"Well, George," he said, on rising to go, "if the mills start up on the first of November, I should accept the position Mr. Bacon has offered you. It is your right, and I should leave the result to God. Possibly this threatening of Hyde and the others is all bluster, and if they find that they cannot intimidate the corporation, they will back down, as they did in July. I heard up at the village that the managers knew where they could get all the men they wanted, and that they really intended to start in November with a full force." "I hope it may prove so," answered George, "but father was in this noon, and he declared the mills would never start again. He is thick with Hyde and Willis, and ought to know what they are about." "Time alone can tell," replied Ray, "but here is the money I promised." And he handed George thirty dollars, and his three sisters and Betsy five dollars each. "I have some more yet which I have saved, and you shall have every dollar of it if necessary." And to avoid their profuse thanks he hurried out of the house. As he turned the corner and came on the main street, he heard a step behind him, and glancing quickly around he caught sight of a figure hurrying off in the darkness. He needed no second glance to enable him to recognize that stooping figure, and slow, shuffling gait as belonging to his own father, and a desire to know where he could be going at that time of night led him to turn and follow slowly along behind him. He had not far to go, for his father turned up the first side street leading toward the mills, and soon stopped before a small building. Ray knew it was a low groggery, but the shutters were down, and the place seemed to be deserted. He found a moment later, however, that such was not the real case, for at his father's knock, the door quickly opened, and he entered. "That means a night of wild carousing, with companions as reckless as himself," said Ray, bitterly, as he turned to retrace his steps. "O Lord," he then cried, "wilt thou not bring him soon to a knowledge of thyself?" As he turned on to the main street again, he glanced back along the passage way. The door of the saloon was now open, and in the light that streamed forth he recognized the four men who suddenly came out and went on up the alley toward the mills. They were his father, a man named Smith, and Blake and Hyde, the leaders of the strike. He also heard some one in the groggery call out to the men as they hastened away: "Come back here, boys, as quick as possible."