supplement。 Well； dearie； how does the effect get you？〃 and she wheeled
around for her sister's inspection。
〃If you take my advice； you'll be careful not to be caught out in the
rain。〃
〃What's chewin' you now？〃 demanded Lise。 She was not lacking in
imagination of a certain sort； and Janet's remark did not fail in its
purpose of summoning up a somwhat abject image of herself in wet velvet
and bedraggled feathersan image suggestive of a certain hunted type of
woman Lise and her kind held in peculiar horror。 And she was the more
resentful because she felt； instinctively； that the memory of this
suggestion would never be completely eradicated： it would persist； like a
canker； to mar the completeness of her enjoyment of these clothes。 She
swung on Janet furiously。
〃I get you； all right！〃 she cried。 〃I guess I know what's eatin' you！
You've got money to burn and you're sore because I spend mine to buy what
I need。 You don't know how to dress yourself any more than one of them
Polak girls in the mills； and you don't want anybody else to look nice。〃
And Janet was impelled to make a retort of almost equal crudity：
〃If I were a man and saw you in those clothes I wouldn't wait for an
introduction。 You asked me what I thought。 I don't care about the
money！〃 she exclaimed passionately。 〃I've often told you you were pretty
enough without having to wear that kind of thingto make men stare at
you。〃
〃I want to know if I don't always look like a lady！ And there's no man
living would try to pick me up more than once。〃 The nasal note in Lise's
voice had grown higher and shriller； she was almost weeping with anger。
〃You want me to go 'round lookin' like a floorwasher。〃
〃I'd rather look like a floorwasher thanthan another kind of woman；〃
Janet declared。
〃Well； you've got your wish； sweetheart；〃 said Lise。 〃You needn't be
scared anybody will pick you up。〃
〃I'm not；〃 said Janet。。。。
This quarrel had taken place a week or so before Janet's purchase of the
stove。 Hannah； too； was outraged by Lise's costume； and had also been
moved to protest； futile protest。 Its only effect on Lise was to
convince her of the existence of a prearranged plan of persecution； to
make her more secretive and sullen than ever before。
〃Sometimes I just can't believe she's my daughter；〃 Hannah said
dejectedly to Janet when they were alone together in the kitchen after
Lise had gone out。 〃I'm fond of her because she's my own flesh and
bloodI'm ashamed of it； but I can't help it。 I guess it's what the
minister in Dolton used to call a visitation。 I suppose I deserve it；
but sometimes I think maybe if your father had been different he might
have been able to put a stop to the way she's going on。 She ain't like
any of the Wenches； nor any of the Bumpuses； so far's I'm able to find
out。 She just don't seem to have any notion about right and wrong。
Well； the world has got all jumbled upit beats me。〃
Hannah wrung out the mop viciously and hung it over the sink。
〃I used to hope some respectable man would come along； but I've quit
hopin'。 I don't know as any respectable man would want Lise； or that I
could honestly wish him to have her。〃
〃Mother！〃 protested Janet。 Sometimes； in those conversations； she was
somewhat paradoxically impelled to defend her sister。
〃Well； I don't；〃 insisted Hannah； 〃that's a fact。 I'll tell you what she
looks like in that hat and cloaka bad woman。 I don't say she isI
don't know what I'd do if I thought she was； but I never expected my
daughter to look like one。〃
〃Oh； Lise can take care of herself；〃 Janet said； in spite of certain
recent misgivings。
〃This town's Sodom and Gomorrah rolled into one；〃 declared Hannah who；
from early habit； was occasionally prone to use scriptural parallels。
And after a moment's silence she inquired： 〃Who's this man that's payin'
her attention now？〃
〃I don't know；〃 replied Janet； 〃I don't know that there's anybody。〃
〃I guess there is；〃 said Hannah。 〃I used to think that that Wiley was
low enough； but I could see him。 It was some satisfaction。 I could know
the worst； anyhow。。。。 I guess it's about time for another flood。〃
This talk had left Janet in one of these introspective states so frequent
in her recent experience。 Her mother had used the words 〃right〃 and
〃wrong。〃 But what was 〃right；〃 or 〃wrong？〃 There was no use asking
Hannah； whoshe perceivedwas as confused and bewildered as herself。
Did she refuse to encourage Mr。 Ditmar because it was wrong？ because； if
she acceded to his desires； and what were often her own； she would be
punished in an after life？ She was not at all sure whether she believed
in an after life；a lack of faith that had； of late； sorely troubled her
friend Eda Rawle； who had 〃got religion〃 from an itinerant evangelist and
was now working off； in a 〃live〃 church； some of the emotional idealism
which is the result of a balked sex instinct in young unmarried women of
a certain mentality and unendowed with good looks。 This was not； of
course； Janet's explanation of the change in her friend； of whom she now
