ottages that had never
been thoroughly completed, nearly every one adorned with the ominous
placard, "For Sale." They needed painting and tidying: vines were left
about, dahlia-stalks hung to poles, steps were awry, and gates swinging
on one hinge; heaps of ashes and garbage lay here and there.

This day Yerbury wore a particularly listless air. The leafless trees
hung out long and drooping arms, that swayed to and fro in the biting
wind. The sullen sky overhead added its tone of dreariness to the
picture. There was no cheerful whir of factories and shops, no brisk
steps of men going to and fro, though there were enough standing around
in groups with scowling faces and compressed lips, or flushed with angry
gesticulation.

The only places that evinced any air of business were the beer-shops.
Here a man harangued his fellows; there he did not deign to argue, but
openly cursed. "Let's treat on that!" said one. "I'll stand to that
sentiment," declared another. Sometimes voices rose so high that a
proprietor was forced to command order.

Yerbury was on a strike. There had been a new scale of prices with the
opening of autumn, submitted to by most of the men with a sympathetic
good-nature. Trade was getting dull. Fancy prices no longer ruled. An
ominous feeling pervaded all classes. Building fell off. One tenant gave
up his house, and took part with another. Housewives looked about for
the cheapest market, and talked of making last year's coat or cloak do
for the winter.

Hope Mills had been among the first to propose this second reduction.
David Lawrence had returned from his business tour much depressed. There
was an undercurrent of distrust, a disinclination to lay in stock, a
wordless questioning from eye to eye, with no hopeful response.

Horace Eastman had worked himself into the charge of the inside
business. He had no real interest, but a liberal salary; and Mr.
Lawrence felt that he lifted a weight of care from his shoulders. If
only Fred-- But with college training and elegant tastes he could hardly
be expected to take to the dull routine of business cares. So matters
had been left more and more to Eastman, who was shrewd and sharp, who
always managed to get the most for his money.

Now Mr. Lawrence was appalled by the amount of stock on hand. They had
been running the mills at full capacity all summer.

"We must offer goods at a lower figure," said Mr. Eastman promptly. "We
must get command of trade again.