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job。 I shall tell Brother Maitland all that is necessary。〃
〃I was only going to （h）explain〃 began Mr。 Wigglesworth。
〃Naw then！ IS this your job or mine？ Was you （h）appointed or was
I？ When I find myself （h）unable to discharge my dooty to the Union
I might per'aps call on you； Brother Wigglesworth； but until I find
myself in that situation I 'ope you will refrain from shovin' in
your 'orn。〃 Brother Simmons' sarcasm appeared to wither Brother
Wigglesworth into silence。
〃Naw then； Brother Maitland； we shall get （h）on。〃
Maitland glanced round on the group of half a dozen men。 Some of
them he knew； others were strangers to him。
〃I don't know what the business is； gentlemen；〃 he said； curbing
his wrath； 〃but I want to know if it can't wait till to…morrow？
You know our boys are going on the ice in a couple of hours or so〃
〃Goin' on the （h）ice！ Goin' on the （h）ice！ W'at's that to do with
Union business？〃 snarled Simmons。 〃This 'ere's no silly kids'
gaime！ It's a man's work we ave in 'and； if you don't want to do
the business to w'ich you are （h）appointed w'y just say so and we
shall know 'ow to （h）act。 There 'as been too much o' this gaime
business to suit me。 If we are men let us （h）act like men。〃
〃Better get on wi' it；〃 said McNish curtly。
〃I shall get on w'en I am good and ready； Brother McNish；〃 answered
Simmons。
〃All r…r…right； brother； but A doot ye're oot o' order。 Who is the
chairman o' this Committee？〃 asked McNish calmly。
〃Brother Phillips；〃 answered two or three voices。
〃All right。 I suggest you proceed regularly and call the meeting
to order；〃 said McNish quietly。 Simmons； recognising that it was
Greek meeting Greek； agreed to this。
Clumsily and hesitatingly Brother Phillips began stating the
business of the Committee。 He had not gone far before Simmons
interrupted。
〃Mr。 Chairman； with your permission I would just like to say that
the resolution passed at the representative joint meetin' of the
Maitland Mills and Box Factory （h）employees last night will
sufficiently （h）explain the （h）object of this meetin' 'ere。〃
Brother Simmons' tone suggested infinite pity for the lumbering
efforts of the chairman。
〃Yes； I guess it will；〃 said the chairman； blushing in his
confusion。 Brother Phillips was new to his position and its
duties。
〃I would suggest that that resolution be read；〃 said Brother
Simmons； the pity in his tone hardly veiling his contempt。
〃Yes！ Yes！ Of course！〃 said Brother Phillips hurriedly。 〃Eh
would you please read it； Mr。that isBrother Simmons？〃
With great show of deliberation and of entire mastery of the
situation Mr。 Simmons produced a Minute Book and began：
〃Mr。 Chairman and brothers； I may say that this 'ere resolution was
passed at a joint representative meetin' of all the （h）employees of
the Maitland Company〃
〃There is no sich company； Mr。 Chairman；〃 said McNish。 〃A say let
us hear the resolution。 We'll hear the speech afterwards if we
must。〃 It was again Greek meeting Greek； and the little man turned
with a sarcastic smile to McNish。
〃I suppose Brother McNish is （h）anxious to get ready for this gaime
we've bin 'earing abaht。 I should just like to remind 'im that we
'ave a bigger gaime on 'and； if 'e wants to get into it。 Personally
I don't 'ave no use for these 'ere gaimes。 I 'ave seen the same
kind of capitalistic dodge to distract the workin' man's （h）attention
from 'is real gaime in life。 These circumventions〃
〃Maister Chair…r…man！ A rise〃
〃Mr。 Chairman； I 'ave the floor and if Brother McNish knows
（h）anythink abaht constitootional proceedin's〃
〃Maister Chair…r…manMaister…r Chair…r…r…man！〃 Brother McNish's
Doric was ominously rasping。 〃A rise tae a pint of or…r…de…r…r。
And Brother Simmons； who claims to be an expert in constitutional
law and procedure knows I have the floor。 Ma pint of order is
this； that there is no business before the meeting and as
apparently only aboot half the members are absent〃
〃And 'oo's fault is that？ 'E was to get them 'isself；〃 shouted Mr。
Simmons。
〃A searched the toon for them but cudna find them； but as A was
sayin'as the secretary has no business tae bring before the
meeting but a wheen havers； A move we adjourn tae tomorrow at 12：30
p。 m。 in this place； and I believe that as Brither Maitland is also
a member o' this committee he will second the motion。〃
Maitland； not knowing in the least what the whole thing was about；
but seeing a way out of the present mix…up； promptly seconded the
motion。
