Mrs. Fulbright was also full of the subject, and while she twisted her hairinto a tiny "nub" about the size, shape and color of a peanut, sheexpressed her views.

"It ain't decent for her to be goin' round with Rance Belmont the wayshe does, and they say at the dance at Millford she never missed adance. Since Rance has got his money from England he hasn't done athing but play cards with them twins and take her round. I don't seehow her man can put up with it, but he's an awful easy-goin' chap--justthe kind that wouldn't notice anything wrong until he'd come home somenight and find her gone. I haven't one bit of respect for her."

"0h, now, Mrs. Fulbright, you're too hard on her. She's youthful and beautifuland likes a good time." Mrs. Corbett was giving her steel knives aquick rub with ashes out of deference to the lady stoppers. "It's easyenough for folks like us," waving her knife to include all present, "tobe fairly respectable and never get ourselves talked about, for nobody'saskin' us to go to dances or fly around with them, but with her it'sdifferent. Don't be hard on her! She ain't goin' to do anything sheshouldn't."

But the ladies were loath to adopt Mrs. Corbett's point of view. Alltheir lives nothing had happened, and here was a deliciously excitingpossible scandal, and they clung to it.

"They say the old man Grant is nearly a millionaire, and he's gettinglonely for her, and is beautiful near ready to forgive her and Fwhite andtake them back. Wouldn't it be awful if the old man should come up hereand find she'd gone with Rance Belmont?"