"Marianne!" Martin called, for even the recolle of that time brought the need for reassurahe baby girl, no longer hurt, but no less precious to her father, came into the kit with her brother. Marti on with the preparations for the meal. He opened a of soup and put two chops in the frying pan. The down by the table and took his Marianne on his knees for a pony ride. Andy watched them, his fingers wobbling the tooth that had been loose all that week.
"Andy-the-dyman!" Martin said. "Is that old critter still in your mouth? e closer, let Daddy have a look."
"I got a string to pull it with." The child brought from his pocket a tahread. "Virgie said to tie it to the tooth and tie the other end of the doorknob and shut the door real suddenly."
Martin took out a handkerchief ahe loose tooth carefully. "That tooth is ing out of my Andys mouth tonight. Otherwise Im awfully afraid well have a tooth tree in the family."
"A what?"
"A tooth tree," Martin said. "Youll bite into something and swallow that tooth. And the tooth will take root in poor Andys stomad grow into a tooth tree with sharp little teeth instead of leaves."
"Shoo, Daddy," Andy said. But he held the tooth firmly between his grimy little thumb and forefinger. "There aint any tree like that. I never seen one."
"There isnt any tree like that and I never saw one."
Martin tensed suddenly. Emily was ing dowairs. He listeo her fumbling footsteps, his arm embrag the little boy with dread. When Emily came into the room he saw from her movements and her sullen face that she had agai the sherry bottle. She began to yank open drawers ahe table.
"dition!" she said in a furry voice. "You talk to me like that. Dont think Ill fet. I remember every dirty lie you say to me. Dont you think for a mihat I fet."
"Emily!" he begged. "The children --"
"The children -- yes! Dont think I dohrough your dirty plots and schemes. Dowrying to turn my own children against me. Dont think I dont see and uand."
"Emily! I beg you -- please go upstairs."
"So you turn my children -- my very own children --" Twe tears coursed rapidly down her cheeks. "Trying to turn my little boy, my Andy, against his own mother."
With drunken impulsiveness Emily k on the floor before the startled child. Her hands on his shoulders balanced her. "Listen, my Andy -- you wouldnt listen to any lies your father tells you? You wouldnt believe what he says? Listen, Andy, what was your father telling you before I came downstairs?" Uain, the child sought his fathers face. "Tell me. Mama wants to know."
"About the tooth tree."
"What?"
The child repeated the words and she echoed them with unbelieving terror. "The tooth tree!" She swayed and renewed her grasp on the childs shoulder. "I dont know what youre talking about. But listen, Andy, Mama is all right, isnt she?" The tears were spilling down her fad Andy drew back from her, for he was afraid. Grasping the table edge, Emily stood up.
"See! You have turned my child against me."
Marianne began to cry, and Martin took her in his arms.
"Thats all right, you take your child. You have always shown partiality from the very first. I dont mind, but at least you leave me my little boy."
Andy edged close to his father and touched his leg. "Daddy," he wailed.
Martin took the children to the foot of the stairs. "Andy, you take up Marianne and Daddy will follow you in a m