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Show THE BLACK LIST' AT THE LYRIC FRU1ND SAT. "Tho niock-Llst" is a check-up system sy-stem used In many mines which makes It practically Impossible for n miner who leaves, or Is discharged, by ono company to obtain work elsewhere. else-where. This brings about n state of practical slavery. It ls enforced by armed mlne-gunrds who hold themselves them-selves accountable to law higher than . the will of their employer and are backed by n nolltlcnl null nownrful enough to protect the owner. Tho evils of the mine-guards system sy-stem nro Illustrated In the story of Vera Moroff, a ung Russian girl who teaches tho company school. On lenvlng tho school ono day she Is In-suited In-suited by King, tho company's head guard. Ono of tho miners comes to her defenso nnd Is arrested. Vera goqs to Norton, tho manager of tho company, but enn get no satisfaction. Tho miner Is ordered dismissed. When tho mlne-gunrds go to tho mln or's houso to evict hlin, ho nttneks King nnd Is shot. Vern tukes tho minor's fnmlly to her own house nnd writes a strong letter of protest to Warren Hnrcourt, president of the Company, whom eho has never seen. Scrglus Mnroff, Vern's fnthor, also writes a letter to tho powerful nnnrc-hlstlc nnnrc-hlstlc secret society, "Tho Red Brotherhood," Bro-therhood," and nsks that a blow be aimed at this tyranny, by nssnsslnnt Ing Harcourt. Tho "Brotherhood" sends Holtz with full power to decree tho death of 'Harcourt If clrcum- smui:us wuiiuiii. Holtz and Hnrcourt nrrlvo on tho samo train. Harcourt meets Vera In tho llttlo school Just In tlmo to find King presenting Vera with Norton's order of dismissal for sheltering tho widow and shlldrcn of tho murdered minor. Harcourt finally tells tho girl who ho Is and that ho will glvo tho miners a hearing. That night the miners hold a secret meeting nnd ngreo to put their complaint com-plaint betoro tho mlno president nnd let his answer dccldo his fate. Tho next morning Vera tolls Harcourt Har-court that ho must abandon, tho "Black-List" nnd tho mlno-gunrds or tho miners will strike This Hnrcourt Hnr-court rofuscs to do nnd row begins. Under Norton's orders, tho minors nro evicted from their houses, but erect themselves tents in tho nenr-by nenr-by hills to Beo thnt no strlko-brenk-crs get their jobs. In tho hills tho Red Brotherhood draw lots to seo who Is to kill Hnrcourt. Vern, unknown un-known to tho others draws tho fntnl bean Sho Bccurcs a rovolvor nnd starts back to tho mlno offlco to fulfill ful-fill her. on th. Thero Harcourt sweeps her off her feet by telling her of his lovo and anxiety for her and aBks her to marry him. Unnerved nt this, Vera asks him to leave but Is unablo to Bhoot him. Tho mlno'-guards aro fully armod with rifles and nlso havo a machlno-gun machlno-gun so when ono of tho minors' sharpshooters, sharp-shooters, ngnlnst orders, shoots ono of thotr numbor, tho enraged gunrds turn tho machlno gun and their rifles upon tho dofcnseless miners In their tents. Tho mine-guards then plllago and burn tho minors' rotreat. Harcourt Har-court .when ho hears this, throws all his flno-spun theories asldo and tries to stop tho carnage Ho Is too lato. Crazed with, remorso ho dictates an ordor abolishing tho "Black-List" and tho mine-guards, thai meeting tho minors' demand. In tho meantime Vera has been fighting sldo by sldo with tho men of i her pcoplo. Sho has seen many of her friends slain and her father dies In her arms, but as ho dies ho tells hor that tho traitor who failed to carry out tho Brotherhood's decree Is rcsponslblo for tho lives lost. Vera confesses that sho Is tho traitor nnd with a revolver goes to kill Harcourt. Sho shoots dlarcourt, wounding but not killing him, then turns tho gun upon herself. Harcourt springs for- wnrd In tlmo, to send tho second shot wild and Vera collapses. Hnrcourt then hands hor tho paper containing tho Black List, and tells her to tear It up. Ho tells her that they both havo been wrong and asks her to teach him to lovo her people so that ho can really holp them. A great wave of lovo, hope and happiness II lumlnates Vcra's faco as the story ends. |