Annie Kilburn

"Mr. Putney has never felt just right about the working-men since he lost

the boycotters' case," said Mr. Gerrish, with a snicker.

"Oh, come now, Billy, why did you give me away?" said Putney, with mock

suffering. "Well, I suppose I might as well own up, Mrs. Munger; it's no

use trying to keep it from _you_; you know it already. Yes, Annie, I

defended some poor devils here for combining to injure a non-union man--for

doing once just what the big manufacturing Trusts do every day of the year

with impunity; and I lost the case. I expected to. I told 'em they were

wrong, but I did my best for 'em. 'Why, you fools,' said I--that's the way

I talk to 'em, Annie; I call 'em pet names; they like it; they're used to

'em; they get 'em every day in the newspapers--'you fools,' said I, 'what

do you want to boycott for, when you can _vote_? What do you want to

break the laws for, when you can _make_ 'em? You idiots, you,' said I,

'what do you putter round for, persecuting non-union men, that have as good

a right to earn their bread as you, when you might make the whole United

States of America a Labour Union?' Of course I didn't say that in court."

"Oh, how delicious you are, Mr. Putney!" said Mrs. Munger.

"Glad you like me, Mrs. Munger," Putney replied.

"Yes, you're delightful," said the lady, recovering from the effects of

the drollery which they had all pretended to enjoy, Mr. Gerrish, and Mrs.

Gerrish by his leave, even more than the others. "But you're not candid.

All this doesn't help us to a conclusion. Would you give up the invited

dance and supper, or wouldn't you? That's the question."

"And no shirking, hey?" asked Putney.

"No shirking."

Putney glanced through a little transparent space in the ground-glass

windows framing the room, which Mr. Gerrish used for keeping an eye on his

sales-ladies to see that they did not sit down.

"Hello!" he exclaimed. "There's Dr. Morrell. Let's put the case to him." He

opened the door and called down the store, "Come in here, Doc!"

"What?" called back an amused voice; and after a moment steps approached,

and Dr. Morrell hesitated at the open door. He was a tall man, with a

slight stoop; well dressed; full bearded; with kind, boyish blue eyes that

twinkled in fascinating friendliness upon the group. "Nobody sick here, I

hope?"