dicating
the importance of the statement that he was about to make.

"Well?" asked Von Barwig, who did not see the value of the information
just furnished by Mr. Schwarz.

"Well," repeated Mr. Schwarz, "The Brickmakers' Union has just
affiliated with our musical association."

"Music and bricks--affiliated!" The idea rather appealed to Von
Barwig's sense of humour and he laughed. "Music and bricks," he
repeated, but this attempt at pleasantry did not meet with much
response from Mr. Schwarz. That gentleman merely shrugged his
shoulders while Mr. Ryan, the brickmakers' delegate, contented himself
with squirting some tobacco juice into the adjacent fireplace and
tilting his hat, which he had neglected to remove, over one eye, while
he surveyed Von Barwig with an unpleasant stare from the other, thus
indicating that he wanted no nonsense.

"Music and bricks," repeated Von Barwig, who evidently enjoyed the
incongruity of the combination. Then noticing that Ryan was standing
he said with a smile, "Brother artist, be seated!" Pinac and Fico
roared with laughter. Mr. Ryan sat down, mumbling to himself that that
sort of sarcasm didn't go with him; he was a workman, not an artist.
Von Barwig apologised and then, looking at Schwarz, waited for him to
speak. A very awkward pause ensued.

"You've had an offer from the Harmony Hall Concerts, under the
management of Van Praag," stated Schwarz.

"Yes," assented Von Barwig, who began to perceive for the first time
that his visitors had come on a matter of more or less serious Import.

"Well," began Schwarz, "you've got to hold off for the present."

"I do not understand," said Von Barwig.

"You've got to throw up the job," broke in Mr. Ryan, emphasising the
statement by allowing his walking stick to fall heavily on a pile of
music which lay on the piano.

Von Barwig looked at him but did not speak.

"You can't go on," said Schwarz.

"Not while scabs are working there," added Mr. Ryan sententiously.

Von Barwig tried to speak but could not; words would not come. His
heart had almost stopped beating. Finally he managed to gasp, "What
does it mean; all this?"

"Our association has been notified that Van Praag is having his new
music hall built with non-union bricks, and----"

"Scabs," broke in Mr. Ryan, once more banging the inoffensive music
with his stick. "Scabs! We called out our men and they put in scab
carpenters. The carpenters went out and the plumbe