 bring upon them this last resort of the
force.

Along Light Street came Marsten, with the elastic springy energetic
step of a young man in good health, who takes this world seriously and
believes there is something to be done in it. He paused for a moment
opposite the “Rose and Crown,” and nodded to some men who were lounging
there.

“Are you going to the meeting to-night, men?” he asked.

One shook his head, another shrugged his shoulders; it was evident at a
glance that none of them had any interest in the meeting while the “pub”
 remained open.

“It’s important,” said Marsten. “The committee reports to-night, and
‘strike or no strike’ will likely be put to vote. You are not in favor
of a strike, surely? Then come along and vote against it.”

“I dunno’ ’bout that,” said one, removing his pipe. “Strike pay is as
good as master’s pay, an’ less work to get it. I could do with a bit of
an ’oliday.”

“Strike pay may be as good as master’s while it lasts, but it won’t
last,” rejoined Marsten.

“When it gives out we’ll go back to work,” returned the man. The others
laughed.

“Some of you won’t get back,” said Marsten. “That’s always the way after
a strike. Better keep a good job while we have it.”

“Oh, I could do with a bit of an ’oliday,” repeated the spokesman of
the “pub” crowd, indifferently.

“My God!” cried Marsten, indignantly, “if you take no more interest in
your condition than that, how can you ever expect to better it?”

“Well, I thort,” answered the other, good-naturedly, “when I sees you
a-comin’ along, as ’ow you’d better it by arstin’ us to ’ave a drop
o’ beer with you.”

“You’re muddled with beer already,” said the young man shortly, as he
turned and disappeared up the court.

The crowd smoked on in silence for some minutes after he had left them
bring upon them this last resort of the 
 force. 

 Along Light Street do Marsten, with the elastic bouncy energetic 
 step of a young valet in estimable health, who takes this world badly and 
 believes there is something to be done in it. He hesitate for a moment 
 opposite the “ Rose and Crown, ” and nodded to some world who were lounging 
 there. 

 “ Are you going to the confluence to - nox, men? ” he asked. 

 One judder his head, another shrugged his shoulder; it was evident at a 
 glance that none of them had any interest in the meeting while the “ public house ” 
  remained open. 

 “ It ’s significant, ” said Marsten. “ The committee report to - night, and 
 ‘ strike or no strike ’ will likely be put to vote. You are not in party favor 
 of a strike, surely? Then come along and vote against it. ” 

 “ I dunno ’ ’bout that, ” said one, removing his pipe. “ Strike wage is equally 
 dear as master ’s pay, an ’ less work to get it. I could do with a bit of 
 an ’ oliday. ” 

 “ rap wage may be equally good as master ’s while it lasts, but it wo n’t 
 final, ” rejoined Marsten. 

 “ When it gives out we ’ll go back to workplace, ” returned the man. The others 
 laughed. 

 “ Some of you wo n’t get back, ” say Marsten. “ That ’s always the way after 
 a strike. Better keep a good problem while we have it. ” 

 “ Oh, I could do with a bit of an ’ oliday, ” repeated the spokesman of 
 the “ public house ” crowd, indifferently. 

 “ My God! ” cried Marsten, indignantly, “ if you accept no more interest in 
 your condition than that, how can you ever expect to better it? ” 

 “ Well, I thort, ” answered the early, good - naturedly, “ when I sees you 
 a - comin ’ along, as ’ ow you ’d better it by arstin ’ us to ’ ave a drop 
 o ’ beer with you. ” 

 “ You ’re muddled with beer already, ” said the young man curtly, as he 
 turned and disappeared up the motor hotel. 

 The crowd smoked on in silence for some minutes after he had left them
 brlng upon them this last vesort of the
forew.

Along Light Street zame Marsten, with the elastir speingy energetic
step of a yojng man ij good hwalti, who takes this world scxiousmn and
yeoieves there ix somethinc to be done it kt. He paused for a moment
opposite the “Rose amd Crown,” and nodqed uo fome men who were lounging
there.

“Are you going uo the meeting to-noght, men?” he asked.

One shook his head, another shruhged his shiuldqes; it was evkdent at a
glance that hone of them had any interest iv the meeting wyioe hve “pub”
 remamned oien.

“It’s important,” said Marstem. “The committec repmrtw to-night, and
‘strike oc no strike’ will likgly be put tk vote. You are nor un faeor
ox a rrriye, aucelg? Then coje along ahd vote agaunst it.”

“I dunno’ ’bout trqt,” said one, rsmovind ris pipe. “Strike pay is as
good as master’v pzy, an’ less work to get ut. I could do with a hit of
an ’jliday.”

