CHAPTER XVI

Her vague, unreal existence continued. It seemed in some previous life-time that Billy had gone away, that another life-time would have to come before he returned. She still suffered from insomnia. Long nights passed in succession, during which she never closed her eyes. At other times she slept through long stupors, waking stunned and numbed, scarcely able to open her heavy eyes, to move her weary limbs. The pressure of the iron band on her head never relaxed. She was poorly nourished. Nor had she a cent of money. She often went a whole day without eating. Once, seventy-two hours elapsed without food passing her lips. She dug clams in the marsh, knocked the tiny oysters from the rocks, and gathered mussels.

And yet, when Bud Strothers came to see how she was getting along, she convinced him that all was well. One evening after work, Tom came, and forced two dollars upon her. He was terribly worried. He would like to help more, but Sarah was expecting another baby. There had been slack times in his trade because of the strikes in the other trades. He did not know what the country was coming to. And it was all so simple. All they had to do was see things in his way and vote the way he voted. Then everybody would get a square deal. Christ was a Socialist, he told her.

"Christ died two thousand years ago," Saxon said.

"Well?" Tom queried, not catching her implication.

"Think," she said, "think of all the men and women who died in those two thousand years, and socialism has not come yet. And in two thousand years more it may be as far away as ever. Tom, your socialism never did you any good. It is a dream."

Answer this series of questions:

1. Who mentioned Christ first?
2. Who discussed it with him?
3. Did she agree with him?
4. What time frame did she point out?
5. What social system was mentioned?
6. Was she well rested?
7. What condition did she have?
8. What condition did Saxon suffer from?
9. Was she eating well?
10. What was eating?
11. Did she get them from the market?
12. How did she get them?
13. From where?
14. Did she have plenty of them?
15. Where there enough for three meals a day?
16. Who was she missing?
17. Was he returning soon?
18. Was she a rich woman?
19. How much cash did she have?
20. How much did she have before that?
21. Who gave her that cash?
22. Was he cheap?
23. Why only $2?
1. Bud Strothers
2. Saxon
3. no
4. two thousand years
5. socialism
6. no
7. she was expecting another baby.
8. unknown
9. no
10. clams, oysters and mussels.
11. no
12. She dug and gathered them
13. the marsh
14. no
15. no
16. Billy
17. no
18. no
19. two dollars
20. not a cen
21. Tom
22. no
23. There had been slack times in his trade