"Let me see what you are talking about," she said, craning her neck to see the print. "Oh _that_! Yes, Mrs. Walton asked me to say something to show how natural it is, and how right, you know, for women to keep a store, do the sedentary things while men do the hard things--till the ground, and all that. Did you read----" "No, by Gad! I didn't read far enough to see that you wanted me to become a day labourer!" "Oh, I wasn't speaking of you, dear, I was just promulgating one of the theories of our movement. I was so flattered when Mrs. Walton asked me----" "Your movement be damned, Mabel! Enough of a thing is enough. You will resign to-morrow from this plagued movement which is carrying us all to the devil!" "But, Martin, I can't; I'm chairman of the Finance Committee. Mrs. Walton----" "Don't let me hear that old viper's name again in this house. She's the serpent in this town tempting the last one of you to----" "I can't have you speak disrespectfully of our chief, dear," said Mabel with frigid dignity. "And what's your husband, I'd like to know!" "Why, you, you are just my husband, Martin, as I used to be just your wife!" "Good Lord, Mabel, you are crazy! Don't you know you are helping that gang to drive me into bankruptcy!" Mrs. Acres was the living feminine likeness of Pin Money. She was very small, very fair, with faded blue eyes. Her clothes were always too tight, and she wore narrow ruffles like the hope, the mere hope, of feathers and wings to come. She looked up now into her husband's face with a curious little white smile. "I know that I am all that stands between you and ruin, Martin. I've been waiting to talk to you, to give you a hint, but our affairs are not entirely in shape. We are not ready to show our hand." "To show her hand! And this from my own wife!" groaned Acres, beginning to stride up and down the room. "Listen, dear," said Mabel, rising and following him. "I ought not to do it, but I will give you just one little hint." "All right, _hint_!" he sneered. "Call on Judge Regis to-morrow, and tell him you are very much interested in suffrage for women in this county. Say that you'd like to take your part in bringing it about. Just that, no more. And you'll see what happens." She turned her head to one side and looked at him with treacherous sweetness. "I'll be hanged if I do!" "Be reasonable, Martin!" "Don't talk to me about being reasonable. I'm one of the few reasonable beings left in this town." "Well, that kind of reason is out of fashion now. You've got to share our reasons, Martin. Women have a rationality you men do not recognize; now you've got to." "I will not! But suppose I do?" "You'll get immediate relief from your present financial pressure, for one thing." "Tell that to the marines!" "Very well. I'll stand between you and--and ruin as long as I can, but if you don't give in I can't save you!" she whimpered.