Hertha felt embarrassed. To these girls the trade which they worked was their one means of livelihood; they were intense in their attitude toward it, while to her it was only a step to something more, she did not yet know what. She regretted the long hours, but they would not last for many weeks, and as long as she could endure them and make good pay she had not thought of change. Richard Brown, whom she was seeing a good deal of now, urged her to drop the whole thing; but since he knew nothing of her affairs she took his advice lightly. Her little legacy kept her for the time in safety, but Sophie Switsky in her old dress with her wet shoes, sending money to her brother and striving to save for the summer, was not safe. Any day she might face starvation. "I don't know about these things," Hertha stammered in answer to the question put to her. "What's doing?" Annie Black asked good naturedly, coming over to them; but before she could receive a reply the signal came to turn to work again. "I see there's a strike in the 'Parisian,'" Kathleen said the next morning as she scanned the paper. "Perhaps you'll be going out before long; you aren't organized." "Kathleen," Hertha questioned, "do you believe in the union?" "Do I believe in the union? Do I believe in God? There, don't be shocked, but there's something tangible about what the union done for me; while, when my sister Maggie broke her arm, just as Johnnie came down with the measles and her husband lost his job, I had to live by faith--and that's a poor thing to fill an empty stomach." "Please talk sensibly," Hertha said. "Am I not? I'm only saying that the ways of the Almighty are mysterious while the ways of the union, if you believe in the man who keeps the cash box, are clear and plain. The union is the only thing that stands between the working girl and starvation and sickness and sin. Don't forget that." There was no laughter now in Kathleen's voice and her eyes glowed with emotion as she looked across the table at her questioner. "We aren't unionized, Kathleen, but the 'Imperial' is one of the best shops in the city; all the girls say so." "Then you're living on the work others have done and not doing your part. In sweat and suffering some union made the standard for your shop." At work much the same talk was in the air. When luncheon came Annie received the answer to her question and learned of what was on foot. For some weeks Sophie and her colleagues had been working upon the other Jewish girls striving to win them to unionism. Now they were ready to turn to the Americans. "We must join the union," Sophie called out in her clear if broken English. "See how we work long hours, and when the rush is over, no work. And if we say anything we lose our job." "Shut up, then," said Annie crossly. She looked about nervously, but as the foreman was absent, proceeded to enter the debate.