r strong companies dangled at the belt of the big chief
of the Engineers' Brotherhood. These were all won by diplomacy, but the
men did not know it. They believed that the show of strength had awed
the railway officials of the country and that the railway labor
organizations were invincible. A little easing off by the Brotherhood,
and a little forbearance on the part of the management might, at the
start, have averted the great struggle; but when once war had been
declared the generals on both sides had no choice but to fight it out to
a finish.

CHAPTER FOURTH

"Can you spare me a little money, George?" asked Mrs. Cowels, adjusting
her last year's coat.

"What do you want of money?"

"Well--it's Christmas eve, and I thought we ought to have something for
Bennie. He has been asking me all evening what I expected from Santa
Claus, never hinting, of course, that he expected anything."

"Well, here's a dollar."

Mrs. Cowels took the money and went over to the little store.

There were so many things to choose from that she found it difficult to
make a selection. Finally she paid a quarter for a tin whistle and two
bunches of noise--that was for the boy. With the remaining seventy-five
cents she bought a pair of gloves for her husband.

"Anybody been here to-day?" asked Cowels of his wife when she came back
from the store.

"Yes, Mr. Squeesum, secretary of the Benevolent Building Association,
was here to see you about the last two payments which are over-due, on
the house."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that we had no money."

"What did he say?"

"He said that was very strange, as the Brotherhoods were pouring
thousands of dollars into Chicago to aid the strikers. What becomes of
all this money, George? You never seem to get any of it."

"We pour it out again," said Cowels, "to the army of engine-men who are
coming here from the Reading and everywhere to take our places. We hire
them--buy them off--bribe them, to prevent them from taking service with
the company, and yet it seems there is no end to the supply. For every
man we secure the company brings a score, and we are losing ground.
Members of the Brotherhood everywhere are growing weary of the long
struggle. They have good jobs and object to paying from six to twelve
dollars a month to support the strikers. Some have even refused to pay
assessments and have surrendered their charters. Anybody else here?"

"Yes, a man named Hawkins.