"Hello, Martha--Torchy--everybody!" she sings out. "Well, here we are, back from that absurd boardwalk resort, back to--well, for the love of ladies! Martha Hadley, why in the name of nonsense are you eating dinner with your hat on?" "Because," says Martha, beginnin' to sniffle, "I--I'm going away." "But where? Why?" demands Zenobia. And between sobs Martha explains. She includes me in it too. "Then why aren't you wearing your hat also, Torchy?" asks Zenobia. "Well," says I, "I ain't so sure about quittin' as she is. I thought I'd stick around until I got the word to move." "Which you're not at all likely to get, young man," says Zenobia. "And as for you, Martha, you should have better sense. Trapsing off to a hotel, at your time of life! Rubbish! And why, please?" Aunt Martha nods towards Ballard. "Well, you're just going to get over that nonsense," says Zenobia. "Kyrle, you know what you promised when you told me you'd make up with Martha? Now is the appointed time. Do it!" And Mr. Ballard, chuckin' his hat and overcoat on a chair, sails right in. I expect it was the last thing in the world Martha was lookin' for; for she sits there gazin' at him sort of stupid until he's done the trick. Uh-huh! No halfway business about it, either. He just naturally takes her chubby old face between his two hands, tilts up her chin, and plants a reg'lar final curtain smack where I'll bet it's been forty years since the lips of man had trod before. First off Martha flops her arms and squeals. Then, when she finds it's all over and ain't goin' to be any continuous performance, she quiets down and stares at the two of 'em, who are chucklin' away merry. "Please, Sister Martha," says Ballard, "try to overlook that old affair of mine when I tried to cut out the Rev. Preble. I was rather irresponsible then, I'll own; but I have steadied down a lot, although for the last week or so--well, you know how giddy Zenobia is. But you will help us. We can't either of us spare you, you see." Maybe it was the jollyin' speech, or maybe it was the unexpected smack, but inside of five minutes Martha has shed her bonnet and we're all sittin' around the table as friendly and jolly as you please. I suppose it was by way of makin' Martha feel comf'table and as if she was really part of the game that they got to reminiscin' about old times and the folks they used to know. I wa'n't followin' it very close until Martha gets to askin' Ballard about some of his people, and he starts in on this story about his nephew.