She was a bad manager, was idle, and hated a disturbance of any kind, so that the children might do almost anything without her interfering with them. "I hope you didn't beat the boy," remarked Mrs. Smithers, after a pause. "He ran too fast for me," replied Smithers, "and took refuge in neighbor Barker's house." "He'll be all right there, and when he wants his supper he'll come in," said Mrs. Smithers. "It's a pity we can't choose our neighbors!" exclaimed her husband. "There's that Barker--he's an undertaker; it's a ghastly trade, and I've remarked that Tommy is more friendly with Charley Barker, the coffin maker's son, than he is with his own brother and sister." "He must have some one to play with." "Granted; but he needn't associate with those beneath him." "The Barkers are hard-working and very respectable," Mrs. Smithers ventured to observe. "Oh, very!" answered Smithers, sarcastically; "very much so indeed. I'm not saying anything against them. Still, they are not on a par with us, and if your first husband was a mechanic and left you with an only child, an infant at that, to go and work and die in the Nevada mines, I am not supposed to share your tastes." "Poor man," said Mrs. Smithers, "there was no work for him here. He thought he would do so much better for all of us out West. He promised to send for me and Tommy soon." "Well, he died, and he couldn't help it," put in Smithers, who was in a bad temper. "We can't always do what we propose; and Thompson, my dear, dear first husband, was as good as they make them." "He was a bold and exceedingly vulgar kind of person," rejoined Mr. Smithers, in a withering tone of voice. "I'm sure Thompson was as genteel as--as Smithers," said his wife. "Possibly he may have been in your estimation; but we will not discuss the question. Be good enough to get my supper ready," replied Smithers, with a grand wave of the arm. "I'll do that with pleasure, only do make some allowance for Tommy--you know he is subject to the chills." "You give me a chill, talking so much. Where are Harold and Alice?" "Gone visiting." "Oh, yes. I forgot that I gave them permission this morning to visit the Macphersons. Highly respectable family, the Macphersons. I will go and bring them home in a couple of hours' time. The ground is slippery with the frozen snow, and they might fall and hurt themselves." Mrs. Smithers sighed. She wished her husband would be as kind to Tommy as he was to Harold Stamford and Alice Regina. Smithers had taken the trouble to go to Fulton Market and buy six dozen oysters, which he wanted roasted, and his wife went to get them ready for supper. Meanwhile Tommy, accompanied by Mr. Barker, the undertaker, entered the room. Tommy hung behind at the door, for he was afraid of his father, but the undertaker, who was a fiery, shock-headed little man, free and easy in his manner, and fond of his glass and his pipe, walked right in.