There was the sound of an opening screen, and Danny, knowing that his wife must be coming, with a wheezy chuckle called out:
"Mary, Mary, do ye know who's here? It's Rosie O'Brien, and she's one of ye! She's fallen into line!"
Mrs. Agin came out on the porch, and stood for a moment looking from Danny to Rosie. She was a tall, gaunt old woman with thick white hair and thick eyebrows, which were still dark. She gave one the impression of great tidiness and cleanliness, together with the possibility of that caustic speech which so often characterizes the good housekeeper.
Rosie appealed to her eagerly: "Mis' Agin, I think Danny's just awful!"
Mrs. Agin glanced sharply at Danny, and then, with a seemingly clairvoyant understanding that the subject under discussion related somehow to the eternal war of the sexes, she went over to Rosie's side at once.
"What's he been sayin' to you, dear?"
"He's making fun of me because I told him if I was to lose one of my paper customers, Terry would beat me. And he would, too!"
Mrs. Agin turned on Danny severely. "Take shame to yourself, Dan Agin, to be teasin' Rosie O'Brien!"
"And listen here, Mis' Agin," Rosie continued. "He's been sayin' just awful things about us!"
"About us, Rosie? Do you mean about both of us?"