COMMUTER'S WIFE 339 



or sumat. He standin' outside my window where the 

 geraniums be, me inside, and to token it we both is 

 now wearin' a flower, chance he hasn't lost his in the 

 jolting." And Martha pointed to a red geranium sur- 

 rounded by a tuft of parsley that garnished her 

 belt. 



" Sit down and tell us all about it," chuckled Evan, 

 fairly pulling her into a chair with a genial determi- 

 nation that was infectious. " It's all in the family, 

 you know." 



"Yes, that it is, and who else should I tell? 

 And what's the good of having news an' ye must 

 coop it? It's like cold veal pie upon the chest for 

 supper, the same being over old, under done, and 

 dry o' gravy. 



" Yes, Mr. Evan, and Mrs. too, not to be partial, 

 Tim'thy Saunders didn't have an idea o' marryin', 

 and though ailin', didn't know of what, so he had to be 

 told, that he had ; and me knowin', I had to take the 

 leadin', bein' my plain duty to a fellow creature, so to 

 speak. 



"Two months gone Tim'thy fell backward in his 

 eatin', for they fry meat to rags up at the farm 

 he bides at. He'd come outside my window when I 

 was dishin' stew, dressin' kidneys, or turnin' out a 

 loaf, and sniff and breathe heavy like, and say, ' Mrs. 



