Part 76 (2/2)

Ellen had a feeling as if she were smiting in the face that image of Robert which always dwelt in her heart.

”Well,” said Abby, with a mirthless laugh, ”there's one thing: according to the Scriptures, it is as hard for the rich man to get into heaven as it is for the poor men to get into their factories.”

”You don't suppose there will be any danger?” f.a.n.n.y said again, anxiously.

”Danger--no; who's afraid of Amos Lee and a few like him?” cried Abby, contemptuously; ”and Nahum Beals is safe. He's going to be tried next month, they say, but they'll make it imprisonment for life, because they think he wasn't in his right mind. If he was here we might be afraid, but there's n.o.body now that will do anything but talk. I ain't afraid. I'm going to march up to the shop to-morrow morning and go to work, and I'd like to see anybody stop me.”

However, before they left, John Sargent spoke aside with Andrew, and told him of a plan for the returning workmen to meet at the corner of a certain street, and go in a body to the factory, and suggested that there might be pickets posted by the union men, and Andrew resolved to go with Ellen.

The next morning the rain had quite ceased, and there was a faint something, rather a reminiscence than a suggestion, of early spring in the air. People caught themselves looking hard at the elm branches to see if they were acquiring the virile fringe of spring or if their eyes deceived them, and wondered, with respect to the tips of maple and horse-chestnut branches, whether or not they were swollen red and glossy. Sometimes they sniffed incredulously when a soft gust of south wind seemed laden with fresh blossom fragrance.

”I declare, if I didn't know better, I should think I smelled apple blossoms,” said Maria.

”Stuff!” returned Abby. She was marching along with an alert, springy motion of her lean little body. She was keenly alive to the situation, and scented something besides apple blossoms. She had tried to induce Maria to remain at home. ”I don't know but there'll be trouble, and if there is, you'll be just in the way,” she told her before they left the house, but not in their parents' hearing.

”Oh, I don't believe there'll be any. Folks will be too glad to get back to work,” replied Maria. She had a vein of obstinacy, gentle as she was; then, too, she had a reason which no one suspected for wis.h.i.+ng to be present. She would not yield when John Sargent begged her privately not to go. It was just because she was afraid there might be trouble, and he was going to be in it, that she could not bear to stay at home herself.

Andrew had insisted upon accompanying Ellen in spite of her remonstrances. ”I've got an errand down to the store,” he said, evasively; but Ellen understood.

”I don't think there is any danger, and there wouldn't be any danger for me--not for the girls, sure,” she said; but he persisted.

”Don't you say a word to your mother to scare her,” he whispered.

But they had not been gone long before f.a.n.n.y followed them, Mrs.

Zelotes watching her furtively from a window as she went by.

All the returning employes met, as agreed upon, at the corner of a certain street, and marched in a solid body towards Lloyd's. The men insisted upon placing the girls in the centre of this body, although some of them rebelled, notably Sadie Peel. She was on hand, laughing and defiant.

”I guess I ain't afraid,” she proclaimed. ”Father's keepin' on strikin', but I guess he won't see his own daughter hurt; and now I'm goin' to have my nea.r.s.eal cape, if it is late in the season.

They're cheaper now, that's one good thing. On some accounts the strike has been a lucky thing for me.” She marched along, swinging her arms jauntily. Ellen and Maria and Abby were close together.

Andrew was on the right of Ellen, Granville Joy behind; the young laster, who had called so frequently evenings, was with him. John Sargent and w.i.l.l.y Jones were on the left. They all walked in the middle of the street like an army. It was covertly understood that there might be trouble. Some of the younger men from time to time put hands on their pockets, and a number carried stout sticks.

The first intimation of disturbance came when they met an electric-car, and all moved to one side to let it pa.s.s. The car was quite full of people going to another town, some thirty miles distant, to work in a large factory there. Nearly every man and woman on the car belonged to the union.

As this car slid past a great yell went up from the occupants; men on the platforms swung their arms in execration and derision.

”Sc-ab, sc-ab!” they called. A young fellow leaped from the rear platform, caught up a stone and flung it at the returning Lloyd men, but it went wide of its mark. Then he was back on the platform with a running jump, and one of the Lloyd men threw a stone, which missed him. The yell of ”Scab, scab!” went up with renewed vigor, until it died out of hearing along with the rumble of the car.

”Sometimes I wish I had joined the union and stuck it out,” said one of the Lloyd men, gloomily.

”For the Lord's sake, don't show the white feather now!” cried a young fellow beside him, who was striding on with an eager, even joyous outlook. He had fighting blood, and it was up, and he took a keen delight in the situation.

”It's easy to talk,” grumbled the other man. ”I don't know but all our help lies in the union, and we've been a pack of fools not to go in with them, because we hoped Lloyd would weaken and take us back.

He hasn't weakened; we've had to. Good G.o.d, them that's rich have it their own way!”

”I'd have joined the union in a minute, and got a job, and got my nea.r.s.eal cape, if it hadn't been for father,” said Sadie Peel, with a loud laugh. ”But, my land! if father'd caught me joinin' the union I dun'no' as there would have been anything left of me to wear the cape.”

They all marched along with no disturbance until they reached the corner of the street into which they had to turn in order to approach Lloyd's. There they were confronted by a line of pickets, stationed there by the union, and the real trouble began. Yells of ”Scab, scab!” filled the air.

”Good land, I ain't no more of a scab than you be!” shrieked Sadie Peel, in a loud, angry voice. ”Scab yourself! Touch me if you da.s.se!”

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