well,' said Edith, her own temper rising. 'I've never seen anyone make such a mountain out of--'
'Get out!' cried Mrs Markey frantically. 'There's the door, get out--I never want to see you in our house again. You or your brat either!'
Edith had taken her daughter's hand and was moving quickly towards the door, but at this remark she stopped and turned around, her face contracting with indignation.
'Don't you dare call her that!'
Mrs Markey did not answer but continued walking up and down, muttering to herself and to Billy in an inaudible voice.
Edith began to cry.
'I will get out!' she sobbed. 'I've never heard anybody so rude and c-common in my life. I'm, glad your baby did get pushed down-- he's nothing but a f-fat little fool anyhow.'
Joe Markey reached the foot of the stairs just in time to hear this remark.
'Why, Mrs Andros,' he said sharply, 'can't you see the child's hurt. You really ought to control yourself.'
'Control m-myself!' exclaimed Edith brokenly. 'You better ask her to c-control herself. I've never heard anybody so c-common in my life.'
'She's insulting me!' Mrs Markey was now livid with rage. 'Did you hear what she said, Joe? I wish you'd put her out. If she won't go, just take her by the shoulders and put her out!'
'Don't you dare touch me!' cried Edith. 'I'm going just as quick as I can find my c-coat!'
Blind with tears she took a step towards the hall. It was just at this moment that the door opened and John Andros walked anxiously in.
'John!' cried Edith, and fled to him wildly.
'What's the matter? Why, what's the matter?'
'They're--they're putting me out!' she wailed, collapsing against him. 'He'd just started to take me by the shoulders and put me out. I want my coat!'
'That's not true,' objected Markey hurriedly. 'Nobody's going to put you out.' He turned to John. 'Nobody's going to put her out,' he repeated. 'She's--'
'What do you mean "put her out"?' demanded John abruptly. 'What's all this talk, anyhow?'
'Oh, let's go!' cried Edith. 'I want to go. They're so COMMON, John!'
'Look here!' Markey's face darkened. 'You've said that about enough. You're acting sort of crazy.'
'They called Ede a brat!'
For the second time that afternoon little Ede expressed emotion at an inopportune moment. Confused and frightened at the shouting voices, she began to cry, and her tears had the effect of conveying that she felt the insult in her heart.
'What's the idea of this?' broke out John. 'Do you insult your guests in your own house?'
'It seems to me it's your wife that's done the insulting!' answered Markey crisply. 'In fact, your baby there started all the trouble.'
John gave a contemptuous snort. 'Are you calling names at a little baby?' he inquired. 'That's a fine manly business!'
'Don't talk to him, John,' insisted Edith. 'Find my coat!'
'You must be in a bad way,' went on John angrily, 'if you have to take out your temper on a helpless little baby.'
'I never heard anything so damn twisted in my life,' shouted Markey. 'If that wife of yours would shut her mouth for a minute--'
'Wait a minute! You're not talking to a woman and child now--'
There was an incidental interruption. Edith had been fumbling on a chair for her coat, and Mrs Markey had been watching her with hot, angry eyes. Suddenly she laid Billy down on the sofa, where he immediately stopped crying and pulled himself upright, and coming into the hall she quickly found Edith's coat and handed it to her without a word. Then she went back to the sofa, picked up Billy, and rocking him in her arms looked again at Edith with hot, angry eyes. The interruption had taken less than half a minute.
'Your wife comes in here and begins shouting around about how common we are!' burst out Markey violently. 'Well, if we're so damn common, you'd better stay away! And what's more, you'd better get out now!'
Again John gave a short, contemptuous laugh.
'You're not only common,' he returned, 'you're evidently an awful bully--when there's any
'Get out!' cried Mrs Markey frantically. 'There's the door, get out--I never want to see you in our house again. You or your brat either!'
Edith had taken her daughter's hand and was moving quickly towards the door, but at this remark she stopped and turned around, her face contracting with indignation.
'Don't you dare call her that!'
Mrs Markey did not answer but continued walking up and down, muttering to herself and to Billy in an inaudible voice.
Edith began to cry.
'I will get out!' she sobbed. 'I've never heard anybody so rude and c-common in my life. I'm, glad your baby did get pushed down-- he's nothing but a f-fat little fool anyhow.'
Joe Markey reached the foot of the stairs just in time to hear this remark.
'Why, Mrs Andros,' he said sharply, 'can't you see the child's hurt. You really ought to control yourself.'
'Control m-myself!' exclaimed Edith brokenly. 'You better ask her to c-control herself. I've never heard anybody so c-common in my life.'
'She's insulting me!' Mrs Markey was now livid with rage. 'Did you hear what she said, Joe? I wish you'd put her out. If she won't go, just take her by the shoulders and put her out!'
'Don't you dare touch me!' cried Edith. 'I'm going just as quick as I can find my c-coat!'
Blind with tears she took a step towards the hall. It was just at this moment that the door opened and John Andros walked anxiously in.
'John!' cried Edith, and fled to him wildly.
'What's the matter? Why, what's the matter?'
'They're--they're putting me out!' she wailed, collapsing against him. 'He'd just started to take me by the shoulders and put me out. I want my coat!'
'That's not true,' objected Markey hurriedly. 'Nobody's going to put you out.' He turned to John. 'Nobody's going to put her out,' he repeated. 'She's--'
'What do you mean "put her out"?' demanded John abruptly. 'What's all this talk, anyhow?'
'Oh, let's go!' cried Edith. 'I want to go. They're so COMMON, John!'
'Look here!' Markey's face darkened. 'You've said that about enough. You're acting sort of crazy.'
'They called Ede a brat!'
For the second time that afternoon little Ede expressed emotion at an inopportune moment. Confused and frightened at the shouting voices, she began to cry, and her tears had the effect of conveying that she felt the insult in her heart.
'What's the idea of this?' broke out John. 'Do you insult your guests in your own house?'
'It seems to me it's your wife that's done the insulting!' answered Markey crisply. 'In fact, your baby there started all the trouble.'
John gave a contemptuous snort. 'Are you calling names at a little baby?' he inquired. 'That's a fine manly business!'
'Don't talk to him, John,' insisted Edith. 'Find my coat!'
'You must be in a bad way,' went on John angrily, 'if you have to take out your temper on a helpless little baby.'
'I never heard anything so damn twisted in my life,' shouted Markey. 'If that wife of yours would shut her mouth for a minute--'
'Wait a minute! You're not talking to a woman and child now--'
There was an incidental interruption. Edith had been fumbling on a chair for her coat, and Mrs Markey had been watching her with hot, angry eyes. Suddenly she laid Billy down on the sofa, where he immediately stopped crying and pulled himself upright, and coming into the hall she quickly found Edith's coat and handed it to her without a word. Then she went back to the sofa, picked up Billy, and rocking him in her arms looked again at Edith with hot, angry eyes. The interruption had taken less than half a minute.
'Your wife comes in here and begins shouting around about how common we are!' burst out Markey violently. 'Well, if we're so damn common, you'd better stay away! And what's more, you'd better get out now!'
Again John gave a short, contemptuous laugh.
'You're not only common,' he returned, 'you're evidently an awful bully--when there's any
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