Zona Gale

“ A child in a red dress was playing with two colored balls in the street below. When luncheon was finished, the well-being in the small, bright room, and the thrilling suspense of the time, possessed Hempel as the chief fact in life. He looked at his wife in her gray gown and cap of lace, at her soft, white work. She was so little! He stretched out his big, brown hand, and laid it on her knee.
"Letty," he said, "see me, strong as an ox; and it does n't help any."
She looked at him strangely, beautifully.
"Strength is n't the only thing," she said. ”

“ It gave him the instance that he needed.
"Why, look here," said Hempel. "Talk about strength not being the biggest thing ever. If you 'd seen what I saw to-day—the whole street full of miserable, half-starved women, some of 'em left out o' that last factory fire, some of 'em striking out o' sympathy and on account o' their own troubles. And a grand sight o' good it 'll do 'em," Hempel repeated. "Look at 'em, what they are, just because they 've got no strength. All they can do, the poor things, is to get out there and go marching."
"Ah," Letty said, "but they were marching. ”

“ Every day must be to her weariness. But the girl's face was intent on something, as the faces of all were intent. And Letty was there in the flat, just waiting. But she might be going through it now, and he three miles away from her. Even as he turned fiercely on the policeman, he saw the gray helmet execute a mighty nod.
"Skin!" said the officer, and through a break in the ranks Hempel tore across the avenue and fled toward the subway. ”