“Your neuralgy again, dearie?” she asked in pretty concern.

Sadie sniffed long and audibly at the peppermint bottle.

“If you ask me I think there’s some imp inside of my head trying to push my right eye out with his thumb.  Anyway it feels like that.”

“Poor old dear!” breathed Julia.  “It’s the weather.  Have them send you up a pot of black tea.”

“When you’ve got neuralgy over your right eye,” observed Sadie Corn grimly, “there’s just one thing helps—­that is to crawl into bed in a flannel nightgown, with the side of your face resting on the red rubber bosom of a hot-water bottle.  And I can’t do it; so let’s talk about something cheerful.  Seen Jo to-day?”

There crept into Julia’s face a wave of colour—­not the pink of pleasure, but the dull red of pain.  She looked away from Sadie’s eyes and down at her shabby boots.  The sullen look was in her face once more.

“No; I ain’t seen him,” she said.

“What’s the trouble?” Sadie asked.

“I’ve been busy,” replied Julia airily.  Then, with a forced vivacity:  “Though it’s nothing to Auto Show Week last year.  I remember that week I hooked up until my fingers were stiff.  You know the way the dresses fastened last winter.  Some of ’em ought to have had a map to go by, they were that complicated.  And now, just when I’ve got so’s I can hook any dress that was ever intended for the human form—­”

“Wasn’t it Jo who said they ought to give away an engineering blueprint with every dress, when you told him about the way they hooked?” put in Sadie.  “What’s the trouble between you and—­”

Julia rattled on, unheeding: 

“You wouldn’t believe what a difference there’s been since these new peasant styles have come in!  And the Oriental craze!  Hook down the side, most of ’em—­and they can do ’em themselves if they ain’t too fat.”

“Remember Jo saying they ought to have a hydraulic press for some of those skintight dames, when your fingers were sore from trying to squeeze them into their casings?  By the way, what’s the trouble between you and—­”

“Makes an awful difference in my tips!” cut in Julia deftly.  “I don’t believe I’ve hooked up six this evening, and two of them sprung the haven’t-anything-but-a-five-dollar-bill-see-you-to-morrow!  Women are devils!  I wish—­”

Sadie Corn leaned forward, placed her hand on Julia’s arm, and turned the girl about so that she faced her.  Julia tried miserably to escape her keen eyes and failed.

“What’s the trouble between you and Jo?” she demanded for the fourth time.  “Out with it or I’ll telephone down to the engine room and ask him myself.”

“Oh, well, if you want to know—­” She paused, her eyelids drooping again; then, with a rush:  “Me and Jo have quarrelled again—­for good, this time.  I’m through!”

“What about?”