第20章

``Found what out, please?'' asked Mr.Parcher, feeling more affection for Jane every moment.

``He hasn't found out he can't come back to your house to-night; an' he can't come back to-

morrow night, nor day-after-to-morrow night, nor--''

``Is it because your mamma is going to tell him he can't?''

``No, Mr.Parcher.Mamma says he's too old --an' she said she didn't like to, anyway.She just DID somep'm.''

``What? What did she do?''

``It's a secret,'' said Jane.``I could tell you the first part of it--up to where the secret begins, I expect.''

``Do!'' Mr.Parcher urged.

``Well, it's about somep'm Willie's been WEARIN','' Jane began, moving closer to him as they slowly walked onward.``I can't tell you what they were, because that's the secret--but he had 'em on him every evening when he came to see Miss Pratt, but they belong to papa, an'

papa doesn't know a word about it.Well, one evening papa wanted to put 'em on, because he had a right to, Mr.Parcher, an' Willie didn't have any right to at all, but mamma couldn't find 'em; an' she rummidged an' rummidged 'most all next day an' pretty near every day since then an' never did find 'em, until don't you believe I saw Willie inside of 'em only last night!

He was startin' over to your house to see Miss Pratt in 'em! So I told mamma, an' she said it 'd haf to be a secret, so that's why I can't tell you what they were.Well, an' then this afternoon, early, I was with her, an' she said, long as I had told her the secret in the first place, I could come in Willie's room with her, an' we both were already in there anyway, 'cause I was kind of thinkin' maybe she'd go in there to look for 'em, Mr.Parcher--''

``I see,'' he said, admiringly.``I see.''

``Well, they were under Willie's window-seat, all folded up; an' mamma said she wondered what she better do, an' she was worried because she didn't like to have Willie behave so's you an'

Mrs.Parcher thought that way about him.So she said the--the secret--what Willie wears, you know, but they're really papa's an' aren't Willie's any more'n they're MINE--well, she said the secret was gettin' a little teeny bit too tight for papa, but she guessed they--I mean the secret--she said she guessed it was already pretty loose for Willie; so she wrapped it up, an' I went with her, an' we took 'em to a tailor, an' she told him to make 'em bigger, for a surprise for papa, 'cause then they'll fit him again, Mr.Parcher.

She said he must make 'em a whole lot bigger.

She said he must let 'em way, WAY out! So I guess Willie would look too funny in 'em after they're fixed; an' anyway, Mr.Parcher, the secret won't be home from the tailor's for two weeks, an' maybe by that time Miss Pratt'll be gone.''

They had reached Mr.Parcher's gate; he halted and looked down fondly upon this child who seemed to have read his soul.``Do you honestly think so?'' he asked.

``Well, anyway, Mr.Parcher,'' said Jane, ``mamma said--well, she said she's sure Willie wouldn't come here in the evening any more when YOU're at home, Mr.Parcher--'cause after he'd been wearin' the secret every night this way he wouldn't like to come and not have the secret on.Mamma said the reason he would feel like that was because he was seventeen years old.An'

she isn't goin' to tell him anything about it, Mr.Parcher.She said that's the best way.''

Her new friend nodded and seemed to agree.