"You are in no danger of dying from that disease," returned Mrs.
Albright.
"No, I guess I ain't. My mother used to say that she believed if I had to live with the Devil himself, I'd keep on laughing."
The quartette settled down to calm, now that the danger was over, but the talk still ran on Mrs. Dick.
"She's been married twice before, hasn't she?" asked Miss Crilly.
"Before what?" chuckled Mrs. Albright.
"O-h! Did I? That's one on me, sure! Well, maybe it is 'before'—who knows! What else could she be goin' off at half-past five with the milkman for? Might not be a bad thing either—guess he's all right. 'Most anything 'd be better 'n bein' under Miss Sniffen and her crowd!"
"Where did Mrs. Dick live before she came here? Did you know her?"
Mrs. Albright inquired.
"I knew of her." Miss Crilly answered. "She kep' boarders over Kelly Avenue way. She used to teach school years ago. Her first husband died and all her children, then she took boarders and married one of 'em.—this Mr. Dick. He didn't live long—only long enough to run through what she'd saved up. He drank. She's worked hard all her life, I guess. I like Mis' Dick! She's good company."
"I like her very," agreed Mrs. Adlerfeld. "She has been nice to me a many times. If she goes to marry, I think it will no harm anybody, and I wish her the best things in the world."
The little Swedish woman voiced the larger number of Mrs. Dick's associates in the Home. Slighting remarks were heard from Miss Castlevaine and a few others, but in almost any case they were to be expected.