John and Mary have been married for about twenty years. These are good days for Mary as she looks at her life with a sense of satisfaction and joy. She worked long and hard to help put John through medical school. Now that the schooling debts are almost paid off, they have a nice home, a savings account, and she has been able to quit work. Johnny and Susie, sixteen and fourteen, are happy in their school and neighborhood. Many of the things for which Mary has dreamed and worked all of her life are finally coming true for her. Life is good. John's medical practice is becoming firmly established. These are good days.

John has called a meeting of the family, and Mary has in the back of her mind an idea of what it's all about. She feels that John is going to announce that he has made preparat…