uinous wages. They want me to recognize the union.

GEORGE. Well, that beats me. I thought we were above the labour-trouble
line, away up here in New England.

ASHER (grimly). Oh, I can handle them.

GEORGE. I'll bet you can. You're a regular old war horse when you get
started. It's your capital, it's your business, you've put it all at the
disposal of the government. What right have they to kick up a row now,
with this war on? I must say I haven't any sympathy with that.

ASHER (proudly). I guess you're a real Pindar after all, George.

(Enter an elderly maid, lower right.)

MAID. Timothy Farrell, the foreman's here.

(Enter, lower right, TIMOTHY, a big Irishman of about sixty, in
working clothes.)

TIMOTHY. Here I am, sir. They're after sending word you wanted me.

GEORGE (going up to TIMOTHY and shaking his hand warmly). Old Timothy!
I'm glad to get sight of you before I go.

TIMOTHY. And it's glad I am to see you, Mr. George, before you leave.
And he an officer now! Sure, I mind him as a baby being wheeled up and
down under the trees out there. My boy Bert was saying only this morning
how we'd missed the sight of him in the shops this summer. You have a
way with the men, Mr. George, of getting into their hearts, like. I was
thinking just now, if Mr. George had only been home, in the shops, maybe
we wouldn't be having all this complaint and trouble.

GEORGE. Who's at the bottom of this, Timothy? Rench? Hillman? I thought
so. Well, they're not bad chaps when you get under their skins.

(He glances at his wrist watch)

Let me go down and talk with them, dad,--I've got time, my train doesn't
leave until one thirty.

ASHER (impatiently, almost savagely). No, I'll settle this, George, this
is my job. I won't have any humoring. Come into my study, Timothy.

TIMOTHY, shaking his head, follows ASHER out of the door, left.

After a moment GEORGE goes over to the extreme left hand corner of
the room, where several articles are piled. He drags out a kit bag,
then some necessary wearing apparel, underclothes, socks, a sweater,
etc., then a large and rather luxurious lunch kit, a pin cushion.
with his monogram, a small travelling pillow with his monogram, a
linen toilet case embroidered in blue, to hang on the wall--these
last evidently presents from admiring lady friends. Finally he
brings forth a large rubber life preserving suit. He makes a show
of putting all these t