He had comforted himself the night
before with the thought that Justice Rowan could find some way to
help him out of his dilemma; that the board would vote as the
justice advised, and then, of course, Tom's bid would be
invalidated. Now even this hope had failed him. "Whoever heard
of a woman's doing a job for a city?" he kept repeating
mechanically to himself.
Tom knew of none of these conspiracies. Had she done so they
would not have caused her a moment's anxiety. Here was a fight in
which no one would suffer except the head that got in her way, and
she determined to hit that with all her might the moment it rose
into view. This was no brewery contract, she argued with Pop,
where five hundred men might be thrown out of employment, with all
the attendant suffering to women and children. The village was a
power nobody could boycott. Moreover, the law protected her in
her rights under the award. She would therefore quietly wait
until the day for signing the papers arrived, furnish her bond,
and begin a work she could superintend herself. In the meantime
she would continue her preparations. One thing she was resolved
upon--she would have nothing to do with the Union. Carl could lay
his hand on a dozen of his countrymen who would be glad to get
employment with her.
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