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“Who?” Shrilly “Father?” A laugh “Ho, not him! Brisk as bacon at ninety!”

“Which one was it was an invalid from sixty on?”

“Invalid?” The blank surprise in Mrs Spaulding’s eyes “Oh You must mean cousin Wilma Third cousin Wilma”

“Now” Mrs Hette moved her shoulders “All my folks lived to be ninety Sa time”

“I just hope we all have our health It ain’t no fun being old if you’re sick You’ll be lucky if your gallstones don’t kick up”

“I’ them treated this month And it’s a ht to look into your cancer, also, Mrs”

“Heavens, it isn’t cancer Just gas, I know”

They sat regarding each other, one eye no brighter than another, hair about the sarayness, wrinkles in like profusion; all balanced,it

“Well, it’s been nice” Mrs Hette got up suddenly, not looking at her hostess “Hope e come back to town in five years you’ll still be here” A stiff smile

“You just be sure you come back” Drily

The twoat each other with ancient soft warhtly “Well, Will?” “Well, Leo?” A hesitation “Come back some tiain, well—be good” “Same to you”

“Lands, you’d think ere old, to hear you men talk!”

Everybody laughed Coats were helped on, there was a hesitation and a nus when the Hette’s car finally drove off down the dark ht street

The walls of the living rooiven off by the talk of death The entire house was direat pressure Mr and Mrs Spaulding walked about the parlor in a little sole dishes, and turning out the lights

Mr Spaulding went up the stairs without a sound save a kind of old engine coughing He was already in bed when his wife arrived, exhilarated, and got in She lay half s, in the dark