"Well, so did I. I acknowledge that. But it's a nice thing to have him telling me not to interfere. As if it was none of my business when my own boy married. I've got a headache, Emily. I had a bad night. He brought me my breakfast himself and was so nice about everything. And then—I was napping—he tore into the room with the paper in his hand and said he was going to get married right away—the first I'd heard of it. And he wouldn't listen to me. He acted awful. I just got up and dressed and came over this way." She made a gesture towards the old blue foulard she had slipped on. Her hair wasn't so brushed and shining as usual, and her face was lined now, and her eyes red. "I thought I ought to tell you."
"Cora, why don't you go and see a doctor in Chicago? You aren't well. You are tired out, and he oughtn't to have excited you this way. I think you ought to go home and go to bed, and I'll come over and tell you later everything Bob says to French. I'll talk to Johnnie, too. I think Bob will be sorry he said such things, Cora, when he cools down."
"He'd better cool down. The idea of him speaking to Martha that way! I felt sorry for her, and for you too, Emily. It's bad enough to have to try to raise a child without a father to interfere all the time. You've got them both on your hands to manage."
"I don't know about that!" Emily started to protest, loyally. They were standing face to face in front of the screen door, and they saw Eve drive up and come towards them. She had been crying, too. She spoke to them quietly, going into the living room. Mrs. Benton went away, and Emily came in and sat down by her, and almost at once Eve had insinuated herself into Emily's arms, crying:
"Oh, don't blame me for this, Mrs. Kenworthy. I told Martha this would happen. I told her as sure as she lived something like this would happen."
"Something like what? Don't cry, child!"
Bob was coming in.
"We——, I've settled Johnnie," he announced. And then he saw Eve, and the sight displeased him.
"What do you know about this?" he demanded, shortly.
"Don't blame me! I did tell her! I told her it would happen. Maybe I didn't tell her enough."