第39章

At this his wife's tone became serious.``Do you think he WOULD do as crazy a thing as that?''

Mr.Baxter laughed.``Well, I don't know what he'd do it ON! I don't suppose he has more than a dollar in his possession.''

``Yes, he has,'' she returned, quickly.``Day before yesterday there was a second-hand furniture man here, and I was too busy to see him, but I wanted the storeroom in the cellar cleared out, and I told Willie he could have whatever the man would pay him for the junk in there, if he'd watch to see that they didn't TAKE anything.

They found some old pieces that I'd forgotten, underneath things, and altogether the man paid Willie nine dollars and eighty-five cents.''

``But, mercy-me!'' exclaimed Mr.Baxter, ``the girl may be an idiot, but she wouldn't run away and marry a boy just barely seventeen on nine dollars and eighty-five cents!''

``Oh no!'' said Mrs.Baxter.``At least, I don't THINK so.Of course girls do as crazy things as boys sometimes--in their way.I was think-

ing--'' She paused.``Of COURSE there couldn't be anything in it, but it did seem a little strange.''

``What did?''

``Why, just before I came down-stairs, Adelia came for the laundry; and I asked her if she'd seen Willie; and she said he'd put on his dark suit after dinner, and he went out through the kitchen, carrying his suit-case.''

``He did?''

``Of course,'' Mrs.Baxter went on, slowly, ``I COULDN'T believe he'd do such a thing, but he really is in a PREPOSTEROUS way over this little Miss Pratt, and he DID have that money--''

``By George!'' Mr.Baxter got upon his feet.

``The way he talked at dinner, I could come pretty near believing he hasn't any more brains LEFT than to get married on nine dollars and eighty-five cents! I wouldn't put it past him!

By George, I wouldn't!''

``Oh, I don't think he would,'' she remonstrated, feebly.``Besides, the law wouldn't permit it.''

Mr.Baxter paced the floor.``Oh, I suppose they COULD manage it.They could go to some little town and give false ages and--'' He broke off.``Adelia was sure he had his suit-case?''

She nodded.``Do you think we'd better go down to the Parchers'? We'd just say we came to call, of course, and if--''

``Get your hat on,'' he said.``I don't think there's anything in it at all, but we'd just as well drop down there.It can't HURT anything.''

``Of course, I don't think--'' she began.

``Neither do I,'' he interrupted, irascibly.``But with a boy of his age crazy enough to think he's in love, how do WE know what 'll happen? We're only his parents! Get your hat on.''

But when the uneasy couple found themselves upon the pavement before the house of the Parchers, they paused under the shade-trees in the darkness, and presently decided that it was not necessary to go in.Suddenly their uneasiness had fallen from them.From the porch came the laughter of several young voices, and then one silvery voice, which pretended to be that of a tiny child.

``Oh, s'ame! S'ame on 'oo, big Bruvva Josie-

Joe! Mus' be polite to Johnny Jump-up, or tant play wiv May and Lola!''

``That's Miss Pratt,'' whispered Mrs.Baxter.

``She's talking to Johnnie Watson and Joe Bullitt and May Parcher.Let's go home; it's all right.

Of course I knew it would be.''

``Why, certainly,'' said Mr.Baxter, as they turned.``Even if Willie were as crazy as that, the little girl would have more sense.I wouldn't have thought anything of it, if you hadn't told me about the suit-case.That looked sort of queer.''

She agreed that it did, but immediately added that she had thought nothing of it.What had seemed more significant to her was William's interest in the early marriage of Genesis's father, and in the Iowa beard story, she said.Then she said that it WAS curious about the suit-case.

And when they came to their own house again, there was William sitting alone and silent upon the steps of the porch.

``I thought you'd gone out, Willie,'' said his mother, as they paused beside him.

``Ma'am?''

``Adelia said you went out, carrying your suit-case.''

``Oh yes,'' he said, languidly.``If you leave clothes at Schwartz's in the evening they have 'em pressed in the morning.You said I looked damp at dinner, so I took 'em over and left 'em there.''

``I see.'' Mrs.Baxter followed her husband to the door, but she stopped on the threshold and called back:

``Don't sit there too long, Willie.''

``Ma'am?''

``The dew is falling and it rained so hard to-

day--I'm afraid it might be damp.''

``Ma'am?''

``Come on,'' Mr.Baxter said to his wife.

``He's down on the Parchers' porch, not out in front here.Of course he can't hear you.It's three blocks and a half.''

But William's father was mistaken.Little he knew! William was not upon the porch of the Parchers, with May Parcher and Joe Bullitt and Johnnie Watson to interfere.He was far from there, in a land where time was not.Upon a planet floating in pink mist, and uninhabited--unless old Mr.Genesis and some Hindoo princes and the diligent Iowan may have established themselves in its remoter regions--William was alone with Miss Pratt, in the conservatory.And, after a time, they went together, and looked into the door of a room where an indefinite number of little boys--all over three years of age--were playing in the firelight upon a white-bear rug.

For, in the roseate gossamer that boys' dreams are made of, William had indeed entered the married state.

His condition was growing worse, every day.