tainly liked her well enough to wish her to be neat
and tidy. He was proud of her, standing there in
the spike line, and it was his desire that she should
look well in the eyes of the other unfortunates who
stood in the spike line. But last and best, and
underlying all these motives, it was a sturdy affec
tion he bore her; for man is not prone to bother
his head over neatness and tidiness in a woman for
whom he does not care, nor is he likely to be proud
of such a woman.

And I found myself questioning why this man
and Ms mate, hard workers I knew from their talk,
should have to seek a pauper lodging. He had
pride, pride in his old woman and pride in himself.
When I asked him what he thought I, a greenhorn,
might expect to earn at hopping, he sized me up,
and said that it all depended. Plenty of people
were too slow to pick hops and made a failure of it.
A man, to succeed, must use his head and be quick
with his fingers, must be exceeding quick with his
fingers. Now he and his old woman could do very
well at it, working the one bin between them and
not going to sleep over it; but then, they had been
at it for years.

"I ad a mate as went down last year," spoke up
a man. " It was is fust time, but e come back wi
two poun ten in is pockit, an e was only gone a
month."

[[97]]

p096 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p097w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p098

v?