RUTH. (_mechanically_) Come and let me take off your shoes and stockings, Mary, that’s a good girl. You’ve got to take your nap now. (_The child continues to play as if she hadn’t heard, absorbed in her doll. An eager expression comes over_ RUTH’S _tired face. She glances toward the door furtively--then gets up and goes to the desk. Her movements indicate a guilty fear of discovery. She takes a letter from a pigeon-hole and retreats swiftly to her chair with it. She opens the envelope and reads the letter with great interest, a flush of excitement coming to her cheeks._ ROBERT _walks up the path and opens the screen door quietly and comes into the room. He, too, has aged. His shoulders are stooped as if under too great a burden. His eyes are dull and lifeless, his face burned by the sun and unshaven for days. Streaks of sweat have smudged the layer of dust on his cheeks. His lips drawn down at the corners, give him a hopeless, resigned expression. The three years have accentuated the weakness of his mouth and chin. He is dressed in overalls, laced boots, and a flannel shirt open at the neck_). ROBERT. (_throwing his hat over an the sofa--with a great sigh of exhaustion_) Phew! The sun’s hot today! (RUTH _is startled. At first she makes an instinctive motion as if to hide the letter in her bosom. She immediately thinks better of this and sits with the letter in her hands looking at him with defiant eyes. He bends down and kisses her_). RUTH. (_feeling of her cheek--irritably_) Why don’t you shave? You look awful. ROBERT. (_indifferently_) I forgot--and it’s too much trouble this weather. MARY. (_throwing aside her doll, runs to him with a happy cry_) Dada! Dada! ROBERT. (_swinging her up above his head--lovingly_) And how’s this little girl of mine this hot day, eh? MARY. (_screeching happily_) Dada! Dada! RUTH. (_in annoyance_) Don’t do that to her! You know it’s time for her nap and you’ll get her all waked up; then I’ll be the one that’ll have to sit beside her till she falls asleep. ROBERT. (_sitting down in the chair on the left of table and cuddling_ MARY _on his lap_) You needn’t bother. I’ll put her to bed. RUTH. (_shortly_) You’ve got to get back to your work, I s’pose. ROBERT. (_with a sigh_) Yes, I was forgetting. (_He glances at the open letter on_ RUTH’S _lap_) Reading Andy’s letter again? I should think you’d know it by heart by this time. RUTH. (_coloring as if she’d been accused of something--defiantly_) I’ve got a right to read it, haven’t I? He says it’s meant for all of us. ROBERT. (_with a trace of irritation_) Right? Don’t be so silly. There’s no question of right. I was only saying that you must know all that’s in it after so many readings. RUTH. Well, I don’t. (_She puts the letter on the table and gets wearily to her feet_) I s’pose you’ll be wanting your dinner now. ROBERT. (_listlessly_) I don’t care. I’m not hungry. RUTH. And here I been keeping it hot for you!