not stop for their sorrows; but by seven o'clock Ona and
her stepmother were standing at the door of the office of
the agent. Yes, he told them, when he came, it was quite
true that they would have to pay interest. And then
Teta Elzbieta broke forth into protestations and reproaches,
so that the people outside stopped and peered in at the win~
dow. The agent was as bland as ever. He was deeply
pained, he said. He had not told them, simply because
he had supposed they would understand that they had to
pay interest upon their debt, as a matter of course.

So they came away, and Ona went down to the yards,
and at noon-time saw Jurgis and told him. Jurgis took
it stolidly -- he had made up his mind to it by this time.
It was part of fate; they would manage it somehow --
he made his usual answer, "I will work harder." It
would upset their plans for a time; and it would perhaps
be necessary for Ona to get work after all. Then Ona
added that Teta Elzbieta had decided that little Stani~
slovas would have to work too. It was not fair to let
Jurgis and her support the family -- the family would
have to help as it could. Previously Jurgis had scouted
this idea, but now knit his brows and nodded his head
slowly -- yes, perhaps it would be best; they would all
have to make some sacrifices now.

So Ona set out that day to hunt for work; and at night
Marija came home saying that she had met a girl named
Jasaityte who had a friend that worked in one of the
wrapping-rooms in Brown's, and might get a place for
Ona there; only the forelady was the kind that takes
presents -- it was no use for any one to ask her for a place
unless at the same time they slipped a ten-dollar bill into
her hand. Jurgis was not in the least surprised at this
now -- he merely asked what the wages of the place would
be. So negotiations were opened, and after an interview
Ona came home and reported that the forelady seemed to
like her, and had said that, while she was not sure, she
thought she might be able to put her at work sewing covers
on hams, a job at which she could earn as much as eight
or ten dollars a week. That was a bid, so Marija reported,

[[83]]

p082 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p083w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p084

v?