t laugh!"

"You are in no danger of dying from that disease," returned Mrs.
Albright.

"No, I guess I ain't. My mother used to say that she believed if I
had to live with the Devil himself, I'd keep on laughing."

The quartette settled down to calm, now that the danger was over,
but the talk still ran on Mrs. Dick.

"She's been married twice before, hasn't she?" asked Miss Crilly.

"Before what?" chuckled Mrs. Albright.

"O-h! Did I? That's one on me, sure! Well, maybe it is
'before'--who knows! What else could she be goin' off at half-past
five with the milkman for? Might not be a bad thing either--guess
he's all right. 'Most anything 'd be better 'n bein' under Miss
Sniffen and her crowd!"

"Where did Mrs. Dick live before she came here? Did you know her?"
Mrs. Albright inquired.

"I knew of her." Miss Crilly answered. "She kep' boarders over
Kelly Avenue way. She used to teach school years ago. Her first
husband died and all her children, then she took boarders and
married one of 'em.--this Mr. Dick. He didn't live long--only long
enough to run through what she'd saved up. He drank. She's worked
hard all her life, I guess. I like Mis' Dick! She's good company."

"I like her very," agreed Mrs. Adlerfeld. "She has been nice to me
a many times. If she goes to marry, I think it will no harm
anybody, and I wish her the best things in the world."

The little Swedish woman voiced the larger number of Mrs. Dick's
associates in the Home. Slighting remarks were heard from Miss
Castlevaine and a few others, but in almost any case they were to
be expected.

On the second day of Mrs. Dick's absence Miss Crilly appeared in
Mrs. Bonnyman's room, where some half-dozen of the ladies were
chatting.

"She is married!" she announced in a stage whisper,--"married to
the milkman--oh! oh! oh!" Miss Crilly sat down in the midst of
eager questioning.

"They say she wrote a note to Miss Sniffen yesterday, but I didn't
get my news from her--no, sir-ee! It came pretty straight,
though,--I guess it's so all right."

"What'd you say, Mis' Albright? Yes, she was married day before
yesterday--went to the minister's! She told somebody she just
couldn't stand it here another minute."

"I wonder if she's ever seen him much," said Miss Major.

"My, yes! She's known him for years--used to be her milkman when
she kept house! He isn't any stranger! Oh, don't I wish I could
see her!"

"Maybe she will come ov