Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-12-24
MIKE
STUCK TO
HIS JOB
BY GEORGE MUNSoN
Copyright by W. q. chapman.)


4 \ bang and Mike arose, dressed,
and had his coffee, and took
the lunch which Nora put up for him
to the mill. He entered as the whistle
blew, and worked there, except for the
lunch hour, till the whistle dismissed
him at six.
That was Mikes life, with the excep-
ton of Sunday, when he got up to help
his wife with the washing of dishes,
and then went back to bed again. He
lay in bed all day, reading the Sunday
paper He finished 1t by night, had
supper, and went to sleep till Monday.
In appearance he was a clean old
man of sixty. He had once had those
ambitions which are supposed to be
the blrthrlght Of every American, but
he had lost those when Ellery died.
Ellery had been the founder of the
mill. 1t was Mike Donahue who, In
those early days, soon after the Civil
war, came from Belfast with the new
fiaX-weaying process, not then In use
In the United States, and interested
Ellery. He could have had a partner
ship, but he was too simple and ignor-
ant to understand that, and Ellery
was not above turning the advantage
when the opportunity was so patent
Mike had come to him and said:
"Mr. Ellery, I don't know how much
this process is worth to you, but IL
It's worth what It ought to be I'd look
for Job in the mill for the rest of my
days"
Mike had married Nora Brady, and
the thought of unemployment haunted
him. Besides, there was baby COM
ing. If he could secure life posi-
tlon-well, what more could any man
hope for?
He could save a dollar week even
at the start and Ellery would certain
ly advance him And this was done.
Mike became foreman at twenty-five
dollars week, and he and Nora and
little Kathleen lived quite comfortably.
Times changed. The mill prospered.
Ellery became very rich man Indeed.
The sight of Mike, and the knowledge
OF the unfair advantage that he had
taken. haunted old Ellery. His only
son, who would inherit the mill, was
worthless scamp. The thought that 1t
should have been half Mikes, that his
own son had gone to college on what
he had squeezed out Of the old man,
was gall to him. He offered Mike Ave
thousand dollars-the utmost that his
avarice would permlt--if he would
leave.
Mike DOnahue proved amazingly OBJ
aurate. He liked the work, he loved
hhe old mill, he would not know what
to do with himself if he left. He re-
fused the offer-and then Ellery died
Jim Ellery's first act was to dis
charge the old employee. When Mike,
furious, confronted him with the agree
ment, he took him back as a hand.
Mike worked on at twelve dollars
weekly.
Jim had his own reasons for wanting
to get rid Of Mike. They developed
about three months later, when Mike
Donahue confronted Jim Ellery with
u pistol In his hand.
You'll marry my daughter, Kitty"
he said. "You'll marry her by Satur-
day night or all the angels OF heaven
won't save your miserable life"
jim Ellery, who knew the truth
when it was presented to him, married
Kathleen, who had been educated with
the last penny Of her fathers savings.
She was a pretty, discontinued girl,
ashamed Of her parents; she had easily
falleH victim to the young halloween.
What was most astonishing was that
Jim Ellery, having married Kathleen
Donahue, did not divorce her. Instead.
he became infatuated with his own
wife. He was altogether under her
thumb. She had the airs and manners
of a lady. She was In no way inferior
to him, and II her father was n com
mon laborer, what had old Ellery
beenr There was n tradition that he
had once swept out stables.
No sooner was Kathleen married
than she dropped her parents. The
final Interview was memorable. Mike
and Nora were in tears, Kathleen, in
her new ball gown, shifted herself I'M
easily from one satin shoe to the other.
won't you never come and see us,
then, Kittyi" asked Mike, unable to
realize the impending tragedy.
you are acting unfairly, father"
answered the girl. 81 owe duty to my
husband and to myself. n we let II
be known that my father works in the
mill and was an ignorant, llliterate old
man, I shall have no social standing In
the town at all. At present they don't
know. And II you have any affection
for me"
"Sure you're the only one I ever
bore :" wept Nora. "What'll we do now
we're OldT
"If father likes to leave the mill and
settle somewhere quietly in the coun-
try, not less than hundred miles dis.
tant, my husband will pay him fifteen
dollars a week for llfe."
"Tll see you in--ln the mill first,
Kathleen" answered old Mike
"You won't leave the mill? You In
sIst on working here for ten dollars
week to spite mef"
Easy, easy, my girl This is ms
job, and I'm not going to leave It to
take that scamp's money"
james is not a scampw
"And 1t seems to me, Nora, darling,
that II our own girl Is that bad why |
we've got to make up our minds to
lose her" said Mike to his wife.