at adaptability
which had always made the stories plausible. In the midst of her tale
Katie met Ann's eyes, and faltered. They were mocking eyes.

As best she could she turned the conversation to local affairs, for Miss
Osborne was looking curiously at Miss Jones' unresponsive friend.

And as Ann for the first time seemed deliberately--yes, maliciously to
fail--Katie for the first time felt out of patience, and injured. Perhaps
the heat was enervating, but was that sufficient reason for embarrassing
one's hostess? Perhaps it did make her think of hard things, but was that
any reason for failing in the things that made all this possible? It was
not appreciative, it was not kind, it did not show the right spirit,
Katie told herself as she listened, with what she was pleased to consider
both atoning and rebuking graciousness, to the plans for Miss Osborne's
garden party.

"It is for the working girls, especially the lower class of working
girls, who are in the factories. For instance, the candy factory girls. I
am especially interested in that as father owns the candy factory--it is
a pet side issue of his. You can see it from here, across the river
there on the little neck of land. You see? The girls are just beginning
to come from work now."

The three girls looked across the river, where groups of other girls were
quitting a large building. They could be seen but dimly, but even at that
distance something in the prevalent droop suggested that they, too, had
found the day "distressingly warm."

"I hadn't realized," said Katie, "that making candy was such serious
business."

"It couldn't have been very pleasant today," their guest granted, "but I
believe it is regarded a very good place to work."

The book Katie had been reading the night before had shown her the value
of facts when it came to judging places where women worked, and she was
moved to the blunt inquiry: "How much do those girls make?"

"About six dollars a week, I believe," Miss Osborne replied.

Katie watched them: the long dim line of girls engaged in preparation of
the sweets of life. She was wondering what she would have thought it
worth to go over there and work all day. "Then each of those girls made a
dollar today?" she asked, and her inflection was curious.

"Well--no," Miss Osborne confessed. "The experienced and the skillful
made a dollar."

"And how much," pressed Katie, "did the least experienced and
skillful make?"

"Fifty cents,