"And ere that hour departed.
All death reveals, he knew."


CHAPTER III.

A change had taken place in the atmosphere since Bessy and Abe had
returned. Here and there green patches could be seen on the hill side,
and the distant town presented a view of smoke-blackened roofs that
shone, dripping with wet as the sickly' sun glanced over them. Little or
no snow was to be found in the streets, and all the hideous sights stood
out once more rejoicing in their naked deformities.

The giant engine--the factory's heart--was ceasing to beat once more, in
order to allow the workers time to swallow the food necessary to enable
them to bear up until noon. The gates were opened, and the crowd swarmed
forth, but all seemed instinctively directed to a group at a short
distance, whose pallid faces reflected the ghastly sight before them.
The group soon swelled to a vast crowd. Enquiries were made on every
hand by those in the outer circle--"What is it? what is it?" "_Frozen
to death._" Tenderly those rough handed, rough-spoken men raised the
death-frozen little ones. Some there were who knew them and had heard of
their loss. It was to them an easy task to account for their deaths, and
curses low but deep were cast on them, at whose doors the blood of those
innocents must lie.

The bodies were taken to the nearest inn to wait an inquest. Those in
authority were quickly on the alert; whilst some who were acquainted
with the parents prepared to carry them the sorrowful tidings.--Poor