out milk or butter or eggs all
their lives than to be eternally lost.' Them was just her words.
Well, it just about made me faint to think of losin' all that, and I
says: 'Take that back, and we'll go'; I was so flustered. And now,
some of us has been drivin' down once a day; but, mind you, I don't
feel real easy when I'm near her. The idea of her plottin' harm
against innocent critturs that never done her any harm!"

Pearl said to Mary when they went back into the kitchen, "Mary, that
woman hasn't got the right idea of things. It don't do you a bit of
good to eat outside if you're thinkin' hard of anybody. It'll take
a queer old lot of blue sky and fresh air and singin' birds and
cherry-blossoms to soak all that out of her; but of course it'll
help some."

Mrs. Perkins stirred her tea with pleasure. She found it a real
delight to have good listeners who did not interrupt her. All her
life she had had to tell her stories against a counter-attraction,
that is, if her husband was present, for he was always telling one of
his own at the same time, and that sort of thing wears on the
stoutest nerves.

"You'll soon have a real nice place here, Mrs. Watson," she said,
looking around. "Poor Mrs. Cavers would have had things nice if she
had had her own way. She was the greatest woman for makin' little
fixin's--she and my Martha were always doin' something--dear me, the
way she'd stick up for that man, and make excuses for him! 'Mr.
Cavers has a headache,' or 'Mr. Cavers is quite tired out.' Mr.
Cavers, mind you. Oh, I tell you, she was fetched up different. Any
one could see that. When I saw her first she was as pretty a girl as
you'd see, and Bill was a fine-lookin' man, too. We never knew he
would drink, and I don't think he ever did until Sandy Braden got his
license and opened up a bar. I'll never forget the first night he
came home drunk. She came runnin' over to our house and told us she
was afraid he was dyin'. Pa and I went over with her, and I told her
right out, plump and plain, what was wrong with him just as soon as I
saw him. I'll never forget the way she backed up from me, givin'
queer little screeches, and then she came back quick, her eyes
just blazin', and says she, grabbin' me by the shoulders, 'I
don't--believe--it,' just as slow as that, and then she begged me to
forgive her, the pore lamb, and straightened right up as stiff as a
poker, but all white and twitchy, and from that day to this she has
never