MRS. ATKINS. (_scornfully_) Humph! A help I’d be to you and me not able to move a step! Why didn’t you run and get Jake? RUTH. (_dully_) Jake isn’t here. He quit last night. He hasn’t been paid in three months. MRS. ATKINS. (_indignantly_) I can’t blame him. What decent person’d want to work on a place like this? (_With sudden exasperation_) Oh, I wish you’d never married that man! RUTH. (_wearily_) You oughtn’t to talk about him now when he’s sick in his bed. MRS. ATKINS. (_working herself into a fit of rage_) You know very well, Ruth Mayo, if it wasn’t for me helpin’ you on the sly out of my savin’s, you’d both been in the poor house--and all ’count of his pigheaded pride in not lettin’ Andy know the state thin’s were in. A nice thin’ for me to have to support him out of what I’d saved for my last days--and me an invalid with no one to look to! RUTH. Andy’ll pay you back, Ma. I can tell him so’s Rob’ll never know. MRS. ATKINS. (_with a snort_) What’d Rob think you and him was livin’ on, _I_’d like to know? RUTH. (_dully_) He didn’t think about it, I s’pose. (_After a slight pause_) He said he’d made up his mind to ask Andy for help when he comes. (_As a clock in the kitchen strikes six_) Six o’clock. Andy ought to get here directly. MRS. ATKINS. D’you think this special doctor’ll do Rob any good? RUTH. (_hopelessly_) I don’t know. (_The two women remain silent for a time staring dejectedly at the stove_). MRS. ATKINS. (_shivering irritably_) For goodness’ sake put some wood on that fire. I’m most freezin’! RUTH. (_pointing to the door in the rear_) Don’t talk so loud. Let him sleep if he can. (_She gets wearily from the chair and puts a few pieces of wood in the stove_) This is the last of the wood. I don’t know who’ll cut more now that Jake’s left. (_She sighs and walks to the window in the rear, left, pulls the curtains aside, and looks out_) It’s getting gray out. (_She comes back to the stove_) Looks like it’d be a nice day. (_She stretches out her hands to warm them_) Must’ve been a heavy frost last night. We’re paying for the spell of warm weather we’ve been having. (_The throbbing whine of a motor sounds from the distance outside_). MRS. ATKINS. (_sharply_) S-h-h! Listen! Ain’t that an auto I hear? RUTH. (_without interest_) Yes. It’s Andy, I s’pose. MRS. ATKINS. (_with nervous irritation_) Don’t sit there like a silly goose. Look at the state of this room! What’ll this strange doctor think of us? Look at that lamp chimney all smoke! Gracious sakes, Ruth---- RUTH. (_indifferently_) I’ve got a lamp all cleaned up in the kitchen.