She went to the cage, and put her finger in for it to peck at.

Standing there, if the vacant life coming rose up before her in that hard blare of sunlight, she looked at it with the same still, waiting eyes, that told nothing.
The door opened at last, and a man came in,--Dr.Knowles, the principal owner of the factory.

He nodded shortly to her, and, going to the desk, turned over the books, peering suspiciously at her work.

An old man, overgrown, looking like a huge misshapen mass of flesh, as he stood erect, facing her.
"You can go now," he said, gruffly.

"Tomorrow you must wait for the bell to ring, and go--with the rest of the hands." A curious smile flickered over her face like a shadow; but she said nothing.