TANNER. Where is your husband now? MRS. RANSOME. He’s gone to send some telegrams to Bob’s family, sir—_his_ family. We’d planned to have a quiet wedding, sir, with only me and her father and aunt, and then we was goin’ to have the rest of the family in, this afternoon. TANNER. It’s a very sad thing, Mrs. Ransome. MRS. RANSOME. It’s fairly dazed us, Mr. Tanner. Comin’ on top of all the preparation we’ve bin makin’ for the past two weeks, too. An’ her father’s spent a pile o’ money on their new furniture an’ things. TANNER (_Speaking in an undertone_). Was he insured? MRS. RANSOME. No, sir, not a penny. That’s why it comes so hard on us just now, havin’ the expense of a funeral on top of what we’ve just spent for the weddin’. TANNER. Well, Mrs. Ransome, I’ll try to help you in any way I can. MRS. RANSOME. Thank you, Mr. Tanner. It certainly is fine of you to say so. Everybody’s bin good to us, sir. She had all them presents given her—most of them was from _my_ side of the family. TANNER. Did he have any relatives here? MRS. RANSOME. Not a soul, poor fellow. He came from up-state. That’s why my husband’s gone to send a telegram askin’ his father to come to the funeral. TANNER. How long will your husband be? (_He glanced at his watch._) MRS. RANSOME. I don’t think he’ll be more than half an hour. He’d like to see you, if you could wait that long, I know. TANNER. Very well. I have an engagement later, but I can let that go if necessary. (_Tanner and Mrs. Ransome sit down in front of the table._) MRS. RANSOME. It certainly is a great comfort havin’ you here, Mr. Tanner. I feel so upset I don’t know what to say. TANNER. Bear up, Mrs. Ransome. You are not the greatest sufferer. Let me say a few words to your daughter. (_He rises, goes to Janet, and places his hand on her shoulder, but she takes no notice of him._) Miss Ransome, you must try to bear up, too. I know how hard it is, but you must remember it’s something that must come to all of us. MRS. RANSOME. She takes it so bad, Mr. Tanner, that the Lord should have took him on their weddin’ mornin’. TANNER (_Returning to his chair_). We must not question, Mrs. Ransome, we must not question. The Almighty has thought fit to gather him back to the fold, and we must submit to His will. In such moments as these we feel helpless. We feel the need of a Higher Being to cling to—to find consolation. Time is the great healer. MRS. RANSOME. But to expect a weddin’ (_Sobs_) and find it’s a funeral—it’s awful; (_Sobs_) and besides—Mr. Tanner, you’ve always been good to us. We’re in other trouble, too. Worse—worse even than this. TANNER. In other trouble? MRS. RANSOME. Yes, much worse. I just can’t bear to think about it. TANNER. Your husband’s business? MRS. RANSOME. No, sir. It’s—I don’t know how to say it. It’s her and him. TANNER. Her and him? MRS. RANSOME. Yes, sir—I’m almost ashamed to tell you. She’s goin’ to have a baby. TANNER (_Astounded_). She’s going to be a mother?