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.

"It ain't so bad here," she announced. "There's lots worse shops in New
York, Sophie, if you don't know it."

"That's right, Annie," one of her companions chimed in, "I got a lady
friend works in a bum shop. You can smell the place before you come up
the stairs."

"Sure," echoed another, "this ain't a bad shop; the boss is good to us."

"Good?" Sophie cried indignantly, "I do not call it good. We work and
the boss pays us as small as he can."

"Listen!" Annie put down the pickle she was eating and proceeded to
instruct the foreigner. "You don't know as much about America as I do,
Sophie; you come from Russia where people are slaves. Yes, I read about
it in the Sunday paper. But here in the United States every one is free.
We don't need unions. If I don't like this shop I can up and go to
another. There's nothing to stop me, and if you don't like it you can
go, too."

"And if the