〃Mr。 Chairman！〃 shouted Simmons。 〃I am prepared to〃
〃Maister Chair…r…man； A need not remind you that there is no
discussion on a motion to adjourn。〃
〃That is quite right；〃 said the chairman； in whose memory by some
obscure mental process this fact seemed to have found a lodging。
〃It is moved that this committee do now adjourn。〃
〃Mr。 Chairman！ I protest；〃 shrieked Brother Simmons frantically。
〃Ay； he's a grand protester！〃 said Brother McNish。
The motion was carried by a majority of one； Brothers Wigglesworth；
McNish and Maitland voting in the affirmative。
〃Traitors！〃 shrieked Brother Simmons。 〃Capitalistic traitors！〃
〃Hoot mon！ Ye're no in Hyde Park。 Save yere breath for yere
porritch the morn〃 said McNish； relaxing into a grim smile as he
left the rooms。
〃We'll get 'im；〃 said Simmons to his ally and friend。 〃'E's in
with that there young pup。 'E knows 'ow to work 'im and 'e'd sell
us all up； 'e would。〃 Brother Simmons' brand of profanity strongly
savoured of the London pavements in its picturesque fluency。
〃Get in here； McNish；〃 said Maitland； who was waiting at the door。
With some hesitation McNish accepted the invitation。
〃Now； what does this mean？〃 said Maitland savagely； then checking
his rage； 〃but I ought to thank you for getting me out of the grip
of that frantic idiot。 What is this fool thing？〃
〃It's nae that；〃 said McNish shortly。 〃It is anything but that。
But I grant ye this was no time to bring it on。 That was beyond
me。 A doot yon puir cratur had a purpose in it； however。 He
disnadoes not think much of these games of yours。 But that's
anitheranother〃McNish was careful of his speech〃matter。〃
〃But what in〃
〃I am just telling you。 There is a strong； a very strong movement
under way among the unions at present。〃
〃A movement？ Strike； do you mean？〃
〃It may be； or worse。〃 McNish's tone was very grave。 〃And as a
good union man they expect your assistance。〃
〃Wages again？〃
〃Ay； and condeetions and the like。〃
〃But it is not six months since the last agreement was signed and
that agreement is running still。〃
〃Ay； it is； but condeetions； conditions have changed since that
date；〃 said McNish； 〃and there must be readjustmentat least；
there is a feeling that way。〃
〃Readjustment？ But I have had no hint of this in our meetings。
This has not come up for discussion。〃
A gentle pity smiled from the rugged face of the man beside him。
〃Hardly；〃 he said。 〃It's no done that way。〃
They came to McNish's door。
〃Will you come in？〃 he said courteously。 A refusal was at Maitland's
lips when the door was opened by an old lady in a white frilled cap
and without being able to explain how it came about he found himself
in the quaintly furnished but delightfully cosy living…room； soaking
in the comfort of a great blazing fire。
〃This is really solid comfort；〃 he said； spreading his hands to the
glowing pine slabs。
〃Ay； ye need it the day。 The fire cheers the heart；〃 said the old
lady。
〃But you don't need it for that； Mrs。 McNish；〃 said her visitor；
smiling at the strong； serene face under the white frilled cap。
〃Do I not then？ An' what aboot yersel'？〃 The keen grey eye
searched his face。 Maitland was immediately conscious of a vast
dreariness in his life。 He sat silent looking into the blazing
fire。
〃Ay；〃 continued the old lady； 〃but there are the bright spots tae；
an' it's ill tae glower at a cauld hearth stone。〃 Maitland glanced
quickly at the shrewd and kindly face。 What did she know about him
and his life and his 〃cauld hearth stone〃？ So he said nothing but
waited。 Suddenly she swerved to another theme。
〃Malcolm；〃 she said； 〃have ye secured the tickets for the match？〃
〃Aw； mither； now it is the terrible auld sport ye are。 She drags
me out to all these things。〃 His eyes twinkled at Maitland。 〃I
can't find time for any study。〃
〃Hoots ye and ye're study。 A doot a rale heartening scramble on
the ice wad dae ye mair guid than an oor wi' yon godless Jew
buddie。〃
〃She means Marx； of course；〃 said McNish； in answer to Maitland's
look of perplexity。 〃She has no use for him。〃
〃But the tickets； Malcolm；〃 insisted his mother。
〃Well； mither； A'll confess I clean forgot them。 Ye see；〃 he
hurried to say； 〃A was that fashed over yon Committee maitter〃
〃Committee maitter！〃 exclaimed the old lady indignantly。 〃Did I
not tell ye no to heed yon screamin' English cratur wi' his
revolutionary nonsense？〃
〃She means Simmons；〃 interjected Malcolm with a little smile。 〃He
means well； mither； but A'm vexed aboot the tickets。〃
〃Mrs。 McNish；〃 said Maitland； 〃I happen to have two tickets tha