there, but just a while ago I ran onto your old family Bible,
and it had the records in it. I--

MRS. EVERITT

Oh, Walter!

WALTER

It seems queer that neither of you said anything about it, if I was really
born in this very town.... I might never have thought much about it, but
to-night everything seems to be stirred up. Tell me, mother--

MRS. EVERITT

We lived here only a little while. We didn't like it, so your father sold
his farm and we went away to New York.

WALTER

Yes, but why wasn't something said about it when we came here this
afternoon? It seems funny, not to.

MRS. EVERITT

Dear, there was a little family trouble, long ago, which is best
forgotten.

WALTER

Oh.

ALICE (_entering_)

It wasn't Harold, after all, but I just had to stay and listen to him. He
tried over and over to tell me something. I couldn't make out what it was
until he showed me with his hands--you know that funny little way he
has--and what do you suppose it was?

MRS. EVERITT

The dear child. What was it?

ALICE

Why, he remembered the big drum he saw once in a parade, and he was trying
to explain that he was _inside_ a drum. The rain, you know.

EVERITT (_entering_)

We had to jack up the car. The barn is flooding with water.

MRS. EVERITT

Is that where you were?

EVERITT

Yes.... How strange you look in that light, Alice! I never saw you look
like that before. (_He kisses her_)

ALICE

Oh!

MRS. EVERITT

What is it, Alice?

ALICE

Why ... I thought his cigar was going to burn me.

MRS. EVERITT

Oh.

EVERITT

Alice, you jumped because you didn't like my breath. I'm sorry, I did take
a drink, and I shouldn't have kissed you, only....

WALTER

Only what?

EVERITT

She looked just as Mary did when I first knew her. It startled me.

ALICE

Do I?

MRS. EVERITT

Was I like that?

EVERITT

Of course you were.

ALICE

Oh, I'm glad!

MRS. EVERITT

Thank you, dear, but you're not half so glad as I am.

EVERITT

It's queer, there used to be a fine old stock up in this country. It seems
to have died out. The people here don't half appreciate the place.

MRS. EVERITT

But you haven't seen many of them, have you?

EVERITT

No, I talked with some in the bar room.

ALICE

Oh, the bar room?

EVERITT

Yes, I know. One can't judge from that. A filthy place--it made me ashamed
of drinking. I only went in hoping to see some of the people I used to
know.

MRS. E