The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-08
By Henry George Weiss

second week drew to its close without one sign
of a job. There was only one thing to do If
Sara were to be longer deceived. Taking the
bank book he went and drew thirty-two dol
lars and some cents from the savings account
the amount his wages totaled-and took
them home to her on pay day. Fifteen dollars
was laid aside for the rent that would soon be
due. Five dollars, Sara figured, might go to
swell their savings The rest would be need
ed for general expenses. For the first time it
seemed blessing that Saras sight was bad.
She never looked in the bank books herself, but
always had him read the figure to her. .as
The night he brought the money home she
had news for him. The Greys had been given
orders to move! Mrs. Grey was nearly crazy
They had no food in the house. She had lei /
them have some. Wasn't it terrible? And Tom
with an awful fear clutching at his heart said
that 1t was Sunday was like a nightmare He
went out Monday determined to find work If
1t could be got. Someone had told him about
the Free Employment Agency on Tenth street.
He gave his name to the man at the desk AL
day Monday he stood and scanned the black
boards And all day Monday only two notices
decorated them. BLACKSMITH FOR LUM-
Der CAMP and JAPANESE BOY FOR PIED
MONT HOME. Nothing else; though he stood
there all day. Sometimes employers came look
ing for help. Mostly foremen wanting laborers
for construction jobs Their eyes wandered
over him unseengly and picked out the young
er, huskier men.
Even the part time jobs were beyond his get
ting. He was a little deaf and couldn't ALWAYS
hear when the clerk beloved out More ag-
gressive men, mostly younger than himself
were always to the fore and got them. Then
there seemed to be system. He noticed this
on the third day. Certain men took nothing
else than the part time work, and were favored
by the clerk, who called out their names as
fast as the short jobs came in. Several times
he was summoned to the office to see pros
pective employers; but always he was too old
for the job or they wanted to pay him nothing
but his board. Everywhere he went he was
too DID, too old. And as the knowledge waff
forced on him that to be old on the labor mar
ket was the one unforgivable crime, his
shoulders sagged more than ever, his eyes took
on haunted terrified look. Only once did he
try to fight against the dictum of an employer
with open protest
"But good God, man." he had cried "T'm not
too old to have to eat!'
The third week of his hopeless search passed.
AS always he tried to be cheerful at home Of
course he did not always succeed But Sara
put his strained harassed looks down to
fatigue
"Tn be glad when they get that old order
out, she said.
When he came home the third Saturday she
was in tears.
"Pve just come up from the Greys," she said.
20, Tom, it's terrible! They couldn't get out1
you know, because Mr.. Grey was sick and they
had no place to go anyway; so the landlord
called in the authorities, and they've arranged
to send them to the poor housew
The strength seemed suddenly to go from
Toms legs and he sat down quickly. Sara
went on passionately:
I'D rather die than go there! They have
women's ward, and mans, and they're not
| allowed to be together. Think of It! After all
those years, to be separated Isn't that cruel?
I'd rather die than be separated from you like
thatw
Tom got up suddenly and took her b his
arms.
Don't worry, DEAR we never will be-"
She whispered: "Oh I'm so glad you're
workingv'