where they halted, and speeches were made in favour of Women’s Rights, Home Rule, etc.; they then broke up, and returned to their homes. As time went on, one or two slight disturbances took place amongst the strikers; some of them who were of Dutch extraction had been arrested for ill-treating a very small free labourer, but on the whole they behaved very well. Of course, by this time it was known where the money was coming from to support the strike, and as the capitalists saw it was useless to prolong it any further, they held a meeting at the Exchange, and after an[Pg 17] interview with the delegates from the girls’ union, they decided that there was no use attempting to hold out any longer, and so they yielded every point asked for with as good a grace as possible; in fact, during the conference, one of the capitalists was so struck with the beauty and good sense of a girl delegate, that a wedding will soon take place, when we shall see that desirable end obtained of Capital united to Labour. As soon as the girls gained their point, of course, they returned to work, and ceased to draw the strike money which our hero had allowed them. The girl constabulary were disbanded, but not before the Government had recognised their great services by giving them a splendid fancy dress ball at the Centennial Hall, at which they all appeared in their uniforms, and which was generally admitted was even a more brilliant and successful affair than the great banquet given by the Government to the gentlemen of the special constabulary at the Prince Alfred Exhibition Building, on the termination of the great maritime strike a short time previously. It is whispered amongst people who are generally well posted in coming events that Reginald was so much[Pg 18] struck with the charms of one of the young lady troopers he met at the Constabulary Ball, that it is possible there may be some happiness left for him yet, though he will never forget the great sorrow of his early days, and can never even now look upon an amateur photographer without shuddering.

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THE END. 

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