HENRY We’ll see. I don’t like countin’ on mother’s going; that way. SADIE (_hopefully_) Grandmother lived to eighty-four. HENRY All our folks was long lived; nothin’ lasts like it used to,--Poor mother! ELLA Of course she’ll divide equal, between us three? HENRY (_doubtfully_) Well, I don’t know! SADIE Orin is her only grandchild; she won’t forget that. HENRY Nettie, there, is just the same as my own. I adopted her legal, when I married Emma. EMMA Of course you did. Your mother’s too--just a woman to make distinctions! NETTIE Yes, and the funny part of it is grandma may leave me a whole lot, for all any of _you_ know. ELLA Nonsense! She’ll divide equally between us three; won’t she, Henry? HENRY (_sadly_) She’ll do as she pleases, I guess we all know that. ELLA She’s a religious woman, she’s _got_ to be fair! HENRY Well, I guess it would be fair enough if she was to remember the trouble I’ve had with my business. I don’t know what she’s worth, she’s as tight-mouthed as a bear trap, but I could use more’n a third of quite a little sum. ELLA Well, you won’t get it. Not if I go to law. EMMA It’s disgusting. Talking about money at a time like this. HENRY I like to see folks reasonable. I don’t know what you’d want of a third of all mother’s got, Ella. SADIE (_to Ella_) You, all alone in the world! ELLA Maybe I won’t be, when I get that money. SADIE You don’t mean you’d get married? EMMA At your age! ELLA I mean I never had anything in all my life; now I’m going to. I’m the youngest of all of you, except Ben, and he never was a real Jordan. I’ve never had a chance; I’ve been stuck here till I’m most forty, worse than if I was dead, fifty times worse! Now I’m going to buy things--everything I want--I don’t care what--I’ll buy it, even if it’s a man! Anything I want! NETTIE A man! [_Nettie looks at Ella in cruel amazement and all but Orin burst into a laugh--Ella turns up and hides her face against the window as Orin pulls at his mother’s skirt._ ORIN Mum! Mum! I thought you told me not to laugh, not once, while we was here! HENRY You’re right, nephew, and we’re wrong, all of us. I’m sorry, Ella, we’re all sorry. ELLA (_wipes her eyes_) Laugh if you want to--maybe it won’t be so long before I do some of it myself. HENRY (_thoughtfully_) Equally between us three? Well, poor mother knows best of course. [_He sighs._ SADIE She wouldn’t leave _him_ any, would she,--Ben? ELLA (_shocked_) Ben! HENRY (_in cold anger_) She’s a woman of her word; no! SADIE If he was here he’d get around her; he always did! HENRY Not again! SADIE If she ever spoiled anybody it was him, and she’s had to pay for it. Sometimes it looks like it was a sort of a judgment. HENRY