CHAPTER XV
A CLEVER IDEA
Neither Thursday nor Hetty allowed a word to escape concerning theplacing of the bomb in the _Tribune_ office, but the explosion waspublic knowledge and many were bothering their heads to explain itsmeaning.
John Merrick, when he heard the news, looked very grave and glanceduneasily into the unconscious faces of his three beloved nieces. A manof much worldly experience, in spite of his simple, ingenuous nature,the little man began carefully piecing together parts of the puzzle.Thursday Smith's defense of the girl journalists, whereby he hadseverely pounded some of the workmen who had insulted them, had causedthe man to be denounced by the colony at Royal. Mr. Skeelty, themanager, had demanded that Smith be discharged by Mr. Mirrick, andbeing refused, had threatened to shut off the power from the newspaperplant. Skeelty dared not carry out this threat, for fear of a lawsuit,but his men, who had urged the matter of Smith's discharge upon theirmanager, were of the class that seeks revenge at any cost. At thisjuncture Ojoy Boglin, Skeelty's partner and the owner of all the pineforest around Royal, had become the enemy of the newspaper and was awareof the feeling among the workmen. A word from Boglin, backed bySkeelty's tacit consent, would induce the men to go to any length ininjuring the _Millville Tribune_ and all concerned in its welfare.
Considering these facts, Mr. Merrick shrewdly suspected that thedynamite explosion had been the work of the mill hands, yet why it washarmlessly exploded in a field was a factor that puzzled himexceedingly. He concluded, from what information he possessed, that theyhad merely intended this as a warning, which if disregarded might befollowed by a more serious catastrophe.
The idea that such a danger threatened his nieces made the oldgentleman distinctly nervous.
There were ways to evade further molestation from the lawless element atthe mill. The Hon. Ojoy could be conciliated; Thursday Smith discharged;or the girls could abandon their journalistic enterprise altogether.Such alternatives were mortifying to consider, but his girls must beprotected from harm at any cost.
While he was still considering the problem, the girls and Arthur havingdriven to the office, as usual, Joe Wegg rode over from Thompson'sCrossing on his sorrel mare for a chat with his old friend andbenefactor. It was this same young man--still a boy in years--who hadonce owned the Wegg Farm and disposed of it to Mr. Merrick.
Joe was something of a mechanical genius and, when his father died,longed to make his way in the great world. But after many vicissitudesand failures he returned to Chazy County to marry Ethel Thompson, hisboyhood sweetheart, and to find that one of his father's apparentlyfoolish investments had made him rich.
Ethel was the great-granddaughter of the pioneer settler of ChazyCounty--Little Bill Thompson--from whom the Little Bill Creek and LittleBill Mountain had been named. It was he who first established the millat Millville; so, in marrying a descendant of Little Bill Thompson, JoeWegg had become quite the most important resident of Chazy County, andthe young man was popular and well liked by all who knew him.
After the first interchange of greetings Joe questioned Mr. Merrickabout the explosion of the night before, and Uncle John frankly statedhis suspicions.
"I'm sorry," said Joe, "they ever started that mill at Royal Falls. Mostof the workmen are foreigners, and all of them rude and reckless. Theyhave caused our quiet, law-abiding people no end of trouble and anxietyalready. It is becoming a habit with them to haunt Millville on Saturdaynights, when they are partly intoxicated, and they've even invaded someof the farmhouses and frightened the women and children. I've talked toBob West about it and he has promised to swear in Lon Taft and SethDavis as special constables, to preserve order; but he admits we arequite helpless to oppose such a gang of rowdies. I've also been to seeMr. Skeelty, to ask him to keep his men at home, but he answered grufflythat he had no authority over his employees except during working hours,and not much authority even then."
"Skeelty doesn't seem the right man to handle those fellows," observedMr. Merrick thoughtfully; "but as he owns the controlling interest inhis company, and Boglin is fully as unreasonable, we cannot possiblyoust him from control. If the men determined to blow up all Millvillewith dynamite I'm sure Skeelty would not lift a finger to prevent it."
"No; he's deathly afraid of them, and that's a fact," said Joe.
They sat in silence a while.
"Your report of Skeelty's threat to cut off your electric power," saidyoung Wegg, "reminds me of a plan I've had in mind for some time. I findI've too much time on my hands, Mr. Merrick, and I cannot be thoroughlyhappy unless I'm occupied. Ethel's farms are let on shares and I'm adrone in the world's busy hive. But we're anchored here at Millville, soI've been wondering what I could do to improve the place and keep myselfbusy. It has seemed to me that the same rush of water in Little BillCreek that runs the dynamos at Royal is in evidence--to a lesserextent--at the old milldam. What would you think of my putting in anelectric plant at the mill, and lighting both Millville and Huntingdon,as well as all the farmhouses?"
"Not a bad idea, Joe," said Uncle John approvingly.
"Electric lights have a civilizing influence," continued the young man."I'm quite sure all the farmers between here and Huntingdon would usethem, at a reasonable price. I can also run a line to Hooker's Falls,and one to Chazy Junction. Plenty of poles can be cut from our pineforests and the wires will be the chief expense. I may not make money,at first, but I'll play pretty nearly even and have something to do."
"Do you think you could furnish enough power for our printing office?"asked Mr. Merrick.
"Yes; and a dozen factories, besides. I've an idea the thing may bringfactories to Millville."
"Then get at it, Joe, and build it quick. I've a notion we shall have anopen rupture with Skeelty before long."
Joe Wegg smiled.
"You're going to accuse me, sir, of asking advice after I've made up mymind," said he; "but the fact is, I have bought the mill of SilasCaldwell already. He's been wanting to dispose of the property for sometime."
"Good!" exclaimed Uncle John.
"Also I--I've ordered a dynamo and machinery. It all ought to be here ina few days."
"Better yet!" cried Mr. Merrick. "You've relieved my mind of a greatweight, Joe."
"Now about Thursday Smith," said the young man. "Don't you think itwould be policy for you to let him go, Mr. Merrick?"
"No."
"He's a clever fellow. I can use him at my lighting plant."
"Thank you, Joe; but that wouldn't help any. As long as he's inMillville he will be an object of vengeance to those anarchistic millhands. The only way to satisfy them in to drive Smith out of town,and--I'll be hanged if I'll do it! He hasn't done anything wrong, andI'm interested in the fellow's curious history. I've put his case in thehands of a famous New York detective--Fogerty--with instructions todiscover who he is, and I can't let a lot of rowdies force me to abandonthe man for no reasonable cause."
"Don't blame you, sir," said Joe. "If it wasn't this Thursday Smith,some other would incur the hatred of the Royal workmen, and as they'redisposed to terrorize us we may as well fight it out on this line as anyother. The whole county will stand by you, sir."
"The only thing I dread is possible danger to my girls."
"Keep 'em away from the office evenings," advised Joe. "During the daythey are perfectly safe. If anything happens, it will be at night, andwhile the newspaper office may some time go flying skyward the girlswill run no personal danger whatever."
"Maybe so, Joe. How queer it is that such a condition should exist inMillville--a little forgotten spot in the very heart of civilization andthe last place where one might expect excitement of this sort. But Iwon't be cowed; I won't be driven or bullied by a pack of foreignhounds, I assure you! If Skeelty can't discipline his men, I will."
In furtherance of which assertion, Mr. Merrick went to town and wired amessage to the great Fogerty.