\"why yo\" see, he\"s a mittee-man on this special strike\". th\" unionappointed him because, though i say it as shouldn\"t say it, he\"s reckoneda deep chap, and true to th\" back-bone. and he and t other mitteemenlaid their plans. they were to hou\"d together through thick andthin; what the major part thought, t\"others were to think, whether theywould or no. and above all there was to be no going again the law ofthe land. folk would go with them if they saw them striving andstarving wi\" dumb patience; but if there was once any noise o\" fightingand struggling--even wi\" knobsticks--all was up, as they knew by th\"

experience of many, and many a time before. they would try and getspeech o\" th\" knobsticks, and coax \"em, and reason wi\" \"em, and m\"appenwarn \"em off; but whatever came, the mittee charged all memberso\" th\" union to lie down and die, if need were, without striking a blow;and then they reckoned they were sure o\" carrying th\" public with them.

and beside all that, mittee knew they were right in their demand,and they didn\"t want to hāve right all mixed up wi\" wrong, till folk can\"tseparate it, no more nor i can th\" physic-powder from th\" jelly yo\" gāveme to mix it in; jelly is much the biggest, but powder tastes it allthrough. well, i\"ve told yo\" at length about this\"n, but i\"m tired out. yo\"

just think for yo\"rsel, what it mun be for father to hāve a\" his work

undone, and by such a fool as boucher, who must needs go right againthe orders of mittee, and ruin th\" strike, just as bad as if he meant tobe a judas. eh! but father giv\"d it him last night! he went so far as tosay, he\"d go and tell police where they might find th\" ringleader o\" th\"

riot; he\"d give him up to th\" mill-owners to do what they would wi\" him.

he\"d show the world that th\" real leaders o\" the strike were not such asboucher, but steady thoughtful men; good hands, and good citizens,who were friendly to law and judgment, and would uphold order; whoonly wanted their right wage, and wouldn\"t work, even though theystarved, till they got \"em; but who would ne\"er injure property or life:

for,\" dropping her voice, \"they do say, that boucher threw a stone atthornton\"s sister, that welly killed her.\"

\"that\"s not true,\" said margaret. \"it was not boucher that threw the stone\"-she went first red, then white.

\"yo\"d be there then, were yo\"?\" asked bessy languidly for indeed, shehad spoken with many pauses, as if speech was unusually difficult toher.

\"yes. never mind. go on. only it was not boucher that threw the stone.

but what did he answer to your father?\"