"Is there anything else, Mr. Chadwick?" she asked.
"No, Martha," said the old man, in a harsh voice. "I shall be finished with my meal, directly. Then you can go."
"I'll wash the dishes," said the woman. "That will only take me a few minutes. There'll be plenty of time for me to get home and cook dinner for the folks."
"You're a busy lady, Martha," chuckled the old man. "You're a good cook, too. The best I ever had!"
"Thank you, Mr. Chadwick. I'm glad to work for you. It's very convenient, sir, that you always take dinner at five o'clock in the afternoon. It's an early hour, sir, and if it wasn't for that -
well, I guess I couldn't get here. My own family has to eat, you know."
"One should dine a few hours before retiring," declared the old man. "It is an excellent habit. There are good habits as well as bad ones. I always retire early. Therefore, I dine early."
"Well, sir," said Martha, "you may be right. But when one has men folks coming home from work, that's when dinner has to be gotten ready. Half past six is our time. That goes on Saturdays, too. Let the others grumble if they want to; my husband works until half after five every weekday. He's the boss."
"He's a hard worker," commented the old man. "Henry Birch was always a hard-working man."
"Yes," replied the woman proudly, "but he likes good times, too. He's taking me to see a picture show, tonight. We're going in to Philadelphia."