“Sure thing. Walk in the front room. Martha, I could swear Hunch ain't had his dinner. Fetch out some of the chicken and potatoes. It ain't so hot as it was, Hunch, but it's good, plain stuff--good enough for us, ain't it, Martha?” “No, don't you, Mis' Cartier. I can't stay, honest. I had some grub, anyhow.” But Joe's wife hurried out to the kitchen, leaving Joe and Hunch in the front room. “Take off your coat, man,” said Joe. “What you getting so bashful about all of a sudden?” Hunch unbuttoned his coat, nervously. “Is she staying here yet, Joe?” “Who's that you mean, Hunch? Bruce's wife? She's going up to her father's tomorrow.” “How's that happen?” “Well, I'll tell you, Hunch--you won't say anything about it, of course--but when Bruce--when he died, you know, and I knowed that girl didn't have a cent anywheres, and worse'n that, if you count _his_ debts, I just thought--kind of--that the old man, he didn't know quite how things stood, or he wouldn't be so ugly. You see, don't you?” Hunch nodded. “And, of course, I couldn't say nothing to her, you know, 'cause she'd think first thing I meant about the rent--she's a touchy little thing, you know--so I says to Martha, 'Martha, you just take your work'-this was Thursday-'Martha,' I says, 'you just take your work and go up to Mis' Banks' and set down and have a good old jaw with the old lady. She'll let you talk to her,' I says, ''cause she used to be your Sunday-school teacher, and she's always took a shine to you. And you just lay out the whole thing, and tell her that if she ain't wanting to lose the respect of one grocer in this town, she'd better just leave go of one of those missionary societies of hers, and watch out a little for her own daughter.' Martha, she felt kind of delicate about going, but she went down just the same, and tackled the old lady, and when she come back, her eyes were like she'd been crying, so I know'd it was all right and I didn't say nothing. And, sure enough, that night old Banks himself come around and stood up stiff in the door and says, 'Is my daughter here, Cartier?'-He always calls me 'Joe,' you know, and I calls him 'George'; but that ain't no matter.-I says, 'Yes,' and he goes upstairs, and then Martha and I, we just keeps out of the way in the kitchen, so's he could go out without running into any of us. But 'long about half-past nine he comes out, and knocks on the kitchen door, and says, 'My daughter's coming to my house, Joe.' And I says, 'When?' and he says, 'Monday, and let me know what the board 'll amount to?' And you see, Hunch, I was kind of foolish myself, so I just says, 'All right, George,' and then he goes out. So the girl's going to keep alive, anyhow, and that's something.” Hunch rose and slowly buttoned his ulster. “You give her them things, won't you, Joe? I dunno as I'd say anything about my bringing them down.” “Why, hold on, man; you ain't going now. Martha's out getting some dinner for you.”