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gooey in the middle or burned on the outside. Ma didn’t even use the noonmark most of the time—she just knew how much time had passed by natural instinct, it seemed. She didn’t need any clock for it. And out came the bread all golden on top and smelling so good, you just had to cut off a little piece right away—just to test, of course.
    And, of course, it was always dry and warm around the oven. As I ran through the icy cold rain toward the mill, I kept smelling the bread baking in my mind and wishing I was home with Ma.
    I ran the whole way, dashed up the outside stairs, through the storage room and into the slubbing-billy room. Hetty was standing by our machine, waiting for me, for she couldn’t work it alone. Mr. Hoggart was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. “It’s about time you got here,” he said in his hard voice. He looked out the window to the clock in the bell tower of the other mill. “Almost an hour late, and you’ve kept another girl from working. That’s two hours you’ve cost the mill.”
    â€œI’m sorry, sir,” I said, pulling off my cloak and jumping to my place at the slubbing billy. “The wind was coming wrong and I didn’t hear the bell.”
    â€œThat’s no excuse. If the bell doesn’t wake you, you’ll have to find a way that will.” He straightened away from the window and came over to me. “You can tell your pa your pay will be a half-day short.”
    ******
    I felt sunk and scared. Pa was going to be mighty angry about it. Oh, he’d be furious. There was no telling what he might do. But I’d have to confess, for it’d be worse when he came to collect my wages at the end of my contract and found out they were short.
    I was desperate to talk to Robert about it. But it was hard to find a chance to talk to him, for he was busy at his job. Most of the time he was in the carding room, which was down at the front of the mill, weighing wool. The farmers would bring it to him there, and he would mark down how much they brought. The baskets would be hauled up on a pulley rigged on a beam outside a storage area next to the slubbing room. Usually Tom Thrush was up there to take in the basket as it rose to the big door in the storage area. It was something he could do with one hand.
    I ate my dinner as quick as I could, and then raced on out of there to the carding room. Robert was sitting on a heap of wool eating some bread and cold pork. He looked up. “What’s the matter, Annie?”
    â€œI was late, Robert. Mr. Hoggart caught me. He says I have to tell Pa my wages will be short.”
    Robert whistled. “Your pa won’t like that very much.”
    â€œI know. Pa’s tight up for money these days.”
    â€œHe always is,” Robert said.
    â€œI know. But it seems like it’s worse now, Ma says. I don’t know exactly the reason, I guess it’s because he owes so much for that blame merino ram.”
    â€œThere’s going to be trouble about that, I hear. With the price of merinos shooting up so high, somebody’s bringing in a whole shipload of them. The price is bound to drop.”
    That scared me even more. “What’ll happen to Pa?”
    â€œIf he can’t sell his for what he owes on him, he’ll be in trouble. He’ll have to find the money somewhere.”
    It was a mighty bad time for me to get my wages docked. “That blame clock, that blame ram.”
    â€œMaybe you could talk to Mr. Hoggart. Maybe you could plead with him.”
    I didn’t want to be beholden to Mr. Hoggart. “I would hate to do that. I would hate to beg him.”
    â€œI don’t know what else you can do,” Robert said.
    He was right, but I hated the idea. “I wish I could think of something else.”
    We were quiet. But I couldn’t think of anything, and neither could Robert. “Well, I guess I’d