saw less and less。 They had had arguments； in which neither gained any
ground。 For the first time in their intercourse； ideas had come between
them； Eda having developed a surprising self…assertion when her new
convictions were attacked； a dogged loyalty to a scheme of salvation that
Janet found neither inspiring nor convincing。 She resented being prayed
for； and an Eda fervent in good works bored her more than ever。 Eda was
deeply pained by Janet's increasing avoidance of her company； yet her
heroine…worship persisted。 Her continued regard for her friend might
possibly be compared to the attitude of an orthodox Baptist who has
developed a hobby； let us say； for Napoleon Bonaparte。
Janet was not wholly without remorse。 She valued Eda's devotion； she
sincerely regretted the fact； on Eda's account as well as her own； that
it was a devotion of no use to her in the present crisis nor indeed in
any crisis likely to confront her in life： she had felt instinctively
from the first that the friendship was not founded on； mental harmony；
and now it was brought home to her that Eda's solution could never be
hers。 Eda would have been thrilled on learning of Ditmar's attentions；
would have advocated the adoption of a campaign leading up to matrimony。
In matrimony； for Eda； the soul was safe。 Eda would have been horrified
that Janet should have dallied with any other relationship； God would
punish her。 Janet； in her conflict between alternate longing and
repugnance； was not concerned with the laws and retributions of God。 She
felt； indeed； the need of counsel； and knew not where to turn for it；
the modern need for other than supernatural sanctions。 She did not
resist her desire for Ditmar because she believed； in the orthodox sense；
that it was wrong； but because it involved a loss of self…respect； a
surrender of the personality from the very contemplation of which she
shrank。 She was a true daughter of her time。
On Friday afternoon； shortly after Ditmar had begun to dictate his
correspondence； Mr。 Holster； the agent of the Clarendon Mill； arrived and
interrupted him。 Janet had taken advantage of the opportunity to file
away some answered letters when her attention was distracted from her
work by the conversation； which had gradually grown louder。 The two men
were standing by the window； facing one another； in an attitude that
struck her as dramatic。 Both were vital figures； dominant types which
had survived and prevailed in that upper world of unrelenting struggle
for supremacy into which； through her relation to Ditmar； she had been
projected； and the significance of which she had now begun to realize。
She surveyed Holster critically。 He was short； heavily built； with an
almost grotesque width of shoulder； a muddy complexion； thick lips； and
kinky； greasy black hair that glistened in the sun。 His nasal voice was
complaining； yet distinctly aggressive； and he emphasized his words by
gestures。 The veins stood out on his forehead。 She wondered what his
history had been。 She compared him to Ditmar； on whose dust…grey face
she was quick to detect a look she had seen beforea contraction of the
eyes； a tightening of the muscles of the jaw。 That look； and the
peculiarly set attitude of the body accompanying it； aroused in her a
responsive sense of championship。
〃All right； Ditmar；〃 she heard the other exclaim。 〃I tell you again
you'll never be able to pull it off。〃
Ditmar's laugh was short； defiant。
〃Why not？〃 he asked。
〃Why not！ Because the fifty…four hour law goes into effect in January。〃
〃What's that got to do with it？〃 Ditmar demanded。
〃You'll seeyou'll remember what I told you fellows at the conference
after that bill went through and that damned demagogue of a governor
insisted on signing it。 I said； if we tried to cut wages down to a
fifty…four hour basis we'd have a strike on our hands in every mill in
Hampton；didn't I？ I said it would cost us millions of dollars； and
make all the other strikes we've had here look like fifty cents。 Didn't
I say that？ Hammond； our president； backed me up； and Rogers of the wool
people。 You remember？ You were the man who stood out against it； and
they listened to you； they voted to cut down the pay and say nothing
about it。 Wait until those first pay envelopes are opened after that law
goes into effect。 You'll see what'll happen！ You'll never be able to
fill that Bradlaugh order in God's world。〃
〃Oh hell；〃 retorted Ditmar； contemptuously。 〃You're always for lying
down； Holster。 Why don't you hand over your mill to the unions and go to
work on a farm？ You might as well； if you're going to let the unions run
the state。 Why not have socialism right now； and cut out the agony？
When they got the politicians to make the last cut from fifty…six to
fifty…four and we kept on payin' 'em for fifty…six； against my advice；
what happened？ Did they thank us？ I guess not。 Were they contented？
Not on your life。 They went right on agitating； throwing scares into the
party conventions and into the House and Senate Committees；and now it's
fift