think of it for a minute! My own father
couldn't make me stop! Mr. Harling ain't my
boss outside my work. I won't give up my
friends, either. The boys I go with are nice
fellows. I thought Mr. Paine was all right,
too, because he used to come here. I guess
I gave him a red face for his wedding, all
right!" she blazed out indignantly.

"You'll have to do one thing or the other,
Antonia," Mrs. Harling told her decidedly.
"I can't go back on what Mr. Harling has
said. This is his house."

"Then I'll just leave, Mrs. Harling. Lena's
been wanting me to get a place closer to her
for a long while. Mary Svoboda's going away
from the Cutters' to work at the hotel, and I
can have her place."

Mrs. Harling rose from her chair. "Antonia,
if you go to the Cutters' to work, you cannot
come back to this house again. You know
what that man is. It will be the ruin of
you."

Tony snatched up the tea-kettle and began
to pour boiling water over the glasses, laugh-
ing excitedly. "Oh, I can take care of myself!
I'm a lot stronger than Cutter is. They pay
four dollars there, and there's no children.

[[236]]

p235 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p236w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p237

v?