The Colorado statesman., 1919-08-16

/ NlpoS INV ipdN NihNNH anu OlllO tlit
main thOroughfare of the town, ut the
foo: of which lay the makeshift slip.
rhey were roughly clad and grimy and
itrong. and, many of them. handbook
ing
There had been crap game on the
boat coming over and 1t had not gone
smoothly. Three of the men among the
thousand showed the marks of ii. 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 unsmilng and it was plain to be
seen that the yeast of discomfort was
nt work.
At the street corner two blocks from
the wharf a girl stood by the curb,
watching the passing throng and look
ing for some one. BY and by she
caught sight of a tall, toughly fash
ioned young fellow with thick hair that
looked faxen by contrast with his sun
burned skin.
He sped the girl at the same in
slant, said a brief word to the com
panions of the moment, and stopped
beside her. automatically reaching out
for the bundles she carried.
The girls eyes were shining. what
10 you know, Billy? l found place!
IN honest-tO-gOodnes apartment. Mrs.
Ellis heard about a couple that are GO
nc out of town-somebody she knows.
She's a good Old thing, after all, Billy,
md she went right down there and got
hem 10 keep still about it till we could
.et a chance at the place.
i've been down today and engaged
t It's an old house, Billy, but there's
hree rooms and a bath and only one
'ther family, the folks that own 1t;
hey live downstairs. | guess they're
boosting the rent two or three dollars.
But we should worry-with your pay.
rs our lucky day, isn't 1t, Billy?"
But Billy Noxon didn't respond to the
1appy mood of his young wife nearly
as she had anticipated. While Elsie
'ny 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-
tainahle in the town. The Noxons had
been light housekeeping in single
room for four months. like hundreds
If others. .g
Don't know as there's any use in
fusSing about it, Chick" the boy finally
replied soberly. "We're likely to have
% get to bazes out of this mans town
my time now. The gangs pretty sore,
and they're likely to tie can. any time
II all. to the bunch of grafters that
are running the TEA kettle factory over
he river"
What do you mean. Billy No>on-
strille?" ts
ITS heap sight more than just
me strike, when the blowaff comes.
The working man has beeu carrying
he tar end of the stick about as long
rs he's going to in this country.
Here's you and me living like couple
,f buns in coop of n roC,n and me
,weating my hide off over there on
hose hulls-and lot of loafers that
lon't hit a ship lick from the time
he's doped out till she's overheard,
md haven't even got dollar of their
'wn money in the plant, pu ding down
Millions.
Living in palaces and dressing their
wives in thousand-dollar furs and
.welling around in imousines and play
Ag golf while we play on n rivet gun
and all off us, All stolen from the
torking man and his family! And
hen when we hit them for lousy dol
ar II day raise, TO help pay for the
,rofiteering prices on the grub we eat,
hey give us the hoot !"
Elsie was looking very steadily and
;iudiously at her big husband. "Well?"
she said, as he ran out of breath.
We'll" Billy resumed. ITS about all
lver, sis. There's going to be some
hing doing, and that right quick. l
lunno's it's worth while for us to
change from one room to three. May
be Wen he in the middle of hard
boiled shindy in week or two-and
,ither have some kind of decent
share in things or nothing at all.
Deaths better than slavery" The
boy stared goomily at passing tour
ing car.
The girl was about an inch above
five feet-her husband about an inch
above six. Her eyes had been grow
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 speaker even
thlnk-a word till | tell you to-" The
somber face Of tn" boy thawed 'nto a
sheepish grin as he permitted himself
TO be marshaled along six city blocks
% the place where they lived in Mrs.
Ellis furnished second floor back.