“No!” thundered Granville—“not by him, nor any one like him. Damn him!”
Tom Peel's grin widened still further into an intense but silent laugh.
Meantime Ellen was walking with Abby and Maria.
“I wonder how we're going to get along with young Lloyd,” said Abby.
Ellen looked at her keenly. “Why?” she said.
“Oh, I heard the men talking the other night after I'd gone to bed. Maybe it isn't true that he's thinking of cutting down the wages.”
“It can't be,” said Ellen.
“I say so, too,” said Maria.
“Well, I hope not,” said Abby. “You can't tell. Some chimneys always have the wind whistling in them, and I suppose it's about so with a boot and shoe shop. It don't follow that there's going to be a hurricane.”
They had come to the entrance of the street where the Atkins sisters lived, and Ellen parted from them.