wedding-feast! Alena Jasaityte, who had looked so beau~
tiful, and danced with such a queenly air, with Juozas
Raczius, the teamster! Jurgis had only seen her once or
twice afterward, for Juozas had thrown her over for an~
other girl, and Alena had gone away from Packingtown,
no one knew where. And now he met her here!

She was as much surprised as he was. "Jurgis Rudkus!"
she gasped. "And what in the world is the matter with
you?"

"I -- I've had hard luck," he stammered. "I'm out of
work, and I've no home and no money. And you, Alena
-- are you married?"

"No," she answered, "I'm not married, but I've got a
good place."

They stood staring at each other for a few moments
longer. Finally Alena spoke again. "Jurgis," she said,
"I'd help you if I could, upon my word I would, but it
happens that I've come out without my purse, and I hon~
estly haven't a penny with me. I can do something better
for you, though -- I can tell you how to get help. I can
tell you where Marija is."

Jurgis gave a start. "Marija!" he gasped.

"Yes," said Alena; "and she'll help you. She's got a
place, and she's doing well; she'll be glad to see you."

It was not much more than a year since Jurgis had left
Packingtown, feeling like one escaped from jail; and it
had been from Marija and Elzbieta that he was escaping.
But now, at the mere mention of them, his whole being
cried out with joy. He wanted to see them; he wanted
to go home! They would help him -- they would be kind
to him. In a flash he had thought over the situation. He
had a good excuse for running away -- his grief at the
death of his son; and also he had a good excuse for not
returning -- the fact that they had left Packingtown. "All
right," he said, "I'll go."

So she gave him a number on Clark Street, adding,
"There's no need to give you my address, because Marija
knows it." And Jurgis set out, without further ado.

He found a large brown-stone house of aristocratic ap~

[[342]]

p341 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p342w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p343

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