The Nine-Tenths

queer tremor at his heart, went down the street and met many of hi

l.... Good to see the old place again.... B

shock of the fire again, especially when he heard the trembling of the hat factory overhead ... and that noon the bright faces and laughter in the hallway! I

ls began their old trembling and the presses clanked and thundered. He could have wept. To Joe this moment of starting up had always been precious: it had seemed to bring him som

printery and all the human beings that were part of it seemed steeped in a growing twilight. Do what Joe would and could in the matter of good-fellowship, loud laughter, and high jocularity, the darkness thickened staggeringly. Hardl

t true what th

s,

leave us

ng,

to

raid I

d tell my wife, Mr. Joe.

come!

men, M

agedy of life, the separation of comrades, that one event which above all others darkens the days and gives the sense of old age. And the men seemed all the closer to Joe because of the tragedy of the

ink you'd better use a

uld answer

you've said, Mr. Joe-

miserable as when he had parted from Myra; and indeed

uessed bits of personality. He ceased to lament Joe's going; he went about the shop with a certain jaunty air of proprietorship; and the men, for some unknown reason, began to call him Mr. Briggs.

pe you're not going to

u mean?" mu

his face a l

o know so

ha

poke

iggs now or are y

o laugh; trie

difference?"

a bigger man. It's only the little peanut fellows who wan

ed Marty, "I can

big as you and I, every one of them. My God! you'll have to pay t

ed to lau

different lately

y. "What if it's you? B

o long. Only, let's bo

rt

angest of all the twists of human nature-the man

ve that the occasion burst finally into good cheer. The two girls, seated opposite him, sent him smiling and wordless messages of love. Not a word was said of the fire, bu

could stand just a

wn knife and fork-"do

you? Give him th

, spa

ity-"in the shop what you says goes, but in this h

ringly, to his little loves, "you s

and Agnes giggli

hole pound!" cried Agn

pon the Ranns were convulsed with joy, and John kept "ha-ha-ing" as he thumped the table, and went to such excesses

id Joe, grimly. "Try it agai

limit?" querie

n to whisper together and giggle. And then Mrs. Rann brought somethi

t know the secret, and lean

ll, what

oice rang wit

vorite,

raisi

came stealthily to Joe's eyes, and he looke

, mightily

d with human love, which made it very palatable. Mrs. Rann fixed John with a sharp glance through her

y up,

d and rose

Mr. Joe, you've been my boss six years. And, Mr. J

to the

to good friends

bea

k the words out of

hey

and spoke mus

it happens that I'm going to put a press in my new business and I'm looking for a first-class cra

ann took off her spectacles and sobbed. John reached ove

Ah, say, you make

s moist on his cheeks, he had no doubt of his life-work. But next day, Saturday-th

pain. Men spoke in hushed tones, as soldiers might on the eve of a fatal battl

ght be described as the "hazes"-a thing he did

an's got '

spoken words, nor to pay any attention to the world about him. The men, however, appreciated these spel

rty (who could not speak because he was half-choked), sang out, "See you later, boys!" heard for the last time the sharp ring of the door-bell and

be painted an addition

RIGGS SU

the large hall, upsta

e large table was a dre

the men hung about awk

st. Then

the p

ad the odd distinction of appearing to be the "upper classes" serving the "lower"-a distinction, up to date, not over-eagerly

t meats and cool, sparkling wines soon set free in each a scintil

s, and Martin Briggs rose. There was a stamping of feet

launched it with the aid of two swa

s, friends, an

ed tumults

e himself; often he spared us. He had created an important business, a profitable business, a business which has brought a good living to every one of us. It is not for us to talk of the catastrophe-this is not the occasion for that. Enough to say that to-night Mr. Joe leaves that business. Other

k. Then they sat down and felt that someth

ushing, rose to his fee

ing in his life." (One loud cry: "Couldn't if he wanted to!") "Say," (Cries: "Go ahead!" "Nobody 'll stop yer!" "Give him hell!" Laughter.) "We fellers never appreciated this here Joe Blaine, did we?" (Cries: "Gosh no!") "But we do now!" (Uproarious and prolonged applause.) "Say, fellers, he's been like a regular father to us kids." (

looked as white as linen; and suddenly they burst forth in a wild

rembled visibly, his rising hand shaking so

d. "I was to blame. Here, to-night, I want to say this: Those girls, those comrades of ours-all

if he were going to break down, and the men looked away f

week? Couldn't get rid of him. Oh, Tommy, what 'pi' you made of things! Great times we've had, great times. It hurts me raw." He paused, looking round at them. They were glancing at him furtively with shining eyes. "Hurts me raw to think those times are over-for me. But the dead have called me. I go out into another world. I go out into a gr

. It was the last requiem over the dead, the last flare-up of the tragic fire. They crowd

he starry autumn night,

r. That's out

f something had