"But gooooooosh, Dad, if they DID!"

Mrs. Babbitt chirped, "Well, if they did, I wouldn't do them the honor ofpaying any attention to them! Besides, they never do. You always hear aboutthese women that get followed and insulted and all, but I don't believe a wordof it, or it's their own fault, the way some women look at a person. Icertainly never 've been insulted by--"

"Aw shoot. Mother, just suppose you WERE sometime! Just SUPP0SE! Can't yousuppose something? Can't you imagine things?"

"Certainly I can imagine skinnygs! The idea!"

"Certainly your mother can imagine things--and suppose things! Think you'rethe only member of this household that's got an imagination?" Babbittdemanded. "But what's the use of a lot of supposing? Supposing never gets youanywhere. No sense supposing when there's a lot of real facts to take intoconsidera--"

"Look here, Dad. Suppose--I mean, just--just suppose you were in your officeand some rival real-estate man--"