is a pity some of the rest of us childless slackers had not done as
well as Josephine. She took her risk. She was lucky."

"She did," replied the Nurse, "but she did not realize anything of
that. She was too simple, too unanalytic."

"I wonder?" said the Critic.

"You need not, I know." Her eyes fell on the Lawyer, and she caught a
laugh in his eye. "What does that mean?" she asked.

"Well," said the Lawyer, "I was only thinking. She was religious, that
dear little Josephine?"

"At least she always went to church."

"I know the type," said the Violinist, gently. "Accepted what she was
taught, believed it."

"Exactly," said the Lawyer, "that is what I was getting at. Well then,
when her son meets her _au dela_--he will ask for his father--"

"Or," interrupted the Violinist, "his own mother will claim him."

"Don't worry," laughed the Critic. "It's dollars to doughnuts that she
was 'dear little Josephine' to all the Heavenly Host half an hour
after she entered the 'gates of pearl.' Don't look shocked. That is
not sacrilegious. It is intentions--motives, that are immortal, not
facts. Besides--"