direction of Brett's house with an empty basket in her hand.
I don't need three guesses to tell me what she'd been doing!" His lip
curled. "Nice bit of business, eh? We're trying to break a strike,
while our own manager rushes food to the strikers!"

"Brett's wife has been sick and there are two kids to be looked after.
Sheila Graham probably remembered that and forgot everything else.
Billy may not have known anything about it--or have been able to stop
her if he did. Sheila is just as clever as she is pretty and generally
gets her own way in everything; since her mother died three years ago
she has been able to twist her father around her little finger. Smart
girl."

"Entirely too smart!"

The words were uttered with so much passion that Jason Bolt moved
uncomfortably on his chair, reproaching himself with having been
wanting in tact. There were good and sufficient reasons why Varr
should react to the mention of the girl's name like a bull to a red
rag, and here he had been stupid enough actually to praise the young
woman whom the tanner had referred to contemptuously as Graham's lanky
daughter. He opened his mouth with intent to change the subject, but
an outburst from Varr forestalled him.

"You say she has her own way with her father. Exactly! Let me tell
you, Jason, I've no use at all for a man who can't command obedience
from his own children. That is something for my boy, Copley, to
consider before he involves himself any more deeply with Sheila
Graham--the daughter of one of my workmen of whose loyalty even I can't
be certain!" Under his sense of irritation, as his resentment against
those who were defying his wishes steadily increased, his voice grew
louder and more harsh. "If that girl wants to do her father a bad
turn, just let her continue to encourage that young fool! I was a wise
man never to give Graham a contract! He's only on salary, and for two
cents I'd give him a month's pay and throw him out!"

"Well, I hope you won't," ventured Jason cautiously. He seemed to
spend most of his time debating whether the moment were propitious to
reason with Varr or whether he were best left alone! "It would be
awfully hard to replace Billy. You wouldn't have the satisfaction of
knowing that you had hurt him much, either. He told me recently that
the Thibault Tanneries have made him a very good offer to go to them.
He'd better himself considerably."

"He would, eh? Why hasn't he accepted?"