"Not really—on this hot day."
"Um, hum," nodded Virgie emphatically. "You know he—he—he was the terriblest old man that—that ever was. An' he had so many wifses that—"
"Say 'wives,' my darling. Wives."
Sally Ann laughed and Virgie frowned.
"Well, I thought it was that, but Sally Ann's older'n me and she said 'wifses.'"
"Huh," grunted Sally Ann. "Don' make no differ'nce what you call 'em, des so he had 'em. Gor'n tell her."
"Well, you know, Mother, Blue Beard had such a bad habit of killin' his wives that—that some of the ladies got so they—they almost didn't like to marry him!"
"Gracious, what a state of affairs," cried Mrs. Cary, in well feigned amazement at the timidity of the various Mrs. Blue Beards. "And then—"
"Well, the last time he got married to—to another one—her name was Mrs. Fatima. An'—an' I've been playin' her."
"And who played Blue Beard?"