conceal her disappointment her lip trembled.

When Hal met her that night and they started home she could hardly
utter a syllable. It was not alone her own trouble that depressed her.
She longed and yet dreaded to hear what had befallen her brother. Were
a calamity like hers to come to him then indeed had misfortune
descended upon the Harling household. How would the invalid mother and
the feeble old grandfather get on without money? How would medicines be
procured? Or the rent be paid?

Hal, however, was to all appearances his serene self. He talked and
jested quite in his usual manner and if he were keeping something back
he certainly succeeded in doing so to perfection. Perhaps, argued she,
he had not been discharged at all. If not, why should this disgrace
have come to her? For in a measure it was a disgrace. When you lost
your job in the mill all Baileyville knew it and discussed the
circumstances, weighing the justice or injustice of the act. Certainly,
thought Louise to herself, she had toiled as faithfully as she knew
how. Had there been fault with her work at least she was not conscious
of it. It was mortifying, galling, to be turned away without a word of
explanation.

"What's the matter, Sis?" Hal questioned, at last noticing that his
chatter failed to elicit its usual a gay response.

Louise hesitated, shrinking from putting her tidings into words.

"You look as if you'd seen a ghost, old girl," smiled her brother
facetiously. "What's up?"

"I've been--they don't want----"

Hal halted, aghast.

"You don't mean to say they've asked you to quit?"

"Yes."

The boy's eyes blazed.

"It's Corcoran, the cur! He's done it to get back at me for what I said
to him."

"You think so?"

"Sure!"

"But why choose me? I had nothing to do with the squabble."

"That's just the point. He's smart enough to know it would hit me a
darn sight harder to have you lose your job than to lose my own,"
blustered her brother wrathfully.

"I wish I was sure it was only that."

"Why?"

"Because then I wouldn't care so much. I should know there was nothing
the matter with my work."

"Of course there isn't. You're one of the best operators they've got in
the mill. Hines, one of the bosses, told me so only the other day."

"Really?" The girl's face brightened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, I don't know. Forgot it, I guess," smiled Hal. It was not his way
to pass on compliments. Had the criticism been adverse he