Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-12-05
Elsie Takes
Command
n
BY WILL T. AAtES
\Sopyrixht. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)

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 slim
1heS were roughly clad and grimy and
strong. and. many of them. hnrd-look-
Ing.
ihere 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 1t. for
they were more or less bloody and still
white with anger.
The three. each with n 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 homcward. There
was little laughter or joking. What
conversation there was among them
was unsmlins and It was plain to be
seen that the yeast of discomfort was
ut 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 n tall. toughIy fash
toned young fellow with thick hair that
looked flaXen by contrast with his sun
burned skin
He sped the girl ut the same in
slant, said 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
do you know, Billy? I found place!
an hOneSt-to-gOodness apartment. Mrs.
ELS heard about couple that are 60
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 TO keep still about 1t till we could
get chance at the place.
1--WE been down today and engaged
1t. It's an old house, Billy, but there's
three rooms and Il 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 Ril!y Noxon didn't respond to the
happy mood of his young wife nearly
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 Eight housekeeping'' in n single
room for four months, like hundreds
of others.
Don't know as there's any use in
fussing about 1t, Chick the boy finally
replied soberly. "We're 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 graftcrs that
are running the tea kettle factory over
the river"
"What do you mean, Billy NoNon-
striker
Its n heap sight more than just
one strike, when the blowofr comes.
The working man has been carrying
the tar end Of the stick about Ms long
as he's going to in this country.
Here's you and me living like couple
of buns in Il coop of IL roc;n and me
sweating my hide off over there on
those hulis-and lot Of lo.lfers that
don't hit ship lick from the time
she's doped out till she's overheard,
and haven't even got a 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 q rivet gun
and all off us! All stolen from the
working man and his family! And
then, when we hit them for lousy dol
lar a day raise, to help pay for the
profitcerlng prices on the grub we eat,
they give us the hoOt"
Elsie was looking very steadily and
studiously at her big husband. "WcllW
she said, as he ran out of breath.
"Wcll," Billy resumed, otis about all
over, sis. There's going to be some
thing doing, and that right quick. I
dunno'S it's worth while for us to
change from one room to three. May
be we'll be In the middle Of q hard
boiled Shindy in week or twO-and
either have some kind OF decent
share In things or nothing Mt all.
Deaths better than slavery" The
boy stared goomily at a 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 az she listenedi
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
thInk--a word till / tell you to-" The
sombcr face Of tho boy thawed INTO
sheepish grin rs he permitted himself
to be marshaled along six city blocks