the first time.

"No, you don't," he said. "Not on your life. Just step back,
please, and close the door. This house is quarantined."



Chapter V. FROM THE TREE OF LOVE

There is hardly any use trying to describe what followed. Anne
Brown began to cry, and talk about the children. (She went to
Europe once and stayed until they all got over the whooping
cough.) And Dallas said he had a pull, because his mill
controlled I forget how many votes, and the thing to do was to be
quiet and comfortable and we would get out in the morning. Max
took it as a huge joke, and somebody found him at the telephone,
calling up his club. The Mercer girls were hysterically giggling,
and Aunt Selina sat on a stiff-backed chair and took aromatic
spirits of ammonia. As for Jim, he had collapsed on the lowest
step of the stairs, and sat there with his head in his hands.
When he did look up, he didn't dare to look at me.

The Harbison man was arguing with the impassive individual on the
top step outside, and I saw him get out his pocketbook and offer
a crisp bundle of bills. But the man from the board of health
only smiled and tacked at his offensive sign. After a while Mr.
Harbison came in and closed the door, and we stared at one
another.

"I know what I'm going to do," I said, swallowing a lump in my