likely to become a perfunctory affair with
thousands taking part because they feel they have to. Also Christmas
is exploited by many people. Their sympathy for the good-fellowship of
the occasion is measured largely by the dollars and cents that it
pours into their coffers.

"You should see all these drawbacks and then decide for yourselves
whether the advantages of Christmas overbalance the drawbacks. For my
part I believe that they do and I enjoy the day and the season. But
don't take my word for it. Decide for yourselves."

The result was that everybody at the Institute got busy several weeks
before the holiday season, and the manner in which the products of
girl ingenuity began to pile up must have been satisfying indeed to
the head of the school. But the work was not all done when the Camp
Fire arrived at Hollyhill, most of the girls still having enough to do
to keep them busy almost up to Christmas eve.

Mr. Stanlock advised the girls not to leave the house under any
consideration after night, and engaged three detectives, who were
given instructions to follow and protect any of Marion's guests who
might desire to go shopping or make other journeys about the city in
the day time. Automobiles, with drivers, were within ready call for
these men at any time. It was understood, also, that no journeys were
to be made into the section of the city inhabited by the miners and
their families.

Thus far the strike had not been attended by violence of any sort or
the destruction of property. The men had simply ceased to work and had
submitted their demands to the president of the company. The latter
realized at once that the employees were being led by an unusual type
of labor agitators, who might be expected to employ unusual methods to
gain their ends. The man who appeared to be the leader was as unusual
in appearance as he was in methods pursued. He was about thirty-five
years old, but looked five or eight years younger. He had first been
employed in the mines about six months before as an operator of an
electric chain-cutter machine, but he had not long been connected with
the work before his influence among the men began to be felt. To the
casual observer, he was a quiet sharp-eyed man, who seldom spoke,
under ordinary circumstances, unless he was first spoken to. But he
got in communication with all his fellow workers in some mysterious
manner and before long, in spite of the fact that he was not what is
popularly