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Updated: May 20, 2025
"It seems the trouble started through your employing me," resumed the young man; "so it will be best for you to let me go." "Never!" cried Mr. Merrick, firmly. "Do you suppose I'll allow that rascal Skeelty to dictate to us for a single minute? Not by a jug full! And the reason the men dislike you is because you pounded some of them unmercifully when they annoyed my girls.
When Arthur reached home with the girls, Mr. Merrick was very indignant at his report of the adventure. He denounced Skeelty in unmeasured terms and declared he would find a way to protect Millville from further invasion by these rough and drunken workmen. There was no Sunday paper, so the girlish editors found the morrow a veritable day of rest.
Skeelty interrupted his task of running up columns of impressive figures to ask his callers to be seated, and opened the interview with characteristic abruptness. "You're Merrick, eh? I remember. You want to buy power, and we have it to sell. How much will you contract to take?" "I don't know just how much we need," answered Uncle John.
"I've coaxed, so far, young woman," he said grimly, "but I guess it's time I showed my hand. You'll either run this paper in my interest or I'll push Skeelty on to make the town too hot to hold you. I've got power in this county, even if I ain't senator, and you'll feel that power if you dare oppose me.
But I won't be cowed; I won't be driven or bullied by a pack of foreign hounds, I assure you! If Skeelty can't discipline his men, I will." In furtherance of which assertion, Mr. Merrick went to town and wired a message to the great Fogerty.
"We couldn't be of any use going over there and, after all, it isn't our affair to relieve Skeelty." Then he told Uncle John of the riot in the village, for the old gentleman had been sound asleep when the party returned to the farm. "The blaze is the work of those crazy strikers, I suppose," said Mr. Merrick.
"I have, sir!" declared Patsy, raising her head to frown discouragingly upon the Honer'ble Ojoy. "Mr. Skeelty is acting in a very disagreeable manner. He has not only boycotted our paper and refused to pay for the subscriptions he engaged, but I understand he is encouraging his workmen to annoy the Millville people, and especially this printing office." "Well durn Skeelty!" ejaculated Mr.
Skeelty, who thought he knew how to manage these people, allowed every man, at the close of work on Saturday, to purchase a pint of whiskey from the company store, charging an exorbitant price that netted a huge profit.
"You do?" she exclaimed. "I thought Mr. Skeelty " "Skeelty's the head man, of course," he said. "He came to me about the mill proposition and I went in with him. I own all the forest around Royal. Bein' manager, and knowin' the business, Skeelty stood out for fifty-one shares of stock, which is the controllin' interest; but I own all the rest, and the mill's makin' good money.
"We want enough to run a newspaper plant at Millville, and will pay for whatever we use. I've ordered a meter, as you asked me to do, and my men are now stringing the cables to make the connection." "Pah! a newspaper. How absurd," said Mr. Skeelty with scornful emphasis. "Your name, Merrick, is not unknown to me.
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