THE GRATITUDE OF KITTIE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 26, 25 June 1903, Page 23

THE GRATITUDE OF KITTIE

Hilda was stolidly dipping chocolate creams when Kittie looked tow aid her down the long table and wondered if she had heard the news. But Hilda's head with its ilaxun biiiidb, »us Lent bUadily o\er her work and betrayed no emotion. J_,ike a well-regulated machine she In' led the .solt, whitu cciities, droppod them into the pan of melted chocolate that was kept at the right temperature by a gas flame underneath, and then quickly returned them to a sheet of waxed paper, putting a little twist on each candied morsel by a deft turn of the wrist. Even Kitties eager eyes could detect no tremor in the movements of that hand. It was plain that nothing had happened to disturb Hilda's peace of mind. Kittie sighed and looked down into her own pan of melted chocolate and at the tray of snowy mounds beside it. If she was to clip her usual number of creams that day she could not afford to lose any more time. Besides, was not her work needed now more than ever? Presently Kitties cvirls were bent as low as Hilda's braids, and Kitties right hand was moving with the same machine-like regularity, as tray after tray was filled with the tempting sweets and carried away to the cooling room by the Aery little girls who had not yet arrived al tho dignity of being ' hand-dippers ' It was one of these who had told the news to Kittie, whispering to her as she brought a fresh lot of iig and almond centres ' Factory's goin' to .shut down,' she had said. 'Mr. Bradford's goin' to fail.' ' Don't believe it ! ' Kittie had responded, sharply, as a grown-up person of fifteen should speak to a mere child of thirteen who had no business to be working in a factory, anyhow 7 , even if Kittie herself had started at twelve. ' But he said s;o,' said the unabashed assistant, indicating the foreman with a sugary thumb. 'Ho told Jim the boss had lost all his money and was goin' to thut up shop.' It was then that Kittie had put down her wire dipper and looked across at the unresponsive Hilda. Hilda she felt sure, would have that same queer feeling of tightness in her throat at the mere thought of any misfortune coming to tho ' boss.' For back of his cheery smile, they had reason to know, lay a genuine kindliness of heart which stiove for expression in ways that made the Bradford factory different- from any other in the city. Kittio had known so little kindness in her short, sordid little life' There had boon a few years divided between a noisy school with a teacher who did not understand and a moie noisy home with a mother who, in the struggle for existence, had forgotten her childhood. Then had come the factory, as a matter of course. Born of factory-bred parents, knowing only children of other facfory-bred mothers and lathers, Kittio had never thought of looking forward to anything else. In a vague way she knew that somewhere in the world there were girls who went to .school indefinitely, and emerged at some far day school teachers, or forewomen, or perhaps even glotified beings who wore marvellous clothes and called one ' dear ' in low, sweet tones when tho Pansy Club met at the settlement Wednesday nights. But Kittie, in her wildest day dreams, had not imagined such a future for herself She had gone to work just as she had gone to school, carrying home her wages on Saturday evenings ,iust as she had once carried home her weekly reports on Fridays It was what all the girls she knew did, and she thought nothing about it. But she did 1 now theio was a difference between the Brad foid factory and the other big places in town where candy was manufactured by the ton. It was not that the Brndfoid girls did not work ten long hou.rs every day. just as the girls in other factories did, or that they were paid any bettor Competition in the candy business was too sharp to permit any expensive philanthropy bi t Bi ad ford, it was generally, if reluctantly, acknowledged, did moie for his work people than any one else m town. Perhaps it was because he had two little daughters who had not so much as <-oen the inside of his establishment that made him feel part iculai lv tender with the hundreds of little eiils who came to him for employment. He would much prefei red not to take them at all. but if they did not wot k for him they would work for some one else, since there was no law that could prevent them ft om work inc.So Bradford oa^ed his conf-cierce by doing- what he could to mate the timo they spent at work more pleasant. It was he who had tried the plan of a fifteen minutes' recess in the middle of the morning and of tho afternoon, despite the nssert'Ois of his superintendent that the lo^s of a half hour's- work a day meant just as much less in the week's total output. 'Never mind, Tom.' he would say on such occasions Tf there were no better reason . kindness pays. They Work belter for the rest, don't 1 hey ? ' 'Well.' half assented Tom. ' it don't look natural ' Tom had likewise protested when a big brass üm was bought, and Bradford announced his intention of serving n ciip of coffee free to every employee at noon. Was it not enough to buy gimcracks all round at Christ-

