factory over the river"
 "What do you mean, Billy Noxon- a. striker"
 Its a heap sight more than just one strike, when the blowof comes. The working man has been carrying the tar end of the stick about as long as he's going to in this country. Here's you and me living like couple of buns in a coop of a room and me sweating my hide off over there on those hulls-and a lot of lo.ifers that don't hit a ship a lick from the time she's doped out till she's overheard, and haven't even got dollar of their own money in the plant, pulling down millions.
 'Living in palaces and dressing their wives in thousand-dollar furs and swelling around in limousines and play ing golf while we play on a rfvet gun and all off usi All stolen from the working man and his family! And then, when we hit them for lousy dol lar day raise, to help pay for the profiteering prices on the grub we eat, they give us the hOot !"
 Elsie was looking very steadily and studiously at her big husband "Well?" she said, as he ran out of breath.
 Well" Billy resumed, tits about all over, sis. There's going to be some thing doing, and that right quick. l dunno's it's worth while for us to | change from one room to three. May be we'll be in the middle of a hard 1 boiled shindy in a week or two-and | either have some kind of a decent share in things or nothing at all l Deaths better than slavery" The l boy stared goomily at a passing tour | ing car.
 The girl was about an inch above five fletcher husband about an inch above six. Her eyes had been grow I Ing bigger and bigger as she listened | to his dour speech. Now she seized | him by the arm and said: Billy Nox- | on, you come home with me, straight.
 And don't you speak-or even | thipl-o word fill fo1l yOI1 Tn The somber face of tho boy thawed Into a
 sheepish grin as he permitted himself
 to be marshaled along six city blocks