has been paying in this case."

Carpenter looked at me inquiringly.

"Mr. Algernon de Wiggs, president of the Chamber of Commerce, issued
a statement denouncing the way the police were letting mobs of
strikers interfere with business, and proposing that the Chamber
take steps to stop it. You remember de Wiggs, and how we left him?"

"Yes, I remember," said Carpenter; and we exchanged a smile over
that trick we had played.

I could see T-S prick forward his ears. "Vot? You know de Viggs?"

"Mr. Carpenter possesses an acquaintance with our best society which
will astonish you when you realize it."

"Vy didn't you tell me dat?" demanded the other; and I could
complete the sentence for him: "Somebody has offered him more
money!"

Here the voice of Maw was heard: "Ain't we gonna git nuttin' to
eat?"

So for a time the problem of capital and labor was put to one side.
There were two waiters standing by, very nervous, because of the
strike. T-S grabbed the card from one, and read off a list of food,
which the waiter wrote down. Maw, who was learning the rudiments of
etiquette, handed her card to Mary, who gave her order, and then Maw
gave hers, and I gave mine, and there was only Carpenter left.