The contract was drawn up by a lawyer in the nearest town and signed.

Arthur, trusting blindly to the honesty and good-will of everybody, had hurried for his train without seeing more than that the stipulated rates had been properly mentioned in the contract.

His wife was ill; in fact, Charlotte was only a few days old, and he was anxious and eager to be home.

There had been no strikes at that period in that vicinity, and indeed comparatively few in the whole country.

Arthur would almost as soon have thought of guarding in his contract against an earthquake; but the strike clause was left out, and there was a strike.