Beadle's Dime Library No. 412 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘By getting mad, and smashing Kelly & Barr’s windows,” ‘‘ And why did they do that?” ‘- Because the bosses pretended they wouldn’t recognize me, or baveanything todo with me or the Knights of Labor.” Molly nodied her head angrily. ‘Tm glad they did it. Wouldn’t have any- thing to say to my Larry, indeed! Who are they, I should like to know? I wish they’d bro- ken their old heads for them.” Larry stniled rather ruefully. ‘* You’re as bad as they are. the consequence of the riot?” ‘*T don’t know. What?” ‘‘ That the bosses telegraphed for troops, and the governor has sent them.” “ Well, what of that, Larry? They won’t hurt anybody, will they?” ‘* Not unless some fools go to making another riot. If that comes, there will be trouble.” Molly patted his shoulder affectionately. ‘‘ Don’t be down-hearted, Larry boy. May- be they won’t be such fools. I only wish we were as safe about the house as about the strike!” Larry seemed to cheer up at once at the rather mournful tone of his wife, for he said: ‘Oh, that’s all right. Mr. Paul tells me so, and I can always believe what he says. He tells me how old Skinner was in too much of a | hurry to buy Briggs’s mortgage. If he’d looked | he wouldn’t have lost his money. Old Briggs, he knew all about it, and wouldn’t never have | sued us, but when he got an offer of cash for But what was the whole debt, it warn’t human nature to re- fuse it. I don’t like to keep a man out of his money, ye know, but needs must when the devil drives.” Molly was about to answer, when they heard the distant rattle of wheels, and saw a black buggy driving up the road from Holesburg, and Larry observed: ‘* That looks very hike Lawyer Scriven’s buggy. I wonder if he’s a-coming here?” Molly shuddered. ‘‘T hope not, Last time he was here he scared me out of my seven senses, asking me for the money, and I hadn’t got it,7. , “It is his buggy, and he’s coming here,” said Larry, decidedly. ‘‘ There’s some news in the case. You go in and tend to things. Maybe he wants to speak to me alone,” Molly went in at once, and the buggy rattled nearer, revealing to Larry the old roan horse of Mr. Scriven, driven this time, not by the old lawyer, but by Paul Van Beaver, who drew up at the cottage door, and said, as he alighted: ‘Quite a change in beasts since first I knew you, Larry. My tandem and cart were rather different to this old plug and rattiletrap of a buggy. But never mind, old fellow. I’ve earned this, and the other was given or rather lent to me, which is different.” Paul looked a different man from the quiet, crushed, humiliated Paul who had been left to his uncle’s tender mercies a few months before, and equally different from the old, careless, spendthrift Paul, who had been his grand- father's spoiled darling in the days of old. There was in his face the solid look of a man who respected himself and felt that he had a place in the world, could earn his own living and owe no man anything. He came and sat down on the stone bench by La saying: Well, how oes the strike?’ ‘+ Well enough, Mr, Paul, if they’d only let it alos,” |. cides hae “Howletitalone?® —— . iY «Weve got things in Out OWn haiids. Stone & Grynde have given way, and granted the old scale, and théy started their mill to-day. It’s only a ques ion of nother week but the others come in if théy’te only let alone.” “ Who interferes with them?” “The men. These fellows are all new to the Order. ‘They've never had a fight before, and they lose their tempers and go to making | rio's. \ ‘‘ Ay, ay,” observed Paul, thoughtfully. “I heard of that, and I see there’s a whole regi- ment of men quartered in the City Hall. I hope they won’t come to blows with the strik- ers.” , “They won't if I can help it, Mr. Paul; but our men don’t see how near they are to havin everything their own way. They want to ge back to work, and they won’t do it on the old terms. They want the first scale, and don’t know how to get it.” Paul began to drum on his knees in ar absent manner, and at length observed: “T say, Larry.” “Yes, Mr. Paul.” “Mr, Scriven received a paper for you to- day.” af Yes, sir; what was it?” ‘¢ A motion to dismiss.” “ And what's that, Mr. Paul?” Paul explained to bim: ‘“Tt's a paper that says, even admitting all you say to be true, you have no standing in court. And Mr. Van sort going to move to strike out your answer to-morrow, 40: scratched his head. Se é ry Locke, the Man of Iron. **T don’t know much about these things,” he | said. ‘‘Ileave them all to you, Mr. Paul. If