he's been brought up right.
They're proud as anybody. Her grandfather--"

"You're a fool!" said Wickersham, briefly.

"You can get some one to go through a ceremony for you that would
satisfy her and wouldn't peach afterwards--"

"What a damned scoundrel you are, Plume!" said Mr. Wickersham, coldly.

Plume's expression was between a smile and a scowl, but the smile was
less pleasant than the frown.

"Get her to go to New York--When you've got her there you've got her.
She can't come back. Or I could perform it myself? I've been a
preacher-am one now," said Plume, without noticing the interruption
further than by a cold gleam in his eyes.

Wickersham laughed derisively.

"Oh, no, not that. I may be given to my own diversions somewhat
recklessly, but I'm not so bad as to let you touch any one I--I take an
interest in."

"As you like," said Plume, curtly. "I just thought it might be a
convenience to you. I'd help you out. I don't see 't you need be
so--squeamish. What you're doing ain't so pure an' lofty 't you can set
up for Marcus Aurelius and St. Anthony at once."

"At least, it's better than it would be if I let you take a hand in it,"
sneered Wickersham.

The following afternoon Wickersham left New Leeds somewhat
ostentatiously. A few strikers standing sullenly about the station
jeered as he passed in. But he took no notice of them. He passed on to
his train.

A few nights later a tremendous explosion shook the town, rattling the
windows, awakening people from their beds, and calling the timid and the
curious into the streets.

It was known next morning that some one had blown up the Great Gun Mine,
opened at such immense cost. The dam that kept out the water was blown
up; the machinery had been wrecked, and the mine was completely
destroyed.

The _Clarion_ denounced it as the deed of the strikers. The strikers
held a meeting and denounced the charge as a foul slander; but the
_Clarion_ continued to denounce them as _hostes humani generis_.

It was, however, rumored around that it was not the strikers at all. One
rumor even declared that it was done by the connivance of the company.
It was said that Bill Bluffy had boasted of it in his cups, But when Mr.
Bluffy was asked about it he denied the story in toto. He wasn't such
a ---- fool as to do such a thing as that, he said. For the rest, he
cursed Mr. Plume with bell, book, and candle.

A rumor came to Keith one morning a few days later that Phrony