al interest.

"Say, if that ain't the third time this mornin'," she exclaimed.

"Meanin' Annie?" inquired Mrs. Rust.

"Chasin' dollars," added Jane Restless, with a sniff.

Pretty laughed unpleasantly.

"Why not?" she asked, and promptly answered herself. "Guess her man's
taught her. However, I don't blame her. Dollars are hard enough to
come by in this place. Say, they tell me Eve's gettin' 'em in
hundreds."

"Thousands," said Mrs. Rust, her eyes shining.

"Say, ain't she lucky?" exclaimed Jane. "I don't care who knows it. I
envy her good an' plenty. Thousands! Gee!"

"I don't know she's to be envied a heap," said Mrs. Rust. "I 'lows all
men has their faults, but Will Henderson ain't no sort of bokay of
virtues. He's a drunken bum anyway."

"An' he knocks her about," added Pretty, with a snap.

"But he's pilin' up the dollars for her," Jane urged, still lost in
serious contemplation of the fabulous sums her simple mind attributed
to Eve's fortune.

But Pretty Wilkes had no sympathy with such excuses.

"Well, dollars or no dollars, I wouldn't change places with Eve for a
lot. Guess there's some folk as would sell their souls for dollars,"
she said, eyeing Jane Restless severely. "But if dollars means having
Will Henderson behind 'em, I'd rather get out an' do chores all my
life."

"Guess you're right," acquiesced Mrs. Rust, thoughtfully. "Will's a
whiskey souse an' poker playin' bum. What I sez is, give me a fool man
like my Rust, who's no more sense than to beat hot iron, an' keep out
o' my way when I've a big wash doin'."

"That's so," agreed Pretty. "An' if I'm any judge, that's just 'bout
how pore Eve feels."

"Pore?" sniggered Jane.

"Yes, 'pore.'" Pretty's manner assumed its most pronounced austerity.
"That gal ain't what she was, an'--an' I can't get the rights of it.
What for does she keep right on with her needle, with all those
dollars? She don't never laff now for sure. There's something on her
mind, and it's my belief it's Will Henderson. Say, Kate Crombie told
me that Eve never spent any o' those dollars, an' it was her belief
she ain't never touched 'em. _She_ says it's 'cause of him. _She_ says
it's 'cause she hates Will, has hated him ever since that time she
fell agin the coal box. That was Will. Kate said so; and her man fixed
Eve up. Say, he orter been lynched. An' if the men-folk won't do it,
then we ought to. It makes my blood boil thinkin' of it. Pore Eve! I
allus liked her. B