In the bustling heart of Bideford, where the marketplace was usually abuzz with life, there was an unusual tension in the air.
Weeks had passed since Albert and his fellow industrialists had implemented their plan in response to the child labour ban.
Housewives, clad in their everyday attire, gathered around the grain stalls as they did every week. It was a ritual that had been a part of their lives for as long as they could remember.
But today, as they approached the grain vendors, their faces transformed from anticipation to shock. Whispers and gasps filled the air like wildfire as they examined the prices of the grain sacks.
"Did you see this, Martha?" exclaimed one housewife to her friend. "The price has shot up again!"
Martha, her eyes widening, clutched her purse tightly. "I can't believe it. We just can't catch a break, can we?"
