les and two or three of the ancients were squaring a
block of marble under a shelter by themselves. Richard made it a
point to cross over and speak to them. In past days he had not been
exacting with these old boys, and they always had a welcome for him.

Slocum's Yard seldom presented a serener air of contented industry
than it wore that morning; but in spite of all this smooth outside it
was a foregone conclusion with most of the men that Slocum, with
Shackford behind him, would never submit to the new scale of wages.
There were a few who had protested against these resolutions and
still disapproved of them, but were forced to go with the
Association, which had really been dragged into the current by the
other trades.

The Dana Mills and the Miantowona Iron Works were paying lighter
wages than similar establishments nearer the great city. The managers
contended that they were paying as high if not higher rates, taking
into consideration the cheaper cost of living in Stillwater. "But you
get city prices for your wares," retorted the union; "you don't pay
city rents, and you shall pay city wages." Meetings were held at
Grimsey's Hall and the subject was canvassed, at first calmly and
then stormily. Among the molders, and possibly the sheet-iron
workers, there was cause for dissatisfaction; but the dissatisfaction
spread to where no grievance existed; it seized upon the spinners,
and finally upon the marble workers. Torrini fanned the flame there.
Taking for his text the rentage question, he argued that Slocum was
well able to give a trifle more for labor than his city competitors.
"The annual rent of a yard like Slocum's would be four thousand or
five thousand dollars in the city. It doesn't cost Slocum two hundred
dollars. It is no more than just that the laborer should have a
share--he only asks a beggarly share--of the prosperity which he has
helped to build up." This was specious and taking. Then there came
down from the great city a glib person disguised as The Workingman's
Friend,--no workingman himself, mind you, but a ghoul that lives upon
subscriptions and sucks the senses out of innocent human beings,--who
managed to set the place by the ears. The result of all which was
that one May morning every shop, mill, and factory in Stillwater was
served with a notice from the trades-union, and a general strike
threatened.

But our business at present is exclusively with Slocum's Yard.

XV

"Since we ar