visible to watching eyes.

"Mind you," Lydia was saying in a low tone, "Flora said that Lou
acted very queer, from the very moment she went in--Lou asked her if
she wanted to look at poor Mr. Lowney, and Flora went in, and he was
all laid out, with flowers and all, in that upstairs room where Al
died. Grandma Lowney was there, and--oh, quite a few others, coming
and going, Mrs. Mallon and the Baxter girls. Flora only stayed a
minute, and when she and Lou went out, she says, 'Lou, has Annie
Poett been here since he was taken sick?' and Lou began to cry and
said that her mother answered the telephone when Annie called up
last week, and it seems Annie asked was Joe Lowney sick and Mrs.
King said 'No.'"

"For heaven's sake!" Mrs. Monroesaid, incredulous and absorbed.

"Well, that's what Flora said. But mind you, Ma, on Tuesday night
little Hildegarde King went to the door, and she says that Annie
Poett came in and went upstairs--Lou was dishing supper, you know
the Allens and Mrs. Gorman were there for the funeral, and they were
all at table--and, by the way, Flora says that Lou says that Lizzie
Alien was there in that house for three days--that is, it was nearly
three days, for they stayed for supper Wednesday night--and that
Lizzie never raised her hand to ONE THING, just did nothing but sit
around and cry, and say what a good brother Joe was!"

"Did you ever!" commented Mrs. Monroe.

"Anyway, nobody got up from the table, and all they had for it was
Hildegarde's word, and she wasn't sure it was Annie. Grandma Lowney