The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-01-22

the space Of hours, had stamped their
mark upon Roger ClOughs form and face.
ne made no attempt to meet his fathers
sOmDer eyes as he YEARLY stumbled across
me floor. and dropped into a chair by the
Devil Of a mess" he growled. "And it's
burning yet-smOuldering. I've just been
having another look round"
still seeking thi letter, eh?" The tone
was merciless, hard as iron. 30, it's all
r,lght,' Stephen ClOugh went on. "Tha
doesn't need to look so scared. I've not
been spying on thee. TIL wench told me.
she was finely upset. Got it into her head
that she'd sent thee to thy death. 1 told
her that il she didn't keep her tongue be-
tween her teeth she'd happen send thee to
perdlton. And she promised. 1 don't think
shell talk. She's too feared. She's a SNOWY
Dlt-JuSt the sort I'd expect thee to run
atter-fine feathers"
With a mere suggestion Of pause, he
switched away on a new trail.
How did tina manag it," he asked. sd
like to know. I think yO' owe me that
much, seeing that ] built the place"
Il slipped on the floor and dropped my
torch. Then l struck a match"
Whatever theory accounting for the fire
stephen Cl0ugh might have formed, he had
certainly not included this possibility. His
reception of it proved that:
"Struck-a-match :" he repeated. "Th0
struck a match-in a weaving shedf a fac
tory masters sOn-a partner in tn firm
and he struck a match" A wave OF dis
! SAobs OL Sudule, swept over ulult LoDDllS
him Of speech, and, strangely enough, it
was a touch of compassion that Embossed
his tongue. "Eh, lad, I've heard parsons
and politicians talk about the mills Of
God, and now I've seen them at their
grinding
He finished it in a whisper.
Exceeding small-the mills-eXceeding
small. Did it with his own hand" That
was the most amazing fact of all, not that
his sons heritage had gone out IN flre
and smoke, but that Roger himself should
have been the chief medium in the work
of destruction. Never heard the like he
him, turned to the nights real work.
whats dOne's DONE" he declared. "Have
yO' thought on the next step|
about the factory 2 Roger stammered.
"Why I suppose you'll rebuild. New in
place of old"
Stephen Clough shook his head.
Listen he said. I'm going to give thee
a bit of history. Some Of it that's heard be
fore, but well have it again. For the last
time" 1t was the story of his own life, and
he packed it up in a few words. His start
his rise to fortune, his dreams, all his
ambitions, his pride in his son and bust
ness, his Disappointment, despair, and tina
abandonment Of hope.
Il thought" he said, with intense bitter
ness, that I'd bOtten a man for my soI
and heir, but I was mistaken. He WASH
a man at all-Only a fancy butterfly. An
does tina think 1 was going to leave IN
little kingdom to a thing like that"
The way out of the difficulty he nae
known to he simple, but he had no fancy
for the easy road, the line Of least resist
ance. That was for weaklings. ANY 100
could cut off his son and business, anC
he wanted to give both a chance.
AT one time" he went on, Il made III
my mine for 81 grand finish-a clean SWEEP
Ito do what tha's dOne-burn tn plac
E down. An it wasn't for thee l spared II
Il 1t was for tn fOlkS-mi subjects them T.
whom tn factory meant bread and butter
SO l compromised. l left it to chance-pu
; it on the knees of tn gods, l trusted to tn
old saying. AS long as there's life there
hope There was a possibility of the
, turning over a new leaf, giving up beInI
, one of the idlers and growing into a work
: er, and the rest was simple by a strOk
: Of the pen l could put things straigh
again. 1t gave both Of us a chance-the
: and me. But I've waited in vain-for years
A few scraps o years, an eYe3y one a
~ long as a lifetime"
! 4 great sigh burst from his lips. Bead
Of agony broke out upon his brow. He re
'oLturned to thai old thought.
"The mills Of God. Tha's been thy ow
Ijudge-prOnOunced thy own sentence. II
y been taken out of my hands An now II
h done with everything. Mi Kingdoms gone.
But you'll build the mills again
Roger clamOred. reused to speech at la
by a horrible fear.
I'm done wi cotton" his father impre'
y sively declared. I'm building no MOI
factories. I cant. Haven't I told thee th'
u I'd left It to chance-tO chance and III
own son? Tonight, lad, you're as poor
was when 1 began, and I'm not niue
sr better off. a yO' see tt-What l.
done? The fires our loss. l dropped t
t. insurance. That was the chance l tool
Id That his father spoke the truth ROg
e. ClOugh saw no reason to doubt. Too Wa
" did he realize that the old man was new
Of one to play with words or facts. But
u present his own mentality was warped al