spite of the fact that he had made such drastic resolutions
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in regard to the help who were beneath him, still it was not
always possible for him to keep his mind on the mere
mechanical routine of the work or off of this company of
girls as girls, since at least a few of them were attractive.
For it was summer—late June. And over all the factory,
especially around two, three and four in the afternoon,
when the endless repetition of the work seemed to pall on
all, a practical indifference not remote from languor and in
some instances sensuality, seemed to creep over the
place. There were so many women and girls of so many
different types and moods. And here they were so remote
from men or idle pleasure in any form, all alone with just
him, really. Again the air within the place was nearly always
heavy and physically relaxing, and through the many open
windows that reached from floor to ceiling could be seen
the Mohawk swirling and rippling, its banks carpeted with
green grass and in places shaded by trees. Always it
seemed to hint of pleasures which might be found by idling
along its shores. And since these workers were employed
so mechanically as to leave their minds free to roam from
one thought of pleasure to another, they were for the most
part thinking of themselves always and what they would do,
assuming that they were not here chained to this routine.
And because their moods were so brisk and passionate,
they were often prone to fix on the nearest object. And
since Clyde was almost always the only male present—and
in these days in his best clothes—they were inclined to fix
on him. They were, indeed, full of all sorts of fantastic
notions in regard to his private relations with the Griffiths
and their like, where he lived and how, whom in the way of
a girl he might be interested in. And he, in turn, when not
too constrained by the memory of what Gilbert Griffiths had
said to him, was inclined to think of them—certain girls in
particular—with thoughts that bordered on the sensual. For,
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in spite of the wishes of the Griffiths Company, and the
discarded Rita or perhaps because of her, he found himself
becoming interested in three different girls here. They were
of a pagan and pleasure-loving turn—this trio—and they
thought Clyde very handsome. Ruza Nikoforitch—a
Russian-American girl—big and blonde and animal, with
swimming brown eyes, a snub fat nose and chin, was very
much drawn to him. Only, such was the manner with which
he carried himself always, that she scarcely dared to let
herself think so. For to her, with his hair so smoothly parted,
torsoed in a bright-striped shirt, the sleeves of which in this
weather were rolled to the elbows, he seemed almost too
perfect to be real. She admired his clean, brown polished
shoes, his brightly buckled black leather belt, and the loose
four-in-hand tie he wore.
Again there was Martha Bordaloue, a stocky, brisk
Canadian-French girl of trim, if rotund, figure and ankles,
hair of a reddish gold and eyes of greenish blue with puffy
pink cheeks and hands that were plump and yet small.
Ignorant and pagan, she saw in Clyde some one whom,
even for so much as an hour, assuming that he would, she
would welcome—and that most eagerly. At the same time,
being feline and savage, she hated all or any who even so
much as presumed to attempt to interest him, and despised
Ruza for that reason. For as she could see Ruza tried to
nudge or lean against Clyde whenever he came sufficiently
near. At the same time she herself sought by every single
device known to her—her shirtwaist left open to below the
borders of her white breast, her outer skirt lifted trimly
above her calves when working, her plump round arms
displayed to the shoulders to show him that physically at
least she was worth his time. And the sly sighs and
languorous looks when he was near, which caused Ruza to
exclaim one day: “That French cat! He should look at her!”
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And because of Clyde she had an intense desire to strike
her.
And yet again there was the stocky and yet gay Flora
Brandt, a decidedly low class American type of coarse and
yet enticing features, black hair, large, swimming and
heavily-lashed black eyes, a snub nose and full and
sensuous and yet pretty lips, and a vigorous and not
ungraceful body, who, from day to day, once he had been
there a little while, had continued to look at him as if to say
—“What! You don’t think I’m attractive?” and with a look
which said: “How can you continue to ignore me? There are
lots of fellows who would be delighted to have your chance,
I can tell you.”
And, in connection with these three, the thought came to
him after a time that since they were so different, more
common as he thought, less well-guarded and less sharply
interested in the conventional aspects of their contacts, it
might be possible and that without detection on the part of
any one for him to play with one or another of them—or all
three in turn if his interest should eventually carry him so far
—without being found out, particularly if beforehand he
chose to impress on them the fact that he was
condescending when he noticed them at all. Most certainly,
if he could judge by their actions, they would willingly
reward him by letting him have his way with them
somewhere, and think nothing of it afterward if he chose to
ignore them, as he must to keep his position here.
Nevertheless, having given his word as he had to Gilbert
Griffiths, he was still in no mood to break it. These were
merely thoughts which from time to time were aroused in
him by a situation which for him was difficult in the extreme.
His was a disposition easily and often intensely inflamed by
the chemistry of sex and the formula of beauty. He could
not easily withstand the appeal, let alone the call, of sex.
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And by the actions and approaches of each in turn he was
surely tempted at times, especially in these warm and
languorous summer days, with no place to go and no single
intimate to commune with. From time to time he could not
resist drawing near to these very girls who were most bent
on tempting him, although in the face of their looks and
nudges, not very successfully concealed at times, he
maintained an aloofness and an assumed indifference
which was quite remarkable for him.
But just about this time there was a rush of orders, which
necessitated, as both Whiggam and Liggett advised, Clyde
taking on a few extra “try-out” girls who were willing to work
for the very little they could earn at the current piece work
rate until they had mastered the technique, when of course
they would be able to earn more. There were many such
who applied at the employment branch of the main office
on the ground floor. In slack times all applications were
rejected or the sign hung up “No Help Wanted.”
And since Clyde was relatively new to this work, and thus
far had neither hired nor discharged any one, it was agreed
between Whiggam and Liggett that all the help thus sent up
should first be examined by Liggett, who was looking for
extra stitchers also. And in case any were found who
promised to be satisfactory as stampers, they were to be
turned over to Clyde with the suggestion that he try them.
Only before bringing any one back to Clyde, Liggett was
very careful to explain that in connection with this temporary
hiring and discharging there was a system. One must not
ever give a new employee, however well they did, the
feeling that they were doing anything but moderately well
until their capacity had been thoroughly tested. It interfered
with their proper development as piece workers, the
greatest results that could be obtained by any one person.
Also one might freely take on as many girls as were needed
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355
to meet any such situation, and then, once the rush was
over, as freely drop them—unless, occasionally, a very
speedy worker was found among the novices. In that case
it was always advisable to try to retain such a person, either
by displacing a less satisfactory person or transferring some
one from some other department, to make room for new
blood and new energy.
The next day, after this notice of a rush, back came four
girls at different times and escorted always by Liggett, who
in each instance explained to Clyde: “Here’s a girl who
might do for you. Miss Tyndal is her name. You might give