George.  Minnie, tell me, what made you come back to Foxon Falls today?

   (He seizes her hand.)

Minnie (struggling).  Don’t, George,—­don’t go and be foolish again!

   (The shop whistle blows.  She pulls away from him and backs toward
   the doorway, upper right.)

There’s the noon whistle!  Goodbye, I’ll be thinking of you, over there.

George.  I’ll write to you.  Will you write to me, Minnie?

Minnie (shaking her head).  Don’t lose any sleep about me.  Good luck,
George!

(She goes to the doorway, upper right, turns, kisses her hand to George and disappears.  He goes to the doorway and gazes after her; presently he raises his hand and waves in answer to another signal, and smiles.  He remains there until Minnie is out of sight, and then is about to come back into the room when a man appears on the sidewalk, seen through the windows.  The man is Prag.  He is a gaunt workman, with high cheek bones and a rather fanatical light in his blue eyes.  He stands motionless, gazing at the house.)

George (calling).  Do you want anything, Prag?

Prag.  I joost come to look at your house, where you live.  It is no harm, is it?

George.  None at all.

   (Prag continues to stare at the house, and George obeys a sudden
   impulse.)

Won’t you come in, Prag?

Prag (looking fixedly at the house).  No, I stay here.

George.  Come in a while,—­don’t be unsociable.

   (Prag crosses the lawn and enters, upper right.  He surveys the room
   curiously, defiantly, and then George in uniform, as he cones down
   the stage.)

You’re not working today?

Prag (with bitter gloom).  I lose my job, you don’t hear?  No, it is nothings to you, and you go away to fight for liberty,—­ain’t it?

George.  How did you lose your job?

Prag.  The foreman come to me last night and says, “Prag I hear you belong to the union.  You gets out.”

George (after a moment’s hesitation).  But—­there are plenty of other jobs these days.  You can go down to the coast and get more than five dollars a day at a shipyard.

Prag.  It is easy, yes, when you have a little home bought already, and mortgaged, and childrens who go to school here, and a wife a long time sick.

George.  I’m sorry.  But weren’t you getting along all right here, except your wife’s illness?  I don’t want to be impertinent,—­I recognize that it’s your affair, but I’d like to know why you joined the union.

Prag.  Why is it you join the army?  To fight for somethings you would give your life for—­not so?  Und you are a soldier,—­would you run away from your comrades to live safe and happy?  No!  That is like me.  I lose my job, I go away from my wife and childrens, but it is not for me, it is for all, to get better things for all,—­freedoms for all.