Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-02

walked away.
"Meely" he called.
Slowly she turned and came back
to him; and with childishly obvious
effort to divert his attention from her
self. she spoke to him ingratiatingly
of what she felt sure would have that
effect. Zach. Mr.. Creighton, did you
know your brother is Twin right on our
farm, with our hard man and his wife?
"With your hired mani" st. Croix
exclaimed. an angry flush covering
his face and neck Living with him
He would !" he added bitterly. "That's
the sort of society he seems to pre-
fer-farm hands and minersp'
"And you. too," said Nicely, with her
ingratiating smile, like lOw-dowD
comp'ny-ain't? 1t must run in your
family"
eff you're referring to yourself as
1ow-down,' kindly don't do it again
it's insulting to my taste!" He drew
her roughly to him and she nestled
into his embrace.
"Please tell me-" she coaxed, "about
your brother. He amt the swell gen.
1eman you are, is he?"
-"He doesn't know you, does hep
"Not yet"
"But," said st. Croix anxiously,
she's bound to meet you, of course"
II guess mebby."
"Don't give US away-our meeting
up herew
Zach, no, for my Pop would kill me
If he knowed-have knew. But 1t
does wonder me, Mr.. Creighton, that
your brother would board at Absalom
Puntz', as common as what they are
yet! My lands sakes alive! Why
does he do it? Why don't he live at
his own home with yous?"
"None of your business, my dear!"
! She pouted. "Tll get it out of Alb.
salom's missus, then. Or I'll meet up
with your brother hisself at Absalom's
and get it out of him."
"Oh, no, you won't ask him!" St.
Croix shrugged. "People don't ask
my brother Marvin impertinent ques-
tions!"
"Is he so proud, too, like your"
"His PRIDE" st. Croix sneered,
stakes another form than that of the
rest of the family! His pride won't
let him live, he says, on the charity
of miners won't let him take more
than six per cent interest on our in.
vested capital Insisting that all the
rest should be turned over to the
miners and to the upkeep and safe
guarding Of the industry! Talks ID
rot like that! Bolshevism! That's
what it is! ID BOlsshevism
els it? Why, I didn't know Bolshe-
vism was so nice and kind and gener.
Gus like thatl thought they was a
lot of cut-throats, them Bolshevists.'
$50 they are! The poor cutting the
Threats of the rich to make them
selves rich"'
"But your brother amt poor"
"He and all of US would be If we
ran the mines as he thinks they
should be runl If he ever does come
into his share of the mines he'll ruin
the whole business. his share and
mine, too, d-n him! Oh, don't let's
talk of him! My father and l see
red at the sound of his namel"
sand your mother, too?"
"He's breaking her heart !" st. Croix
said with sincere feeling. 'Disgrac.
ing the family by living with common
laborers! Turning school-teacher!
Making US the talk of the whole state
It's almost killing my mother!"
"But," Nicely protested, puzzled, 81
can't see he's doin' anything bad! It's
just that he wants to act kinder to
other ones than any Of yous wants to-"
"It's his quarreling with my father
and leaving home that hurts my
mother so, and makes her sufferI
"Why's he so different to what yous
all are? Why amt he greedy. too. to
hog all for hisself?" she sweetly
asked.
"We're not 'hogging ALI for our
selves! Do you know what we pay
annually to the people who work for
us?" He named hugely impressive
sum. "And you talk about our hogs
ging all for ourselves!"'
"But why does your brother talk
that way, then. II It amt? What
makes him different to yous?" she
persisted.
"Oh, from the time he was a kid
he's argued with my father about the
management of the mines and the
way the miners families have been
housed and paid. And at times of
strikes he'd howl round at sight Of
the women and children looking
starved. And just recently, when
miner who'd worked for us for twenty
years was killed and his widow and
children had to vacate their cottage.
Marvin raised HI! Wanted her pen
stoned; wanted Father to give her
the house she'd lived IN for twenty
years; wanted him to educate her
children-all softs of things that would
have established the worst sort Of
precedent" St. Croix paused. realiz'
ing he was using words beyond her
range
But she answered, do you call the
Golden Rule In business the worst sort