“Oh, what’s hard on all of us?  What’s the use of asking?” said the girl, with a bitter coquetry.  “I shouldn’t think any man with horse-sense would ask what’s hard on us when he’s seen the ornaments tacked up all over the shop this morning.”

“That’s so,” said Lee, with a glance over his shoulder.  Flynn was at the other end of the room.  Granville Joy, Dixon, and one or two other men were sauntering up.  For a second the little group looked at one another.

“What are you going to do?” asked Ellen, in a low voice, which had an intonation that caused the others to start.

“I know what I’ll do, if I can get enough to back me,” cried Lee, in a loud voice.

“Hush up!” said Sadie Peel.  Then her father came along smiling his imperturbable smile on his wide face, which had a Slavonic cast, although he was New England born and bred.  He looked from one to the other without saying a word.

“We’re deciding whether to strike or not, father,” said Sadie, in a flippant manner.  She raised a hand and adjusted a stray lock of hair as she spoke, then she straightened her ribbon stock.  Her father said nothing, but his face assumed a stolidity of expression.

“I know what I’ll do,” proclaimed Amos Lee again.

“Hush up!” cried Sadie Peel again, with a giggle.  “Here’s Ed Flynn.” 
 And the foreman came sauntering up as the one-o’clock whistle blew,
and the workers sprang to their posts of work.

Chapter XLIX

The snow increased all day.  When the six-o’clock whistle blew, and the workmen streamed out of the factories, it was a wild waste of winter and storm.  The wind had come up, and the light snow arose in the distance like white dancers of death, spinning furiously over the level, then settling into long, gravelike ridges.  Ellen glanced into the office as she passed the door, and saw Robert Lloyd talking busily with Flynn and another foreman by the name of Dennison.  As she passed, Robert turned with a look as if he had been watching for her, and came forward hastily.

“Miss Brewster!” he called.

Mamie Brady, following close behind, gave Ellen an admonishing nudge.  “Boss wants to see you,” she whispered, loudly.  Ellen stopped, and Robert came up.

“Please step in here a moment, Miss Brewster,” he said, and colored a little.

Granville Joy, who was following Ellen, looked keenly at him, some one sniggered aloud, and a girl said quite audibly, “My land!”

Ellen followed Robert into the office, and he bent over her, speaking rapidly, in a low voice.

“You must not walk home in this snow,” he said, “and the cars are not running.  You must let me take you.  My sleigh is at the door.”