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Show The Survival of the Fit- I A Story of the Panic. i4004---0G)-' BY EMltfA L. IVIADDISON. John and Mary Manning were not the typo of young peoplo to face misfortune with shrinking hearts. From their youth thuy had been trained in the hard school of experience, and had learned to govern their lives by this maxim: "If the trouble trou-ble which confronts me Is one which I can help, I will do It; If not, I shall not allow It to worry me." But It was hard for two young peoplo, even thus trained, to face at the end of their first yenr of married life what lo thorn was a new world with nothing but strong hands and willing hearts, and a few dollars realized from the ealo of the contents of their llttlo homo. Tho auctioneer had just llnishcd his work, tho walls were bare, tho rooms empty, tho last vestigo of furniture carted cart-ed away, and tho two young peoplo stood surveying the scene. U was no wonder that the world looked gloomy lo thbm, and the sight of their pale faces, with the look of determination about the strong mouths, aroused sympathy even from tho auctioneer, accustomed though ho was to such 3cencs. 1 It was the summer of '03, when tho spirit of Idleness and Want stalked broadcast through tho hind. Wheels of tho great factories wero silent, smoke no longer poured from the stacks of the iron and steel foundries" which wero wont to send forth their daily notico that men were there earning their bread In the good old way, by the "sweat of their brows." Ono by one tho manufacturing plants of the Pennsylvania city had been obliged to close their doors, and now John Manning, who for throe years had been tiustod foreman of a gang of men In a big steel plant, found himself not only without employment, but with the alternative alter-native of seeking work In the groat West, or starving within sight of the hills which had now become almost a part of his life, and where, since he had reached his ma Jority. he had earned enough to buy not only tho necessaries, but a few of tho luxuries of life. When a year before John Manning had asked tho sweetheart of his youth to be-enmo be-enmo his bride, no thought of what a twelve-month would bring forth was In tho mind of either. While young as youth Is counted nowadays, both had passed tho years of Indiscretion and their lovo had grown as they had patiently labored ajid waited until the time should como when from their savings they could at least furnish fur-nish in comfort a llttlo home. Tho months since their marriage had been months ot Joy Indeed, when suddenly a mighty panic swept over the land, leaving poverty and despair in its wako. At first thero was tho Inevitable lowering lower-ing of wages, then tho cutting down of tho force, and lastly oh, the pity of it! tho closing of the great steel plant and the turning of tho few hundred remaining employees out Into tho world lo Join the already mighty army of strong and brave men who were marching up and down the country in search of work. With others who suffered his fate. Manning Man-ning knew it was useless to search employment em-ployment In the cities of the East, and, after many consultations with his wife and relatives, decided to try his luck in the great West. Tho farm lands of Illinois, Illi-nois, Iowa and Nebraska seemed to offer an Inviting Held, especially as tho harvest har-vest time approached, and It was decided by Manning and his wife to cast their lots there. From the tho small fund received for their household goods, emigrant tickets' tick-ets' for Nobraska were purchased, the cou-lio cou-lio deciding to stop along tho routo, wherever the securing of employment seemed possible. Several times on the long Journey tho despair which at times filled their hearts Ilamcd into something like hope when thoy were told that here or there laborers were in demand as harvesters, and although John Manning knew little of farm lire, ho did know that he could and would do anything to earn an honest livelihood. But the hope in tho heart was ashes on the Hps, and times without number the man was turned away, until a feeling akin tc desperation filled his heart. But the crv was still westward, and one morning earlv in October John and Mary Manning found themselves In ono of the busy cities of the Middle West Omaha. Friendless, penniless, breakfastless. the laced the crowd which dally fwiuontod the union station, and almost aimlessly started up the street which leads to the business district. Inquiries nt employment employ-ment offices along the way elicited th-same th-same reply with which they had been met at every turn of the road there were ten idle men. yes. more, for every position It had never occurred to John Manning, Man-ning, even In the darkest hours of his despair, that his wife might work, for had he not only a brief year beforo vowed to love, honor and