I | get beaten, the most I can do is to lose this lit- | tie shanty, such as it is, and move away to the | West. But I don’t want to do that.” | ‘** Neither do L want you todo it,” returned Paul, in the same absent way. ‘‘ Between you and me, Larry—” He stopped short, as if nA apap Soe eak any more, and Larry, understanding that he feared to be overheard, rose and led his guest to tie | gate, where they were out of earshot of any one, | when he whispered: ‘* What is it, Mr. Paul? Ill not tell a soul.” Paul laid his han: on his arm. ‘Larry, [ve found out why old Scriven was so willing to take me, young as I was, into his office as partner.” Larry nodded. ‘**{ told ye there was something behind it all. It wasn’t a good gentleman like your poor grandfather that was going to leave you a beg- gar, after spoiling you for business as he did when you were a boy.” ‘‘'No, so it seems; and Scriven, it appears, drew the will with his own hand, and he says | there’s a clause in it that no one knows of but | himself, and which is likely to be affected by | this strike.” ‘** And what’s that, Mr. Paul?” asked Larry, in | some excitement at the news. | ‘* Well, if appears that so long as the works are carried on, Marcellus Skinner has full con- | trol over them; but, as soon as they stop, and | the making of steel becomes unprofitable, the | whole thing ought to be sold and the money di- vided between—” ‘* Between you and him?’ asked Larry, eager- « Yes, Larry.” e young workman turned away from his friend and walked up and down the little gar- den several times till he had fully mastered the | significance of the news, and then came up to | Paul and asked in a low voice: ‘ ** And if the strike keeps on, will ye be able to make him sell out?” ‘‘I think so, Larry. At least, Mr. Scriven | talks of applying for an order in court on it.” Larry nodded as one well satisfied. ‘That settles it, Mr. Paul.” ‘f Settles what, Larry?” “* The strike, sir. I own I was getting a bit down-htéarted myself; but now we'll stick to it, till all the bosses come down; and if Boss Skin- ner don’t come down with the rest, so much the better for you.” ‘But you mustn’t let it affect you in any way,” said Paul, reluctantly. ‘‘ It’s true that if the mill’s sold it will benefit me, but—” ‘‘ But that’s enough, Mr. Paul,” said Larry, rate ‘*T was thinking what was the use of my fighting for other people, awhile ago; now I don’t care, This strike goes through, win or lose, and some one will be better off for it,” -_-—--—— CHAPTER XXIX. THE TRAMP’S PARASITE. Paut VAN BEAVER did not stay long at Larry’s place that evening after he had commu- nicated his news, for he had a good deal to do at home in drawing papers, and he took his depar- ture pte As he drove home {n the diisk of the evening he was accosted by a tramp who seemed to start up out of the dariness at the roadside, and who asked him: rr ly ‘Sey, mister, d’ye know where a man could get a night’s lodging for self and mate?” Paul saw another dark figure by the side of the first tramp, who seemed to be a big fellow, and he felt rather apprehensive that they in- tended to stop him, so he said sharply: “Get out of my road. Go to the station- house, if you waht @ nights lodging.” * Ay, ay,” retuned the titamp, sulkily. “ It’s all very well to say statiomhouse, but how’s a man to know where it is? Say, mister, don’t ye know where there’s a man named Skinner, a big- bug, where he lives?” Paul was so much surprised at the question | that he asked: ‘What Skinner do you mean? Marcellus?” ty y> ay, that’s the man,” returned the tramp, eager v- ‘* D’ye know where he. lives?” Paul told him and drove on, wondering what the vg could want with his uncle; but soon forgot all about it when he got settled to his night’s work. eantime the tramp said to his partner as they trudged along to the city: ‘“Snoopey, old pal, it’s time me and you stopped trampin’ and turned ’spectable. The weather’s gittin’ chilly, and I ain’t as young as I used to be.” Snoopey gave a sniff and a whine. ‘And I’m gettin’ the roomatiz bad, Jim, and money don’t last no time, does it?” Terror Jim growled, ‘* It lasts as long as I wantit. W’ot’s the use of savin’ itf A short life and a merry one; that’s what I say.” ‘* But Pack a man ain’t got nothen to be merry on?” said Snoopey. ‘‘ W’ot’s he to do then, Jim?” 19° ‘Take w’ot he kin get and durn the odds,. Snoopey. We ain’t goin’ to no county jail this: winter, you bet your boots,” ** Where are we a-goin’ then?” asked Snoopey,. who was a sort of banger-on to Terror Jim, fol-- lowing him