"Ten years."
"And you make?"
"Well, I don't want to discourage you." ...
(If Maggie used this expression once she used it a dozen times; it was her pat on the shoulder, her word of cheer before coming ill news.)
" ... I don't want to discourage you, but it's slow! I make about twelve dollars a week."
"Then I will make four!"
(Four? Could it be possible I dreamed of such sums at this stage of ignorance!)
"I don't want to discourage you, but I guess you'd better do housework!"
It was clear, then, that for weeks I was to drop in with the lot of women wage-earners who make under five dollars a week for ten hours a day labour.
"Why don't you do housework, Maggie?"