mas, and to send pails of cold lemonade to the workrooms on hot summer days ? If you <lo too much for people, they will not do anything, for yoiu, an argument that Bradford invariably met with an enigmatical smile. ' We can't tell about that,' he said, bringing the conversation to a close for the hundredth time. ' Besides, it's a man's sheer duty to do what he can.' ' Bradford's crazy ! ' said the other manufacturers, hearing with unfeigned alarm of his intention to build a working people's club-house so that his employees could have reading rooms, a gymnasium and baths. Hut Bradford only laughed at their misgivings. The club-houje was only on paper so far, and as for the other th.ng-s he was dointr, he declared them the best possible investment of capital. It was quite bad enough, he asserted, to run a business on the labor of children without trying to do all that a man reasonably could to make life easier and brighter for them. He admitted that that was something that their fathers should have been doing-, but since it was plain that some one was neglecting his duty, he, for the sake of his own pink-cheeked daughters, meant to do all he could. He never said anything of this to the girls in the factory. He never really said anything to them at all, except ' Good morning ! ' when he happened to meet them, but every girl in the place cherished the memory of tho smile which always accompanied the greeting. Kittie recalled how it had cheered her when she came back the day after her father was buried ; and she remeinbeied the cheque that had found its was to her widowed mother. And now the factory was going to close : the boss was to lose all his money ! Kittie winked back the tears and waited impatiently for tho 12 o'clock whistle, but her hands after that first pause never stopped until the first blast blew. Then she laid down her dipper and ran over to where Hilda was carefully putting a true-lovers' knot on a chocolatecovered peppermint. ' Hurry up ! ' said Kittie. ' I've got something to tell you.' ' All right,' said Hilda, viewing her work, with pride. She was a young person of slow movements and limited English. ' Come over to our corner and I'll tell you ! ' urpted Kittie Hilda produced a tin lunch-box. ' Where's yours ? ' she asked. ' Never mind,' said Kittie, who had forgotten all about eating. 'Hilda, have you heard about it? Did you know the boss had lost his money and the factory's com' to shut down an' ' The warm-hearted girl beeran to sob. Hilda listened stolidly. It was difficult for her to express her emotions in words, but her blue eyes grew moist and her sandwich took on a strange new saltiness. ' But what can wo do ? ' she said, despairingly. 'We ain't rich people ' Kittie nodded her head mournfully. ' Tt'd be awful workm' for no one else,' she said/ 'Wish I could work for him forever ' ' Then she stopped and stared at Hilda's rotund countenance. ' I'\e got it ! ' Kittie fairly screamed. ' That's what we'll do ' ' Do what? ' said the wondering Hilda. ' Work for nothin' ' ' cried Kittie, her eyes sparkling. ' I'll bet the girls will do it ! Como along, I'm goin' to tell Vm ' ' and, dragging Hilda by a corner of her blue gingham apron, Kittie ran down the long room to the comer where most of the girls had congregated for their noon meal. ' Ain't she a craxy thing?' commented Millie Dulanrv, who was 17 and had a beau and fine airs in consequence ' Kitties all right,' said Rosie Berger, who lived next door to the Maguires, and by virtue of being the oldest hand among the girls wielded some authority. ' There ain't nothing she won't do for you if she takes a notion. Ain't that so, Kittie,' she asked, as the little Cii 1 came to an abrupt stop in front of her. Kittie Was too excited to reply. 'What's the matter?' asked Rosie. " Ain't you heard ? ' said Kittie. ' Don't you know the boss is hard up and is goin' to shut down tho factory ■> ' The pirls stared at her in astonishment. ' F told von she was crazy/ said tho superior Millie. ' But it's so,' said Kittie, stoutly ; ' the foreman said so ' ' Well,' said Millie, smartly, ' I don't sco what we've ■jot to do about it if it is.' ' You keep still t ' commanded liosie, who was not demonstrative of her rower unless there was occasion for it ' Now. tro on, Kittie. If it's true what can we do about it *> ' I've got an ii'oa,' said Kittie, more slowly. Somehow her enthusiasm was ebbing away, and her wonderful plan seeired less easy of execution nnd less positive of .results in the cold glitter of "Millie Dulancy's black eyes. 