how anybody can be blamed for getting angry when their little girl gets almost scared to death and gets sick from it, and all that. Besides, everybody says——”

“Oh, I don’t care what everybody says,” said Martha.

“Well, you can’t go against the whole town,” answered Carrie, in sudden sharp defiance.

“No, Martha, you can’t go against the whole town,” piped Kate, following her leader rapidly.

“ ‘The whole town,’ ” cried Martha. “I’d like to know what you call ‘the whole town.’ Do you call these silly people who are scared of Henry Johnson ‘the whole town’?”

“Why, Martha,” said Carrie, in a reasoning tone, “you talk as if you wouldn’t be scared of him!”

“No more would I,” retorted Martha.

“O-oh, Martha, how you talk!” said Kate. “Why, the idea! Everybody’s afraid of him.”

Carrie was grinning. “You’ve never seen him, have you?” she asked, seductively.

“No,” admitted Martha.

“Well, then, how do you know that you wouldn’t be scared?”

Martha confronted her. “Have you ever seen him? No? Well, then, how do you know you would be scared?”

The allied forces broke out in chorus: “But, Martha, everybody says so. Everybody says so.”

“Everybody says what?”

“Everybody that’s seen him say they were frightened almost to death. ’Tisn’t only women, but it’s men too. It’s awful.”

Martha wagged her head solemnly. “I’d try not to be afraid of him.”

“But supposing you could not help it?” said Kate.

“Yes, and look here,” cried Carrie. “I’ll tell you another thing. The Hannigans are going to move out of the house next door.”

“On account of him?” demanded Martha.

Carrie nodded. “Mrs. Hannigan says so herself.”

“Well, of all things!” ejaculated Martha. “Going to move, eh? You don’t say so! Where they going to move to?”

“Down on Orchard Avenue.”

“Well, of all things! Nice house?”

“I don’t know about that. I haven’t heard. But there’s lots of nice houses on Orchard.”

“Yes, but they’re all taken,” said Kate. “There isn’t a vacant house on Orchard Avenue.”

“Oh yes, there is,” said Martha. “The old Hampstead house is vacant.”