Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-03-19
THE BIG
HEART OF
MICHAEL
By GEORGE R CHESTER


-Nt.@os
wv yRITHING, scintiIlating
NIX I snakes Of white-hot Iron
wv shot one after another out
Of their rolls, to come slid
I Ing IitheIy and rapidly along the floor
toward Michael Dyer all day long, like
things Of malignant life. 1t was
Michael's duty to grab these soaring
bars with pair of tongs and guide
them into the next set Of rolls,
through which they emerged longer
and thinner and still more 1.-THE, for
another agile man to handle. But
with that man Michael had no con-
cern; 1t was upon Dan Lennon-work-
ing next to him down the dim aisle,
which, like a dream Of the inferno.
was shot throughout its interminable
length with these vivid, crawling
streaks-that he turned his gloomy
eyes In the occasional pauses when.
Nor some reason or other, beat or
two was missed In that rhythmical
procession Of angry metal.
The cause for his somber specula.
tion was presently revealed when Dan
was attacked by an acute paroxysm
OF coughing--a seizure that shook him
violently from head to foot, that made
him gasp and struggle for breath. and.
stopping, hnddle his shoulders togeth-
er for escape from that intolerable
pain In his chest
I'm afraid It's got me-" he said,
giancing up at Michael. and his eyes
were full of fear.
You're crazy with the heat" re-
sponded Michael roughly, and went
back to his station.
1t They seldom alluded to the
White Scourge by its right name In
the mills. They held II in too much
awe, for sooner or later the dread
naalady laid most of them low.
II.
At Dams gate neat Mrs. Lennon
met them, and Michael paused to ex-
change pleasant word with her She
was heartily glad to see her husbands
friend, as she always was, for he had
been their bulwark through years of
trouble, and she felt debt of graft
tude to him that was beyond payment.
Michael paused but a moment at the
gate, and then went on to his own
tiny cottage next door, where
twelve-year-old daughter had been his
housekeeper and sole companion for
half her Industrious life. In the eve
ming the two men sat out upon Mi
chaers little porch, and for an hour or
so Dan was more his old self than
he had been for many, many days;
but on the following morning he did
not go to work. at" had finally SCOT
him, and further pretense was out Of
the question.
In the evening Michael always
stopped In as soon as he came from
work to gossip with Dan about what
had gone on that day in the mills;
and both Dan and his wife grew to
look for his coming as the most cheer
full moment in tlielr day. though oft
en-, after he had gone, and while the
light Of this cheering visit was still
In his wife's eyes, Dan would lie in
frOwning silence.
It was one evening near the end,
when his wife and Michael were stand
Ing together at his bedside, that the
long-pent-up rebellion broke from
Dams lips.
Strong and healthy, both of you"
he complained bitterly, "and you're
waiting; just waiting for me to get
out of the wayr'
II was unjust, It was cruel. 1t was
not like Dams self to have had that
thought, much less to have voiced 1t;
but he was warped and twisted all out
Of his normal mind by the wasting
malady that had fastened upon him.
They forgave him in all pity, but
the words had been said they could
not forget them, and the shadow Of
them still lay between the two when
they stood above Dams grave-Iay be-
tween them the more when, later on,
they came TO realize that Dan had
foreseen the truth even before they,
themselves. could have known 1t.
The problem for Fanny Lennon be-
came serious one at once. The eld-
est of her children was but ten, and
she had no way to earn for them bur
by plain sewing, which was scarce
and poorly paid She could not ac-
cept Of Michae's charity now, even
in her direst extremIties, and the
knowledge of 1t cut him like a knife.
That he should be earning good wages,
and have more than enough, while the
wife of his friend, to say nothing of
the woman whom he now could ad-
nit that he loved, was in dire straits,
worried him by day and by night.
Forced by his distress, he spoke to
her one evening when the children
were playing together in the back
lot; but, like his crude bigness, he
spoke without yestige Of tact.
''You remember what Dan said to
us by his bedside" he began: but he
got no further.
With piteous gesture Mrs. Lennon
stopped him.
"Please don't let us talk about it."