TIMOTHY. It's disappeared entirely she is, ma'am,--here one minute and there the next, the way with young people nowadays. And she's going back to Newcastle this afternoon, to her job at the Wire Works. AUGUSTA. I must see her before she goes. I feel in a measure responsible for her. You'll tell her? TIMOTHY. I'll tell her. AUGUSTA. How are you getting along, Bert? BERT. Very well, thank you, Mrs. Pindar. (The MAID enters, lower right.) MAID. Miss Thorpe wishes to speak with you, ma'am. AUGUSTA (gathering up her knitting). It's about the wool for the Red Cross. (Exit, lower right.) GEORGE (shaking hands with BERT). Hello, Bert,--how goes it? BERT. All right, thank you, lieutenant. GEORGE. Oh, cut out the title. (BERT FARRELL is about twenty three. He wears a brown flannel shirt and a blue four-in-hand tie, and a good ready-made suit. He holds his hat in front of him. He is a self-respecting, able young Irish American of the blue-eyed type that have died by thousands on the battle fields of France, and whose pictures may be seen in our newspapers.) ASHER. You're not working today, Bert? BERT. I've left the shops, Mr. Pindar,--I got through last night. ASHER. Left the shops! You didn't say anything about this, Timothy! TIMOTHY. No, sir,--you have trouble enough today. ASHER (to BERT). Why did you leave? BERT. I'm going to enlist, Mr. Pindar,--with the Marines. From what I've heard of that corps, I think I'd like to join it. ASHER (exasperated). But why do you do a thing like this when you must know I need every man here to help turn out these machines? And especially young men like you, good mechanics! If you wanted to serve your country, you were better off where you were. I got you exempted--(catching himself) I mean, you were exempted from the draft. BERT. I didn't want to be exempted, sir. More than four hundred of the boys have gone from the shops, as well as Mr. George here, and I couldn't stand it no longer. ASHER. What's Mr. George got to do with it? The cases are different. BERT (stoutly). I don't see that, Mr. Pindar. Every man, no matter who he is, has to decide a thing like this for himself. GEORGE. Bert's right, dad. ASHER. You say he's right, when you know that I need every hand I can get to carry out this contract? GEORGE. He's going to make a contract, too. He's giving up all he has. ASHER. And you approve of this, Timothy? TIMOTHY. Sure, I couldn't stop him, Mr. Pindar! And it's proud I am of him, the same as you are of Mr. George, that he'd be fighting for America and liberty. ASHER. Liberty! License is what we're getting now! The workman thinks he can do as he pleases. And after all I've done for my workmen,--building them a club house with a piano in it, and a library and a billiard table, trying to do my best to make them comfortable and contented. I pay them enough to buy pianos and billiard tables for themselves, and you tell me they want still higher wages.