"Well," said Matthew, "it looks as if old Santop Licorice is the only one of the old gang left."
"Yeah, and he won't be black long, now that you're cutting him off the payroll."
"I think he could make more money staying black."
"How do you figure that out?" asked Bunny.
"Well, the dime museums haven't closed down, you know," said Matthew.
CHAPTER SEVEN
One June morning in 1934, Grand Exalted Giraw Fisher received a report from one of his secret operatives in the town of Paradise, South Carolina, saying:
"The working people here are talking about going on strike next week unless Blickdoff and Hortzenboff, the owners of the Paradise Mill increase pay and shorten hours. The average wage is around fifteen dollars a week, the work day eleven hours. In the past week the company has speeded up the work so much that the help say they cannot stand the pace.
"The owners are two Germans who came to this country after the war. They employ 1000 hands, own all of the houses in Paradise and operate all of the stores. Most of the hands belong to the Knights of Nordica and they want the organization to help them unionize. Am awaiting instructions."