Didactic fiction; Political fiction; Social problems -- Fiction
"Well," he snarled, "I guess I'll have to go over and wake up your
friend. It'll take you about half an hour to wish you'd come
instead...."
There is no need of printing all that he said.
He walked across the street. Yetta could not help turning her head to
watch him as he entered the swinging door. He caught her glance and
waved his hand. Her fright disappeared in anger. Of course she did not
believe that he had persuaded one of her union girls to go into the
saloon with him. But it was even viler to pretend that he had. Some one
ought to kill the brute.
Just then Yetta saw one of the strikers--little Mrs. Muscovitz--hurrying
up the street. Yetta rushed to meet her.
"Were you detailed here?" she asked eagerly.
Mrs. Muscovitz was coughing and could only nod her head affirmatively.
Yetta wanted to shout with joy. So Pick-Axe's story was after all a lie.
"I'm sorry I'm late," little Mrs. Muscovitz said hoarsely, for she was
"bad with bronchitis," "but I got a little money this morning and I had
to buy some things for the baby."
One glance told Yetta where the money had come from--Mrs. Muscovitz had
pawned her shawl. More than once they had picketed together, and Yetta
knew the little woman's story. Three years before she had married a
young sign painter. Before the honeymoon was over he had begun to cough.
He died before the baby was born. And when Mrs. Muscovitz had been able
to get about again, all the furniture of their little home had gone for
doctor's bills. Her engagement and wedding rings had brought her enough
to establish herself in a garret. She took the baby to a day nursery and
went to work. Now, she was coughing. It hurts to cough when one also has
the bronchitis. Having no shawl, her thin waist was soaked and plastered
to her skin. Yetta could see the muscles of her back work convulsively
whenever she coughed.
"Look y'ere, Mrs. Muscovitz," she said authoritatively. "You go home.
You ain't got no business out on a day like this. You'll catch your
death. There ain't nothing doing to-day. I can hold it down alone."
"It's all right for you to talk, Yetta," Mrs. Muscovitz replied. "You
can make speeches and you can work in the office and do lots of things
for the Union. There ain't nothing I can do but picket. I couldn't pay
rent without the 'strike benefits.' I've got to do something."
Pick-Axe came out of the saloon and seeing them together, knowing that
it was less sport trying to torment two women than one, pulled his chair
well inside of the doorway and cursed the vile weather.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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