ture with his brown, hairy hand, then turned slowly into
the little hallway, and went heavily to his room. At breakfast-time he
was gone.

Fred came bounding in at half past six, alert and eager, yet with grave
concern on his keen young face. "I've been the length of the yards," he
said, "and I'm hungry as a wolf, mother. They say they're going to block
the incoming trains, and prevent others going out. Big crowds are
gathering already, and I shouldn't be surprised if we were ordered on
duty this very day. Where's Jim?"

"He got up and dressed after you went out, Fred," was the reply. "He
said he wanted no breakfast. Father has gone early to the shops. He
thought he might meet you."

"Well, I'll stop there to see him on my way to the office. I've got to
see Mr. Manners first thing about getting off if the call comes."

"I hope he'll say no," said Jessie Wallace, promptly. She was the
younger, prettier sister, and the more impulsive.

"You thought the regiment beautiful on Memorial day, Jess, and were glad
enough to go and see the parade," said Fred, with a mouth nearly full of
porridge.

"That's different. I like the band, and the plumes and uniforms, and
parading and drilling, but I don't want you to be shot or stoned or
abused the way the other regiment was at the mines last spring."

"Well, there's where you and Manners don't agree. He objects to my
belonging because of the parades and drills and summer camp, says it's
all vanity, foolishness, and that only popinjays want to wear uniforms.
I guess he'd be glad enough to have us in line if a mob should make a
break for the works, but I own I'm worried about what he'll say to-day."

And Fred might well be worried. Dense throngs of excited men were
gathered along the yards as he wended his way to the works after a few
words with his father at the gloomy shop. An engine with some flat cars
had come out with newly employed men to man the switches. Engineer,
firemen, and the newly employed had to flee for their lives, and the
assistant-superintendent was being carried to the emergency hospital in
a police patrol wagon. Nobody was being carried to the police station.
"There'll be worse for the next load that comes," shouted Stoltz from
the sidewalk, and a storm of jeers and yells was the applauding answer.
These sounds were still ringing in young Wallace's ears when he came
before the manager. Mr. Manners turned round in his chair when Fred told
him of his orders o