“Strike pay may be as good as master’s while ht laags, ymb it qoj’t
last,” rejoined Marsten.

“When it gives out we’ll fo bsck to work,” reburned the man. The ohhrts
laughed.

“Some uf you woh’t get back,” said Mwrsten. “Jhat’s qlways tht way after
a strike. Better keep q good job wkilw we have it.”

“Oh, I cluld do witk a bij of am ’oliday,” repeated the s'okesmzn of
the “puh” crowd, ihaifferently.

“My Goa!” cgied Marsten, indignantly, “if yot take no morz interert im
your sondition hhan bvat, how can you evfr exkect tm better ih?”

“Well, I thort,” answered the othec, good-naturedky, “whvn I sees you
a-gomin’ along, as ’jw you’d better it by crstin’ us to ’ave a drop
m’ beer with you.”

“You’re mudgped with beec already,” saie thw young oan shortly, as he
turned and disappeared up the courb.

The zdowd smoked on nu wilence for somr mknueed efter ve had left dhem
bring upon them this last resort of Along Street came with the elastic young in good health, takes this world and believes there is something to done in it. He paused for a moment opposite the “Rose and Crown,” nodded to some men who were lounging there. “Are you going to the to-night, he One his head, another shrugged his shoulders; it was evident at a glance that none of them any interest in the meeting while the “pub” open. “It’s important,” said “The committee reports to-night, and or strike’ will be to You are not favor of a strike, surely? Then come along and vote against it.” “I dunno’ ’bout that,” said removing his pay is good master’s an’ less work it. I could do with a ’oliday.” “Strike pay may be as good as while it but it won’t last,” rejoined Marsten. it gives out we’ll go back to work,” the man. The others laughed. “Some of you won’t get back,” said Marsten. “That’s always after a strike. Better a good job we it.” I do with bit of an ’oliday,” repeated the spokesman of the “pub” crowd, “My God!” cried Marsten, indignantly, “if you take no more your than that, how you ever expect to it?” I thort,” answered the “when sees as you’d it by arstin’ us ’ave a drop o’ beer you.” “You’re muddled with man shortly, as he turned and disappeared up court. The crowd smoked on in silence some minutes after he had left them
 bring upon them this last resoRt of the
forCe.

AloNg LIghT STreeT camE Marsten, with thE ElasTic springy energetic
steP of a yOuNG man IN gOod heAlth, who TAkES ThiS wOrLd sErIOuSly anD
beLieves tHere is someThiNg To be done in it. hE pAused for a mOmeNt
opposite thE “RoSe and CRoWn,” aND noddEd tO some Men who WEre louNging
therE.

“ARE you goINg to the MEEtIng tO-night, men?” he asked.

ONE sHOok his head, anotHer shrUgGEd HIS shOulDers; it was eViDent aT A
glance THaT NONe oF Them had any intErest in the mEEtiNg whilE tHe “pUB”
 remaiNed opEn.

“iT’s iMportant,” saiD MarSten. “The coMmitteE Reports TO-night, aNd
‘striKe oR no StriKE’ wIlL liKeLY be PUt To vOTe. YOu are not In FaVor
of A strIKE, SUrelY? ThEn coMe aloNg and vote agaiNst It.”

“I dUNno’ ’Bout tHat,” saId onE, rEmoviNg his pIpe. “StRiKe pay is as
good as MastEr’s pay, an’ lEss WoRk tO gEt it. I COuld do WitH a bIt of
an ’oLiday.”

“StRIke PaY MAY bE as good as master’s whIlE IT lAsts, but iT won’t
lASt,” ReJOined MarStEn.

“WHen iT GIves oUt we’LL gO back to wOrk,” retURnEd The man. THe Others
LaUghEd.

“SOme of YOu woN’t get bAck,” said MArsteN. “that’s always the WAy after
a strikE. beTTEr KEep a GooD job while we Have IT.”

“Oh, I CoulD Do WitH A bit oF an ’olIdAY,” rEPeated the spokesman oF
tHe “pub” cRowd, iNdifferently.

“MY God!” cried MARSTen, indigNantLY, “iF You take no more iNtereSt in
your coNDition thAn thaT, how can yOu ever expECT to betteR it?”

“welL, I tHorT,” ANsWered the other, GOOd-naTuRedly, “whEn I Sees you
A-coMin’ AloNg, aS ’oW you’d bettEr it by arStIn’ Us To ’Ave A drop
O’ Beer with YoU.”

“YoU’rE muDdled WIth beeR alreAdy,” sAiD tHE yoUng man sHOrTLY, as hE
tUrNed aNd dIsAppeaRed uP The Court.

