"
"I felt a bit afraid of her," laughed Joan, "so I made her promise not to
part with it. Is he really very ill, her husband?"
"Oh, yes, there's no make-believe this time," answered the girl. "A bad
thing for her if he wasn't."
"Oh, it's only what's known all over the neighbourhood," continued the
girl. "She's had a pretty rough time with him. Twice I've found her
getting ready to go to sleep for the night by sitting on the bare floor
with her back against the wall. Had sold every stick in the place and
gone off. But she'd always some excuse for him. It was sure to be half
her fault and the other half he couldn't help. Now she's got her
'reward' according to her own account. Heard he was dying in a
doss-house, and must fetch him home and nurse him back to life. Seems
he's getting fonder of her every day. Now that he can't do anything
else."
"It doesn't seem to depress her spirits," mused Joan.
"Oh, she! She's all right," agreed the girl. "Having the time of her
life: someone to look after for twenty-four hours a day that can't help
themselves.
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