ice." There was a good deal of resentment
about it, too. He had hired these girls and no word about pay. The
other girls waiting that morning were beaders. I learned one trick of
the trade which it appears is more or less universal. They had left
their former jobs to come to this factory in answer to an "ad" for
crochet beaders. If after one week it was found they were getting less
than they had at the old place, they would go back and say they had
been sick for a week. Otherwise they planned to stay on at this
factory. Each girl was called in alone, and alone bargained with the
boss. Monday, Sadie, just for instance, ahead of me in the Saturday
line, reported the conversation she had had with the boss:

"Well, miss, what you expect to get here?"

"What I'm worth."

"Yes, yes--you're worth one hundred dollars, but I'm talking just
plain English. What you expect to get?"

"I tell you what I'm worth."

"All right, you're worth one hundred dollars; you think you'll get
thirty dollars. I'll pay you twenty dollars."

(Sadie had previously told me under no consideration would she remain
under twenty-five dollars, but she remained for twenty dollars.)

My turn. I thought there was no question about my "price." It was
fourteen dollars. But perhaps seeing how I had run my legs almost off,
and pinned my fingers almost off all week, the boss was going
voluntarily to raise me.

"What wages you expect to get here?"

Oh, well, since he thus opened the question we would begin all new. I
had worked so much harder than I had anticipated.

"Sixteen dollars a week."

"Ho--sixteen dollars!--and last Monday it was fourteen dollars. You're
going up, yes?"

"But the work's much harder 'n I thought it 'ud be."

"So you go from fourteen dollars to sixteen dollars and I got you here
to tell you you'd get twelve dollars."

Oh, but I was mad--just plain mad! "You let me work all week thinkin'
I was gettin' fourteen dollars. It ain't fair!"

"Fair? I pay you what I can afford. Times are hard now, you know."

I could not speak for my upset feelings. To pay me twelve dollars for
the endless labor of that week when he had allowed me to think I was
getting fourteen dollars! To add insult to injury, he said, "Next week
I want you should work later than the other girls evenings, and make
no date for next Saturday" (I had told him I was in a hurry to get off
for lunch this Saturday) "because I shall want you should work
Saturday after