The three looked at Baxter to open the conversation. He did not at once begin, and Foley took out his watch. "I can only give youse a few minutes, gents. I've got an engagement up town at four. So if there's anything doin', s'pose we don't waste no time in silent prayer."
"We want to talk over the strike with you," began Baxter.
"Really. If I'd known that now I'd 'a' brought the committee along."
Murphy scowled at this naïveté. "We don't want to talk to your committee."
"I'm nobody without the committee. The committee's runnin' the strike."
"We merely desire to talk things over in a general way with you in your capacity as an individual," said Baxter quickly, to head off other remarks from Murphy.
"A general talk? Huh! Youse talk two hours; result—youse've talked two hours." He slowly rose and took his hat, covering a yawn with a bony hand. "Interestin'. I'd like it if I had the time to spare. But I ain't. Well—so-long."
"Hold on!" cried Baxter hastily. Foley turned. "We thought that possibly, as the result of our talk, we might be able to reach some compromise for the settlement of the strike."
"If youse've got any plans, that's different." Foley resumed his chair, resting an elbow on the table.
"But remember I've got another engagement, an' cut 'em short."