cherish her and "to cherish with him meant to shield and support. At last, however. It seemed al- mrf nn innlrntlnn tho thmiirht nnfiiirrpd to Mrs. Manning that possibly she might secure employment of some kind In one of the hotels, or restaurants, or even In a private home. With many protestations, John Manning finally gave his consent and his wife started out. Until late In tho afternoon she visited employment agencies, responded respond-ed to advertisements In one of the dallies which sho had picked up and was about to return to her husband with tho news , that her search, too. had been a failure, when a building which she knew to be a hospital stood out on a distant bluff. Yes, sho wopld apply there. Footsore and weary, she mado her way up tho road leading to tho hospital, and in response to an Inquiry for the superintendent, superin-tendent, wns ushered Into tho small, neat-looking neat-looking reception-room. Presently tho su- 1erlntendent. a woman of middle llfo and tlndly face, appeared and asked what sho could do, for the visitor. 1 In responao to her questions Mary Manning Man-ning did not mince matters: she told tho plain, unvarnished truth. The frankness of her answers appealed to the superintendent, superin-tendent, who promised to givo hor something some-thing that would at least keep her from starvation. The work, she said, would bo hard, tho pay small, but Mary did not hesitate for a moment and was told she could enter upon her duties whenever sho pleased This sho would that night, she said, and started off to tell the good news to the anxious John. Yes, he could manage, If only ho knew that sho was comfortably housed and fed. and while tho parting was not a' cheerful one, both had lighter hearts than In the morning, for thoy felt that somehow the husband's efforts could not much longer be In vain. A week passed, two weeks, and still nothing came to relieve either tho empty pockets or tho heavy heart of John Manning. Man-ning. But a grea-ter misfortune than nny which hnd overtaken him now came. His wlfo was taken 111 at the hospital and for days her life was despaired of. Day after day John sat besldo his wife, hoping seem lngly against hope that fortune would yot smile upon him and bring not only health to his wife, but an opportunity to earn an honest living, which had now so long been denied him. Ono morning Manning appeared at the hospital as usual, but ho was moro cheerful cheer-ful than ho had been In weeks. Ilia wife noticed tho change Immediately, and in response to her question as to where he had gotten the little luxury in the form of fruit which he brought to her, said h had nt Inst secured employment. It was that of Janitor In one of the big buildings. He would be required to work lute at night, but what mattered It as long as hr- could work. Days pusaed and each afternoon found John Manning at the hospital, chocrful and evidently happy, and it was not long until a change was noted In the condition , of Mary Manning. She, too, began, to improve im-prove and eoon she was pronounced out of danger. Good care and tho thought or onco more having a home of their own mado recovery so much oasler, and Mary was soon found dally In the convalescent' ward. One afternoon, two weeks after Mary Manning had Joined tho convalcscontu, her husband did not mako his usual visit to tho hospital, and ns the day advanced and night came, a strange fear seized his wife. All night sho lay wido-eyod, wondering won-dering what coidd havo happened, and next morning when sho hoard tho other convalescents of tho ward talking of a footpad who had been shot by a "plain clothes man," a nameless fear tilled her heart. Almost fainting from weakness, Mrs. Manning Inquired Into tho details of tho tragedy, her horrlhlo conviction growing stronger and stronger within her ns each detail was added. At last sho could stand It no longer. Slipping away from the rest of the patients, she passed unnoticed to her room In tho basemont. donned hor shabby street gown, wrapped herself In a heavy shawl and made her way to tho morgue. Threo days later Mary Manning lay dying dy-ing in the hoKpllnl. Sho had suffered a relapse from somo unknown cause, and tho doctors said thero was no possible hopo for her. A sweet-faced nurse leaned close to the Hps of the dying woman to hear hor last request. Sho told tho nurse all, wringing from her tho promiso that her remains should bo burled in the pauper's pau-per's Held next lo tho new-made grave marked "Unknown," and tho further promise that with hor should be burled tho story of their Identity. "For." sho gasped, as hor llfo fast ebbed away, "I know ho did not mean to do wrong and ci.ly entered upon a life of sin through love nf me that I might not longer know want." And so the friends In tho Pennsylvania homo still await tidings from John and Mary Manning tidings which will never come. |