"Yes, Deb. The works are going to shut down."
"To shut down?" repeated the girl, her eyes wide open in affright, for she knew only too well what such a calamity meant. "When will they close?"
"To-morrow. In fact we have quit on the regular work already."
"And how long will the shut-down last?"
"Nobody knows. I asked Mr. Johnson--he's the foreman, you know--and he said he thought a month or six weeks, but he wasn't sure."
"A month! Oh, Jack, it's an awfully long time!"
And Deb Willington's face grew very grave.
"I know it is--longer than I care to remain idle, even if I could afford to, which I can't. But that's not the worst of it."
"No?"
"No; they didn't pay us for the last two weeks' work."