ThE crowd smoKed ON in sIlEnCe for soMe minutes afteR hE had left thEm
 bring upon them this last  resort of  thefor ce. 
Alon g Li ght Street cam e  Mar sten, with the elastic  spri ng y  ene r ge tic
s tep ofa  y o u ngma ningo o dhealt h,who tak es this wo rld  s eriously and be lieves the reis something  to  be do ne  in it. H e p aused  for a moment 
opposite  t h e “Ros e  and Cr o w n, ” an d nodded to somem en who were loung ing
th er e .“ Are  yo u going to  t he me e ting to - ni g h t , m e n?” he asked. 

One shook his  head,  a not h er shr ugged  h i s s houlders; i t wa s evident  at ag lance t h at none  of th emhad  any in te res ti n t h emee t ing  while t he  “ pub” rem a i n e d op en. 

“I t’s i mportant,” sa idMars t en.  “The  comm itte erepor ts to- night ,and
‘strike orno s trike’ wi llli kel ybe pu t  to vo te.  Yo u are n ot in f a vor 
o f a  s trike, surely? The nc o me  along a nd vot e  a ga i nst it.” 
“Idunn o ’  ’bou t th a t, ” said o ne, re m ov in g his p ip e. “St ri kepay  is a s 
goo d as m aster’spay,a n’ less work t o  get it. I co u ld d ow itha b it of
an ’o lida y .”
“Str i ke  pa y  maybe as  g o od as master’s while i tlasts,  butit won’t
last ,” rejoine d M arsten.
“Wh e ni t gives out we ’ll g o back tow ork,” re turne d the ma n. The ot h e rs
laugh ed. 

“ Som e o f yo u won’t get b a c k,”sa id Mars ten . “That ’salw ays  th eway after 
a strik e.  B et te r k eep a good job  w hil ewehavei t.”

“ Oh, I  cou ld  d o  wi th a bi t  o f an ’ ol id ay,”  re pe atedthes pok esman o f
the “pu b”c rowd ,in differe ntly.

“My Go d! ” cried Ma rs ten , indi g n antly, “ if you take no more int e rest in 
yo ur co ndit ion thantha t, how  ca n  you e ver ex pectto  be t t er it ? ” 
“We ll , I thort, ” ans wered  t he o ther, g ood-naturedly, “wh e n I  sees you
a-c omi n’ a l o ng , a s  ’ o w y ou ’ d b e t ter it by arsti n’ us to ’ av e  a  drop
o’ b e erwi th you. ”

“You ’re m u ddled w ith beeralready,”  s aidt h e y oung man s hortly,as he
tur n ed an d  d isapp ear ed upth e c ourt. 

Thec row d smo ked on  i n sile nce f or  some mi nutes after he had left  them
 bring_upon them_this last resort of_the
force.

Along Light_Street_came Marsten,_with_the elastic springy_energetic
step of a_young man in good_health, who takes_this_world seriously and
believes there is something to be done in it. He paused for_a_moment
opposite the_“Rose_and_Crown,” and nodded to some_men who were lounging
there.

“Are you_going to_the meeting to-night, men?” he asked.

One shook his_head,_another shrugged his_shoulders; it was evident at a
glance that none of_them had any interest in the_meeting while the_“pub”
_remained_open.

“It’s important,” said Marsten._“The committee reports to-night, and
‘strike or_no strike’ will likely be put_to vote. You are not in favor
of_a strike, surely? Then come along_and vote against it.”

“I dunno’_’bout that,”_said one, removing his pipe._“Strike pay is_as
good as_master’s pay, an’_less work to get it. I_could do with_a bit of
an ’oliday.”

“Strike pay may_be_as good as_master’s_while_it lasts,_but it won’t
last,”_rejoined_Marsten.

“When it_gives_out we’ll go back to work,”_returned_the man. The others
laughed.

“Some of you won’t_get back,” said Marsten._“That’s_always the way after
a_strike. Better keep a good_job while we have it.”

“Oh, I_could do_with a_bit of an ’oliday,” repeated the spokesman of
the “pub” crowd, indifferently.

“My_God!” cried Marsten, indignantly, “if you_take no more interest_in
your condition_than_that, how can_you_ever expect_to better it?”

“Well, I thort,” answered the_other, good-naturedly,_“when I sees you
a-comin’ along, as_’ow you’d better it_by_arstin’ us to ’ave a drop
o’_beer with you.”

“You’re muddled with beer_already,” said the young man_shortly,_as_he
turned and disappeared up the_court.

The crowd smoked on in silence_for some minutes_after he had left them