thought, "people are not persons to
him any more; he's swallowed up in the cause." Luckily she was too busy
during the day, too tired at night, to brood much on the matter.
However, one evening at committee meeting, her moment of realization
came. The committee, including Myra and Joe and herself and some five
others, were sitting about the hot stove, discussing the call of a Local
on the East Side for a capable organizer.

"It's hard to spare any one," mused Joe, "and yet--" He looked about the
circle. "There's Miss Craig and--Miss Heffer."

Both Myra and Sally turned pale and trembled a little. Each felt as if
the moment had come when he would shut one or the other out of his life.
Sally spoke in a low voice:

"I'm pretty busy right here, Mr. Joe."

"I know," he reflected. "And I guess Miss Craig could do it."

He opened the stove door, took the tiny shovel, stuck it into the
coal-box, and threw some fresh coal on the lividly red embers. Then he
stood up and gazed round the circle again.

"Sally," he said, "it's _your_ work--you'll have to go."

She bowed her head.

"You're sure," she murmured, "I'm not needed here?"

"Needed?" he mused. "Yes. But needed more over there!"

She looked up at him and met his eyes. Her own were pleading with him.

"Surely?"

"Surely, Sally. We're not in this game for fun, are we?"

"I'll do as you say," she breathed.

Her head began to swim; she felt as if she would break down and cry. She
arose.

"I'll be right back."

She groped her way through the inner rooms to the kitchen. Joe's mother
was reading.

"Mrs. Blaine...."

"Sally! What's the matter?"

Joe's mother arose.

"I'm going ... going to another Local.... I'm leaving here to-night ...
for good and always."

Joe's mother drew her close, and Sally sobbed openly.

"It's been my home here--the first I've had in years--but I'll never
come back."

"Oh, you must come back."

"No...." she looked up bravely. "Mrs. Blaine."

"Yes, Sally."

"He doesn't need me any more; he's outgrown me; he doesn't need any one
now."

What could Joe's mother say?

"Sally!" she cried, and then she murmured: "It's you who don't need any
one, Sally. You're strong and independent. You can live your own live.
And you've helped make Joe strong. Wait, and see."

And she went on to speak of Sally's work, of her influence in the
place, of the joy she brought to others, and finally Sally said:

"Forgive me for coming to you li