RS HALE: I liked her all well enough. Farmers' wives have their hands
full, Mr Henderson. And then--

COUNTY ATTORNEY: Yes--?

MRS HALE: (_looking about_) It never seemed a very cheerful place.

COUNTY ATTORNEY: No--it's not cheerful. I shouldn't say she had the
homemaking instinct.

MRS HALE: Well, I don't know as Wright had, either.

COUNTY ATTORNEY: You mean that they didn't get on very well?

MRS HALE: No, I don't mean anything. But I don't think a place'd be any
cheerfuller for John Wright's being in it.

COUNTY ATTORNEY: I'd like to talk more of that a little later. I want to
get the lay of things upstairs now. (_He goes to the left, where three
steps lead to a stair door_.)

SHERIFF: I suppose anything Mrs Peters does'll be all right. She was to
take in some clothes for her, you know, and a few little things. We left
in such a hurry yesterday.

COUNTY ATTORNEY: Yes, but I would like to see what you take, Mrs Peters,
and keep an eye out for anything that might be of use to us.

MRS PETERS: Yes, Mr Henderson.

(_The women listen to the men's steps on the stairs, then look about the
kitchen_.)

MRS HALE: I'd hate to have men coming into my kitchen, snooping around
and criticising.

(_She arranges the pans under sink which the_ LAWYER _had shoved out of
place_.)

MRS PETERS: Of course it's no more than their duty.

MRS HALE: Duty's all right, but I guess that deputy sheriff that came
out to make the fire might have got a little of this on. (_gives the
roller towel a pull_) Wish I'd thought of that sooner. Seems mean to
talk about her for not having things slicked up when she had to come
away in such a hurry.

MRS PETERS: (_who has gone to a small table in the left rear corner of
the room, and lifted one end of a towel that covers a pan_) She had
bread set. (_Stands still_.)

MRS HALE: (_eyes fixed on a loaf of bread beside the bread-box, which is
on a low shelf at the other side of the room. Moves slowly toward it_)
She was going to put this in there, (_picks up loaf, then abruptly drops
it. In a manner of returning to familiar things_) It's a shame about her
fruit. I wonder if it's all gone. (_gets up on the chair and looks_) I
think there's some here that's all right, Mrs Peters. Yes--here;
(_holding it toward the window_) this is cherries, too. (_looking
again_) I declare I believe that's the only one. (_gets down, bottle in
her hand. Goes to the sink and wipes it off on the outside_) She'll