en different processes which taken together are
known as throwing," explained Henri. "First the silk reeled from the
cocoons must be wound; then cleaned of all gum; picked--which means that
the uneven lumps must be removed; doubled, to make the thread stronger;
twisted, to make it still firmer; rewound; and finally reeled all over
again into silken yarn. Then it is ready to be put into any form
desired, in accordance with orders received from the weaving companies.
Sometimes it is made into what we call _singles_, one thread being given
a twist to make it stronger. Sometimes, as I told you, it is made into
_tram_, two or three threads being twisted lightly together just enough
to hold them; tram, as I said, is used for the filling or woof of woven
materials. Or perhaps _organzine_, which forms the warp threads of woven
goods and is composed of two or as many more singles as desired, is
ordered. Organzine can, of course, be made in any size specified, its
coarseness or fineness varying with the strength necessary; and it can
also be twisted any number of times to make it loose or tight. It must,
however, be twisted in the opposite direction from the twist given it
when the thread is made into singles or else that twist would come out
and do no good. And just here is an amusing point and one that nettles
the American buyers not a little. The moment raw silk is twisted even
once, transforming it into singles, the custom-house officials on the
other side of the water cease to regard it as a raw product although
nothing in the way of actual manufacture has taken place in its
preparation. The difference in its rating makes a difference in the duty
levied on it. Odd, isn't it?"

"How do you come to know all these things, Henri?" demanded Pierre. "You
seem to have studied everything there is to learn about silk."

"Indeed I haven't! But when you hear silk-making talked on every hand
you can't help picking up more or less information about it. Let me be
set down in a weaving mill, though, and I should be ignorant as a baby.
The problems of weaving are not in my line. Here in Pont-de-Saint-Michel
almost every one is employed in the Gaspard filature, or in the throwing
mills; and if not, the people raise silkworms. Since the men have been
called to the colors practically all the work of this big manufacturing
plant is being done by women, boys, and children. The few men we have
who are operating the heavier machines have either be