"I didn't know you were coming down, child. I didn't know you would object. After all, you can't live in Chicago and dictate who's to stay with me here."
"No, I suppose not. But you have enough to do without taking care of Johnnie Benton. Why doesn't he go to work?"
"He does work—sometimes. He works in the garage."
Martha turned about, flabbergasted. "You mean—dad's garage?"
"Yes."
"Well, of all the nerve! Look here, mammie, I tell you just now there's no use of dad trying to put that over on me. You can just tell him——"
"My dear child, don't be silly! Nobody's trying to put anything over on you."
"Of course, I can marry anybody I want to, as well as not! Women do it all the time and never say a word! But you needn't think I'm going to; you can get that idea out of your head right now!"
"Oh, come out of it, Martha! Nobody's trying to make you do anything you don't want to."
It would, perhaps, have been foolish to try that. For Martha seemed able to manage. Emily didn't know exactly how she had done it, but Johnnie came up presently from down-town, saw her there, greeted her quite undisturbed and casually, and announced he was going to Chicago for the week-end.