The Washington herald., 1907-01-14

/ things?" asked Kate Masters eagerly.
No scorned Matte. You send a COM
mittee to the boss and tell him we won't
work any more"
I'D rather write" declared Kate Kelso-
I'd be scared TO death to go in there and
talk to him"
Writing isn't half as good" declared
Matte. You just tell him what the mat
ter is and that Wen go on strike If Brom-
/ ley isn't dismissed, and that's all there is
/ to IT,"
AN repeated Kate. I should think
/ it would be enough. The idea Of going
right in to Mr.. Temple and telling him
/ that we're not going 20 work any more
unless Bromley Is sacked. I'd be so
/ scal ed I couldn't speak"
/ I'm not afraid said Matte disdain-
fully.
4 vote that we make Matte Lester n
committee by herself" suggested Grace,
and the motion was unanimously carried
without the formaIity Of a seconding-
! NO. you don't" cried Matte. III do the
/ talking, but we want a lot OF girls for the
/ committee 1t has good effect"
/ In the end a committee Of five was ap-
pointed and it was agreed that the noon
hour the next day would be the proper
/ time for making the demand. Matte iay
awake half the night thinking what she
should say and her argument was con-
tinued in her dreams.
The room was all excitement the next
morning and as the noon hour approached
/ the excitement grew more intense. Every
girl in the room left her lunch untouched
TO accompany the committee on its er-
rand Of protest and left them only at the
/ beginning of the short hail at the end OF
which was Edward Temples office.
The departure Of the escort seemed to
/ have d bad effect on the others, for, As
/ Matte raped on the door and a deep
+ voice responded. the other four girls
right about faced as by common impulse
and fled down the passage way.
/ For a moment Matte watched them,
dismayed. Then with a firm hand she
turned the knob and entered the room.
/ In place of the gTay-haired man she ex-
pected 10 find the room was tenanted
only by an alert young fellow who looked
/ up eXpeCtantly as she approached
/ 7 beg your pardon" she stammered.
/ Il thought that this was Mr.. Temples
/ room
so It is" ne responded briskly. "and
/ this is Mr.. Temple. Only il happens that
my father did not come down this morn
/ ing Anything 1 can do for you? 1 am
/ Frank Temple"
I don't know that you'll do she said
obviously. You see, I'm a strike-I
mean a strike committee she corrected.
/ a single committee is rather unusual
/ he smiled HDO I understand that you
/ represent the factory?"
"The finishing room" she explained
/ There were five Of Us. but the rest ran
away"
4 see" he said gravely. though his
/ eyes twinkled- And may 1 ask the ma
/ ture of the demands to be made?'
It's that horrid Jim Bromley she ex-
/ claimed. We don't want more money or
anything, but We want a new foreman.
I Hes just as mean as can be. He wouldn't
have Bess Bradley's machine fixed the
other day, and when it broke down and
/ hurt her hand he docked her for the
] time she was away. He's always fning
| us for every little thing, and he's that
mean
Mates pause spoke volumes and her
/ eyes added 10 the story. Temple grinned
4 shall have to look into this" he said
/ Take a chair, please" He left her to
/ herself, but presently he came back with
/ another young man as clean cut as him
/ self
Mr.. Everett viii look into the matter
said Temple. Just tell him about the
mean Mr.. Bromley"
Now you're laughing at me-" said
Matte Indignantly
Far from it," he denied. Grievance
/ committees should be treated most seri-
/ ousIy.
/ And this is serious" she declared.
turning to Everett Her sense of wrong
/ sustained gave her eloqUence and her
/ eyes snapped as she recited a long tale
| Of Bromley's wrong. Everett listened at
tentively, though at times he and Temple
/ exchanged sympathetic glances as some
quaint turn Of speech caught their sense
Of humor.
This is a matter that most certainly
should be looked into he said. I do
/ not believe in fines except as a last re-
! sort Suppose you help US get at the
/ bottom of the troube?'
/ I'm telling you all about it now, she
cried.
7 know" he agreed. But to get
/ Bromley right we shall have to wait
/ Now If you viii explain to the others
/ that the matter viii be properly settled if
/ they will go on as they have been doing
/ for a week, l think we can hand d very
unpleasant surprise To the enterprising
: Mr. Bromley. II appears from the books
that few fines have been turned in. on
/ account Of the number OF employees the
! envelopes are made up several days ahead
I and the foreman of each department
takes out the fines. Now on Saturday
make note OF all the fines, bring the
/ envelopes TO me, and we Will have the
/ matter Strengthened out
/ Matte looked him squarely in the eye.
/ do you really mean that?" she de-
manded.
Most certainly" he assured her.
Shake hands on it, she demanded.
/ Everett blushed as his fingers closed over
the smaller hand-and fingered there.
Matte went back TO the room with
sense Of Importance. Word was passed
along that II was ali right and to meet
or the corner after the factory closed.