They crowded away from the two well-dressed high-school girls, looking at them askance. Bess Harley scarcely noticed the mill-hands' wives and daughters. She came of a family who considered these poor people little better than cattle. Nan Sherwood was so much interested in the poster that she saw nothing else. It read:
NOTICE: Two weeks from date all departments of these mills will be closed until further notice. Final payment of wages due will be made on January 15th. Over-supply of our market and the prohibitive price of cotton make this action a necessity. ATWATER MILLS COMPANY. December 28th.
“Why, dear me!” murmured Bess. “I thought it might really be something terrible. Come on, Nan. It's only a notice of a vacation. I guess most of them will be glad to rest awhile.”
“And who is going to pay for their bread and butter while the poor creatures are resting?” asked Nan seriously, as the two girls moved away from the group before the yellow poster.
“Dear me, Nan!” her chum cried. “You do always think of the most dreadful things. It troubles me to know anything about poverty and poor people. I can't help them, and I don't want to know anything about them.”
“If I didn't know that you are better than your talk, Bess,” said Nan, still gravely, “I'd think you a most callous person. You just don't understand. These poor people have been fearing this shut-down for months. And all the time they have been expecting it they have been helpless to avert it and unable to prepare for it.”
“They might have saved some of their wages, I suppose,” said Bess. “I heard father say the other night how much money the mills paid out in a year to the hands, some perfectly enormous sum.”
“But just think how many people that has to be divided among,” urged Nan. “Lots of the men earn only eight or nine dollars a week, and have families to support.”
“Well, of course, they don't have to be supported as we are,” objected the easy-minded Bess. “Anyway my father says frugality should be taught to the poor just the same as reading and writing. They ought to learn how to save.”
“When you earn only just enough to supply your needs, and no more, how can you divide your income so as to hoard up any part of it?”