“I’m afraid old Martha is dying,” said Emma. Jim was not the sort of person to whom one had to break news gently.

“Nonsense,” he said; “Martha means to live to a hundred. She told me so, and she’ll do it.”

“She may be actually dying at this moment, or it may just be the beginning of the breakup,” persisted Emma, with a feeling of contempt for the slowness and dullness of the young man.

A grin spread over his good-natured features.