'Am way 1 had one. Guess it won't do, though." I thoueht mebbo we could do something-, but ' ' What was it *? ' insisted Itosie. ' Vie miirht work for nothin',' said Kittie. slowly. ' For nothin' ' ' repeated Millie, scornfully. S.me of the girls tittered. 'What are you talking about?' OM'ii Rosie said Opposition was all that Kitties heart needed to fan dvintr enthusiasm into life. 1 See here ' ' she said. 'It ain't as if we had loads of money Tf we had, there ain't none of us, 'cept it's Millie, who wouldn't lend it all to the boss after all he's done for us. But wo ain't got it. But we've got

something- else. We ye got our work. We could lend him that, ccfluldn t we? S'po&o we agrees to work for a month and take no wages until he could pay up ? An s pose we said we'd wait for the back wages lie owes •us now and i.s worry in' about, 1 expect? r ihat would be something, if every one in the factory did it ' Some of the girls looked thoughtful! K\en when one is making only thieo and four dollars a week it means something of a sacrifice to give it up. Perhaps it means even more than when one is making 30 or -40 dollais Besides, there were the fathers and mothei.s at home to be considered \Mint would t hey snv when Iho customary emelopo was not forthcoming on Saturday night v They ha<d said on on eh as it was because the 'last two weeks the wages had not been paid. ' We won't make any money at all if there's a shutdown,' said Kittie, interpreting their thoughts. ' There ain't much work anywhere. My brother's been out of a job for a month, and things ain't very pleasant at home. Wo wouldn't be gettin' any wages anyway, jon see, an' wouldn't havp any comin', either. My. Biadford'll pay up some time.' ' He's awful nice to us,' put in Hilda. 'You bet,' said one of the older girls, emphatically ' What's he ever done for us ? ' asked Millie l-'/Lilaney. ' You'd better go back to Boal's and see the difference ! ' said Ko«e, sharply. ' The rest of us Know without goin'. Say, Kittie, I'll do it if the rest w ill. * That was all that was needed. ' I'll do it too,' said one of the other gills. ' Me, too,' chimed in another ; and presently the group, even to Millie Dulaney, were pledged 'Now, eomo on lot's tell the rest,' said Kittie Through the factory went the girls, Kittie at their head, her eyes shining, her whole face alhe with joy at the thought of being- able to help her friend, the boss. As they went they told their story and their plan of rescue, Kittie enthusiastically explaining and the others endorsit with many interruptions. There were between two and three hundred employees in the place, and the girls went f,vom top to bottom of the building to make sure that overs'- one was told. The men in the mixing-rooms, where the sugar was boiling in great cauldrons, looked up impatiently when their quarters were in\aded. .Some of them laughed when Kittie outlined her scheme. ' You little idiot ' ' said one. ' Look out, Joe ' The youngster's pretty near right,' said a broad-shotulderod man. ' The old man's been mighty white ' \\o'\e known he was m trouble a good while, and we'\e boon sorry enough about it, but none of us has o\cr thought of tr\m' to help him ' ' Why should we 9 ' asked Joe, just as Millie had. done 'Well,' said Iho first man, slowh , ' I don't belie\e you've forgotten the time when \our boy died with scarlot foA ei . How would von hsuc paid the doctor's bill and the funeral expenses if it hadn't been for the old man ? ' The other shifted his feet uneasily ' You'ro right, •Jim.' he said, presently. ' But it's qvcer to haie a kid liko that tellm' a man what to do ' ' Kittie.' said Jim, ' suppose jou go and toll him "> Say that if ho'll Keep the lactory going we'll work a month and lot our pay run on until lie's st i aiiihtonod out. That will moan so\eial thousand doll, us and perhaps he'll pull through. 