't kind and good natured and generous, George, but you didn't know.
How could you? You'd never had a chance to learn anything!

GEORGE (bitterly, yet smiling in spite of himself). That's so!

MINNIE. I remember that first night I ran into you,--I was coming home
from your shops, and you made love to me right off the bat! And after
that we used to meet by the watering trough on the Lindon road. We were
kids then. And it didn't make no difference how tired I was, I'd get
over it as soon as I saw you. You were the live wire!

GEORGE. Minnie, tell me, what made you come back to Foxon Falls today?

(He seizes her hand.)

MINNIE (struggling). Don't, George,--don't go and be foolish again!

(The shop whistle blows. She pulls away from him and backs toward
the doorway, upper right.)

There's the noon whistle! Goodbye, I'll be thinking of you, over there.

GEORGE. I'll write to you. Will you write to me, Minnie?

MINNIE (shaking her head). Don't lose any sleep about me. Good luck,
George!

(She goes to the doorway, upper right, turns, kisses her hand to
GEORGE and disappears. He goes to the doorway and gazes after her;
presently he raises his hand and waves in answer to another signal,
and smiles. He remains there until MINNIE is out of sight, and then
is about to come back into the room when a man appears on the
sidewalk, seen through the windows. The man is PRAG. He is a gaunt
workman, with high cheek bones and a rather fanatical light in his
blue eyes. He stands motionless, gazing at the house.)

GEORGE (calling). Do you want anything, Prag?

PRAG. I joost come to look at your house, where you live. It is no
harm, is it?

GEORGE. None at all.

(PRAG continues to stare at the house, and GEORGE obeys a sudden
impulse.)

Won't you come in, Prag?

PRAG (looking fixedly at the house). No, I stay here.

GEORGE. Come in a while,--don't be unsociable.

(PRAG crosses the lawn and enters, upper right. He surveys the room
curiously, defiantly, and then GEORGE in uniform, as he cones down
the stage.)

You're not working today?

PRAG (with bitter gloom). I lose my job, you don't hear? No, it is
nothings to you, and you go away to fight for liberty,--ain't it?

GEORGE. How did you lose your job?

PRAG. The foreman come to me last night and says, "Prag I hear you
belong to the union. You gets out."

GEORGE (after a moment's hesitation). But--there are plenty of oth