“Heaven forbid!”
“Well, a man who is capable of arousing such insane jealousy as that in the breast of a woman to whom he is neither married nor engaged is one among ten thousand. I beg that you’ll not lose your head over it.”
“My head,” replied Barry, “is safe enough, but about one more adventure like that would send my mind to the scrap-heap.”
On a certain day, late in January, Bricky Hoover was peremptorily dismissed from the employ of the Malleson Manufacturing Company. It was charged against him that he had been guilty of gross negligence, of sabotage, of impertinence to the manager of the mills. But all of his fellow-employees knew, indeed all of the wage-workers in the city knew that the real reason for his dismissal was that he had been too aggressive in behalf of union labor, and that his aggressiveness and persistency had resulted in a victory for the men. He was the first to go because he had been the most prominent. Others would follow; there was little doubt of that. It was apparent that the company had started in on a policy of weeding out agitators and strike-promoters. The only question was who would be the next one to be dismissed. Feeling among the men ran high. Sympathy with the discharged employee was general among the laboring classes. Resentment over the manner in which he had been thrust out was deep and wide-spread. Would union labor stand for it? Of course union labor would not.
The discharge was on Friday. On the afternoon of the following Sunday a mass-meeting of the Malleson employees was held at Carpenter’s Hall, and, with scarcely a dissenting vote, a resolution was adopted to the effect that if Thomas Hoover was not reinstated in his position, without condition, within twenty-four hours from the time of presenting the resolution to the officers of the company, there would be a walk-out of every workman employed in the mills.
The committee in charge of the resolution presented it to the president of the company at his office on Monday morning. He called the attention of his visitors to the fact that his employees had recently signed a contract, agreeing to remain in the employ of the company for one year. They replied that the agreement also contained a clause to the effect that no one should be discriminated against on account of any part he had taken in procuring the new wage-scale, or by reason of his affiliation with union labor.
It was in vain that the president endeavored to convince them that Hoover’s discharge was due solely to his reprehensible personal conduct. They would not be convinced. He called the manager of the mills and the foreman of the shop in which Hoover had worked as his witnesses. The committee saw in this only a carefully worked out plan to betray the men whom the company feared, and throttle union labor. They would have no excuses, no subterfuges, they would listen to no argument. Their demand was clear and imperative; it must be answered by a categorical yes or no. The president asked for a week within which he might sift the evidence, and consider the demand. They replied that they had no discretionary power; that if the demand was not complied with by noon of the following day every laborer in the company’s employ would quit his job and stay out until Hoover was reinstated. This was their ultimatum.
Mr. Malleson dismissed the committee with a wave of his hand. He had nothing further to say to them. But his jaws were set, and his eyes were like steel.