as the jackal does the lion, finding | the prey and taking his humble share after ther — lion had done. Terror Jim nodded his head in mysterious: fashion, as he answered: ‘*]’m a-goin’ to see a friend of mine, Snoopey, . a big“bug.s the man I came to see three months, agone. e’s got to come down and take keer of” me and you this winter, or there’ll be trouble im. the house.” aacorny seemed to be uncomfortable at the- idea, for he asked, hesitatingly: ‘* We ain’t goin’ near that man’s house where. I got the swag, are we? ‘Cause he’s a bad man to meet.” ‘* No, ye fool, no,” retorted Jim. ‘*‘ You make - me sick, you do, Snoopey. That feller ain’t here» now. He’s out in "Hio, cuss him! I hope he'll eS stay there. [ don’t want nothen more to do . © with him. I thought I was a good man myself, but he’s a holy terror.” Snoopey shivered. Z ‘‘D’ye mind how he come on us—” i, cha ‘Shut up,” growled Jim. ‘*‘ What if he did?” We was asleep, and he had aclub, But hedidn’t= get no money out of us; did he?” | ‘‘ No,” assented Snoopey, ‘‘ but I thought one time he was a-goin’ to. What was it he said to’. — you, Jim, when you and him got off alone to-- gether?’ a> | ‘‘Never you mind,” returned Jim, evasive-- ly. ‘“*Not so much as he thought. See here. Snoopey, we're a-comin’ into the town, now, aud we don’t want to be see’d too close to-- i ether, we don’t. You jest go to the station- —_ 10use, and I'll see you to-morrer mornin’,” eS as ‘* All right,” said Snoopey, submissively, and he shambled off down a side streetand rounda = — corner. Terror Jim watched himtillhewasout. of sight. Gi Then the big tramp set off boldly in the oppo— site direc'ion, and walked on till he cametother ve house in which Marcellus Skinner re-- | + o sided. 7 ad os - . - wie on 5 vt ~ \e Be . —— rok 9 + * “y P. -s He did not notice, in his secure lordship over= the obsequious Snoopey, that the lesser tramps ‘" had ae round the corner as scon as hiss leader strode off, and had come slinking and shuffling after him, all the way to Skinner's: _—_ keeping in the shadows as much as hey could. ye Snoopey watched Jim go boldly upthe steps of the house and ring the front-dcor bell,and: the lesser tramp muttered: aed ~* a ain’t he a-goin’ it? Wish I had hiss ~~ He waited and saw the door thrown wide. open, when a prim waiter exclaimed, angrily:; | “What are you a-doin’ here? Who are yout” sim: Go to the basement-door. Weain’t got nocold. wittles to give away.” ; ‘‘And I ain’t wantin’ no cold wittles,” emiedi «| Jim, just as angrily. ‘I’m a gentleman, I a am... ~ es and I want to see the boss here. No yedon%. — slavey. I warn’t born yesterday.” ac S kei é pend Lake ot that bis friend had stuck his: shoulder between the door and post so that the waiter couldn’t close it, and he wondered what was going to happen, when the prim man shouted: gins he ee “Hi! Jobn, John! Come here! Here’s a bug- -_ Ge gler a-tryin’ to git in!” Xe Then Snoopey heard a rapid step, amd at other prim man came running up, at which Terror Jim dealt the first waiter a butt in the § : face with the side of his head, which sent the? = man staggering back with a howl, when the’ ee tramp squared himself under the hall-lamp, roaring: ‘ ; ‘Sie “Come on, ye darned niggers! I kin whi Biv ges hull company of such as ye! Where’s Cap ~— Skinner? ! Hil Skinnerrr! Hi! Where. ape ere ye?” Perel = Snoopey began to tremble with excitement, end to wonder what was going to become of: ish ( Terror Jim; for the second man had sto er short, and was rummaging in a corner ef the hall, as if to find a weapon, } | The little tramp crept close to the house, and a8 bn saw that the basement door was open, so he slipped down the area steps while everybody — was busy up-stairs, and speedily found him Bore in a lower hall, with a cupboard at the end, from whence he could command a view of the front door, himself unseen. eee: Terror Jim seemed disposed to hold the fort,. = — for he slammed the door shut, and kept his stand. _ under the hall-lamp, roaring: : n>: “Hi, Skinnerr! Skinnerr! Where are ye? Come and tell these blooming chumps who I be!> | Aiv’t I a friend of yourn?” EA. The first waiter, who had been discomfited so» easily, now came back to the second, and Snpopey heard them whisper: ee ee ‘He's crazy! We'll have to sendforthecops.” a Just then the sound of a door opening on the — landing above, was followed by a stern voice, calling out: deci ee ‘“What the deuce is all that noise about?” ee “It’s a tramp, sir,” called orf6 waiter, “and: he won’t go out.” Me & Comicbooks.com. * . ’ f p a! => > og Ji . o-