'Taint much, compaied with what we'd like to do, but it might help Trot along, kid. and toll him ' ' Mo 9 ' said Kittie. in confusion 'Oh T can't ' ' ' Yes you can,' said Jim ' Besides it's -your scheme Now, skip, before the one o'clock whistle blows ! ' Kittio turned to obov 'Wait a minute' said the piactital TTilda ' You've cried chocolate all over your face ' Then, while the girls gip«-lod hysteiicallv Hilda calmly led Kittie to the nearest faucet and em i <-iot i< ally scrubbed her face with a corner ol her am on It was a pink-chocked maid that ran down (ho st.vis, thro'i^h tho stock-rooms, through the <-hippmg-rooms and into the office, deserted by all but tho head of the dim, who had no appotito for luncheon He sat at his desk, his head m bis hand, but ho looked up weanlv as Kiltie lapped Tt was not often that any employee \isitod the oiliee and P.iadioid would have boon surpiised if his mind had not le< n cnQtossed with other things As it was he smiled not such a smile ,is Kittie held in her memory, but the kmdlv, p.itient smile of a man who sees defeat ahead, but is sti ong enough to meet it courageously ' What is it ° ' he asked 'Please,' said Kittio. tmiidlv. ' thov s.n — (her ?nv — oh. Mr Bradfoid. thov say vou'\e lost {ill -\oui monov an' the factory s <_>oin' to close, and we 11 all h,T\e to leave, and '" And then Kittie bi oke <lou'n complet ely 'Well.' said Bradfoid, sharph , ' what is th.it to you ° You'll be paid ' ' 'Tt ain't that.' saul Kittie 'it ain't th.it "We, don't want von to shut down at all. and we're awfully sorry. and we don't care whether you h.ne any money or not, 'cause we'll woik for -\ ou anyway, and- ' ' Wbat are you talking about °' demanded Bradford ' Workin',' said Kittie valiantly 'Wo don't want no wages Anyway, we don't want any for a long time, and then you can sa\p a lot of money, and p'l 'aps you won't have to shut down at all ' Then Kittie, ha\ ing at last found her tongue, went on, tolling in her own wav and with infinite detail just what had happened upstairs The man at tho desk listened in silence. Once or twice he put his hand to his

throat as if he were choking, and then he dropped his head and sat so still that Kittie was sure he was onended. ' Perhaps he's mad,' she said to herself, taking instant fright at the terrible thought of having givea offence to the boss. She shivered at her own temerity. How had she 'dared to be so familiar ? ' '"Wo didn't mean to— to— do what we hadn't ought to, she said, in an abashed voice, from which the glad, enthusiastic note that had won her a hearing in tho woikiooms had quite disappeared. She was %cry sober now. ' You see.' she said, timidly, 'it was just 'cause \ou'\o boon so erood to us and 'cause wo liked ,>ou.' ' Did they all say that, Kittie ? ' Bradford asked, soitly. ' Yes, sir, and Jim said it might help you to, straighten things out ' The man at the desk put his lips together and threw back his shoulders in tho way that his friends kjnew meant he would win or die fighting. After all, things were not quite so bad as Kitties fancy had painted. It did look like failure, an absurd failure, since it hinged on so small a sum. But there had been a somewhat indiscreet expansion of the plant, too close ' sailing to the wind,' too generous a faith in others' promises, and in tho end disastrous to himself, since there had seemed to be no one to whom he could turn for temporary relief. But the busy season would begin presently, and perhaps the now holiday stock, planned months ago would sell rapidly. It seemed ridiculous even to talk of failure, when, if thinca could only be tided over for a month or so everything would be safe. You could pay it all back some time,' said Kittie. Bradioid spuing to his feet. ' Kittie,' he said, with a new ring in his voice as ho looked down into her eager, upturned face, ' we'll do it • Go back and tell your friends upsta its that I'm proud to be helped by them, and that, with their assistance, we'll pull it through ' Three weeks later Bradford ran lightly up the stairs to the workroom, scorning the slow elevator, and stopTied near the table where Kitties fingdrs flashed abore her pan of chocolate There had been no pay day for three successive Saturday mtrhts, and tho mothers and fathers had grumbled. But the children had had their argument ready. There was not much work to be had anywhere, they pointed out, and, besides, some day the boss would bo on his feet again. In tho factory itself there had boon no discontent. A strange now fooling of comradeship had come over the workers, and from Kittie busy at hor chocolate-dipping to bioad-shouldorod Jim in tho boiling-rooms each one was inspired with something that made work a ioy. Bradfoid. looking down the room, and catching responshe smiles o\orvwhore, was thrilled anew with a warm and \ita'ismg son^e of common brotherhood, such as had been his since Kittie had come to his office three weeks a so. Jus' one minute ' ' he said, in a ringing voice. ' J thought you'd like to know that it's all right now. Waees and back pay to-morrow. We've got the biggest order we o\ or had, and the " FatimVas " are a splendid success T ' ho 100 led down at Kittie and smiled (lioeulv although his voice broke—' I'm much obliged to you, mv fi lends ' '— ' Youth Companion '