News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-03-01
How the Foreman
Beat Ep>
By HAROLD sINCLAIRE

| entered Fps ONCE III Ine oult Eli
poritm. Ep owned the emporium, with
it's stock Of cheap, shoddy goods, over
which half score of girls sat tOiling
| at their machines from eight till six,
| and sometimes later.
"Well, Riffkin?" asked Ep, without
| looking up from his ledger.
"Well Mr.. Ep, it's this way" began
| the foreman. Il come to you time
and again about my girl, Maria
| Spalza. Me ana she want to get mar
ried and we want to set up house
keeping. Last year, when her scalp
was torn in your machine because you
were TOO stingy to install guard, you
promised to settle for nine hundred
dollars. And every time l speak you
put me off with promises. Now, Mr..
Ep, unless you pay, we go to taw."
Ep smiled soprly and, rising to his
feet, took the excited little mans ARM.
"See them goods?" he asked point
ing to a series of shelves. -Four thou
sands dollars worth of Paris style
gowns, and useless. Why? Because
they've got wide sleeves and the fash
ions has changed Look here !" He
pointed in another direction. -Four
thousands dollars worth of Paris style
gowns that will go like hot cakes.
Why?' Narrow steeves-new style.
Now, my friend, if | sell every one
of them new gowns, l just clear my
losses on the old ones. And where's
your profit? Presently"
mo more presently" Riffkin
shouted. Il hear that word too much.
Next year, mebbe, you settle-whatY
EpT shrugged his shoulders. You
can't get blood out of a stone Riff
KIM" he said. unless fortunate ac-
cident happened-well, in that case
I'd do handsome by you both. The
old stocks insured for full value and
the new amt insured for a cent. Sure
enough, my luck would be that if a
fire burst out the new gowns would go
up in a flash and the old stock
wouldn't be touched by as much as
drop of water. If l wasn't an hon
est man"
He scowled angrily at the old stock,
neatly wrapped upon the shelves.
Il wish you was honest enough to
pay your debts" growled the foreman,
turning away
Maria SpaIza, his sweetheart,
worked on one Of the machines. A
year previously half her scalp had |
been torn away by an unprotected |
rod. 1t had been replaced by skillful |
skingrafting and her beauty was not |
married. but the pain and anguish were |
worth the paltry $500 that Ep had |
promised to pay. A jury would award |
$1,000. y
I'm going to quit and, sue him, Ma
ria" said Riffkin during the noon half
hour.
mo, don't, Louis" pleaded the pref
ty Italian girl. 81 know he means TO
do fair by us"
Everybody knew that Louis and
Maria had been sweethearts for two
years.
The day passed as usual At six
O'Clock the girls ran chattering out of
the building. Usually Mr.. Ep was the
Last to leave, locking the office after
him, and then the factory door, but
on this occasion he hurried past Riff
kin with averted face, leaving the lit
tie foreman a prey to wild astonish-
ment.
He switched off the electric light
and instantly a red spark shone out
upon the floor Rilfkin stared at it in
horror 1t was the lighted end of a
cigarette. and was burning merrily,
he end Of the unlit portion near q
waste basket containing-Oiled paper!
Riffkin saw the scheme in an in
slant. He had not understood that
ZIP was proposing that he should burn
Town the factory that morning.
Soon the whole place was afire. The
lanes had gained the end of the fac I
DRY and were crawling up the walls.
The glare was perceptible all down the
street. Riffkin heard shouts under {
leath the windows.
Then he ran down the stairs to the
treet, where the firemen were already
Gaping from their engines.
Seventh floor!'' he gasped. II tried
o stop the spread, but it was beyond
ontrol. Hurry"
They did not need to hurry. In five
minutes more only mass Of black +
nd coiling smoke showed where the
had been.
The crowd slowly dispersed. But q
'iffkin waited. He knew that Ep !
7ould come to see his handiwork.
Don he perceived him skulklng in the >.
ringe of the crowd.
The two saw each other simultane- :,
usly. Ep came forward with as :.
lmed anxiety. !,
This is terrible. Riffkin," he said. n
How can it have happenedr ~
Lets go and see" said Rifflxin, and n
,ok Ep by the arm. -,
mir. Ep," said Riffkin. II saw that ;;
garette. II amt my business-but
want nine hundred"
Ep attempted to buster; then.