"I woke up with one brother-in-law, an' now I got seven," cried Bindle as he walked over and opened the glass-door, with white lace curtains tied back with blue ribbon, at the back of the shop.
"Martha," he shouted, "Martha, you're wanted!"
An indistinct sound was heard and a minute later Mrs. Hearty appeared, enormously fat and wheezing painfully.
"That you, Joe?" she panted as she struck her ample bosom with clenched hand. "My breath! it's that bad to-day." For a moment she stood blinking in the sunlight.
"See 'em, Martha?" ejaculated Bindle, pointing to Mr. Hearty and the "alibis." "Seven of 'em. You're a bigamist, sure as eggs, Martha, an' Millie ain't never goin' to be an orphan."
As she became accustomed to the glare of the sunlight, Mrs. Hearty looked in a dazed way at the group of "husbands," all gazing in her direction. Then she suddenly began to shake and wheeze. It took very little to make Mrs. Hearty laugh, sometimes nothing at all. Now she sat down suddenly on a sack of potatoes and heaved and shook with silent laughter.
Suddenly Mr. Hearty became galvanised into action.
"How—how dare you!" he fumed. "Get out of my shop, confound you!"
"'Earty, 'Earty!" protested Bindle, "fancy you a-usin' language like that. I'm surprised at you."
Mr. Hearty looked about him like a caged animal, then suddenly he turned to Bindle.