"Where did you get that?"

"The mill gave them to the stenographers for Christmas."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"We're not talking much these days, are we?"

He let her go then, and that night, in the little room behind Gustav

Shroeder's saloon, he put the question to Rudolph. Because he was

excited and frightened he made slow work of his inquiry, and Rudolph had

a moment to think.

"Sure," he replied. "All the girls in the executive offices got them."

But when the meeting was over, Rudolph did not go back to his

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boarding-house. He walked the streets and thought.

He had saved Anna from her father. But he was of no mind to save her

from himself. She would have to account to him for that watch.

Anna herself lay awake until late. She saw already the difficulties

before her. Herman was suspicious. He might inquire. There were other

girls from the mill offices on the hill. And he might speak to Rudolph.

The next evening she found Rudolph waiting for her outside the mill

gate. Together they started up what had been, when Herman bought the

cottage, a green hill with a winding path. But the smoke and ore from

the mill had long ago turned it to bareness, had killed the trees and

shrubbery, and filled the little hollows where once the first arbutus

had hidden with cinders and ore dust. The path had become a crooked

street, lined with wooden houses, and paved with worn and broken bricks.

Where once Herman Klein had carried his pail and whistled bits of

Shubert as he climbed along, a long line of blackened men made their

evening way. Untidy children sat on the curb, dogs lay in the center

of the road, and women in all stages of dishabille hung over the high

railings of their porches and watched for their men.

Under protest of giving her a lift up the hill, Rudolph slipped his hand

through Anna's left arm.

Immediately she knew that the movement was a pretext. She could not free

herself.

"Be good, now," he cautioned her. "I've got you. I want to see that

watch."

"You let me alone."

"I'm going to see that watch."

With his free hand he felt under her sleeve and drew down the bracelet.

"So the mill gave it to you, eh? That's a lie, and you know it."

"I'll tell you, Rudolph," she temporized. "Only don't tell father. All

the girls have watches, and I wanted one. So I bought it."




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