"Oh, she's just wrapped up in her flowers and chickens," remarked Miss Mehitable. "Well," returned Charlotte, "seems to me if I had a big house and grounds like that, I'd want somebody around besides servants." Miss Mehitable lifted her eyes from her meat and potato and gazed at her companion. "Queer you should say that," she returned. "I was speakin' of that very thing to Ben to-day. I should really think his mother would like somebody; somebody young and--and pleasant, you know." "Well," returned Charlotte, breaking open a biscuit, "I suppose havin' got rid of her husband she thinks she'll let well enough alone. She's the happiest-lookin' woman in town. Why not? She's got the most money and no man to bother her." "Why, Charlotte Whipp, you don't know what you're sayin'. Ben's father was a fine man. For years after he died Mrs. Barry couldn't hardly smile. Yes"--Miss Upton's thoughtful manner returned--"Ben's away so much I should think she'd like to have somebody, say a nice young girl with her. Of course, to folks with motors Keefe ain't much more'n a suburb to the city now, and Mrs. Barry, with her three months in town and three months to the port and six months here, has a full, pleasant life, and I s'pose that fine son fills it. Wasn't she fortunate to get him out o' the war safe? You'd ought to 'a' seen him in his Naval Aviation uniform, Charlotte. He looked like a prince; but he could 'a' bitten a board nail because he never got to go across the water. I s'pose his mother's average patriotic, but I guess she thanked Heaven he couldn't go. She didn't dare say anything like that before him, though. It was a terrible disappointment. Oh, Charlotte"--Miss Upton bent a wistful smile on her table-mate--"I can't help thinkin' what a wonderful home the Barry house would be for some needy girl--a lady, you know." "H'm!" Charlotte's twisted mouth contracted further as she gave a dry little sniff. "She'd probably fall in love with Ben, and he wouldn't give a snap for her, so she'd be miserable anyway." Miss Mehitable shook her head. "If all your probablys came true, Charlotte, what a world this would be." "What a world it _is_!" retorted the other. "Have some more tea"--then as Miss Mehitable demurred--"Yes, have some. It'll do you good and maybe brighten up your wits so's you can remember somethin' that's happened to you to-day." Miss Upton cudgeled her brain for the small occurrences of her shopping and managed to recall a few items; but she was not in her usual form and Charlotte received her offerings with scornful sniffs and silence.