As the printer entered, Hal was struck again with his physical beauty.
"Did you want to see me?" he asked, looking at the "new boss" with somber eyes.
"Tell Mr. Surtaine about the newspapers and the Store Federation, Max," said Ellis.
The German shook his head. "Nothing new in that," he said, with the very slightest of accents. "We can't organize them unless the newspapers give us a little publicity."
"Explain it to me, please. I know nothing about it," said Hal.
"For years we've been trying to organize a union of department store employees."
"Aren't they well treated?"
"Not quite as well as hogs," returned the other in an impassive voice. "The girls wanted shorter hours and extra pay for overtime at holiday time and Old Home Week. Every time we've tried it the stores fire the organizers among their employees."
"Hardly fair, that."
"This year we tried to get up a public meeting. Reverend Norman Hale helped us, and Dr. Merritt, the health officer, and a number of women. It was a good news feature, and that was what we wanted, to get the movement started. But do you think any paper in town touched it? Not one."