While Caroline Was Growing

deed, of her tense and noiseless advance up the narrow gravel path, would have

of the grounds, to bear her company, produced a succession of pantomimic dismissals that alarmed the hen to the point of frenzy,

e hen, now lumbering awkwardly through the hedge

"anybody could've heard me! And

re house stood placid and empty in the afternoon sun; not a cat on the kitchen porch, not a curtain f

en," she said, in a low voice, "a

ightning peep at the silent house, then dipped again and continued her stalking. Following the evergreen hedge ar

wonder if that old gray cat with th

a break in the lattice, and with a final survey of the premises, inserted h

d swinging window, seized it thankfully, and plunged through it. Hanging a moment by her grimy hands she swayed, a little fearfully, then dropped with a quick breath to the concrete floor beneath, and smiled with relief as the comparative brightness of a well kept cellar revealed her safety. Vegetable bins, a neat pile of kindling wood, a large portable

ed, thoughtfully licking the

et and peered along the shel

," she pursued, "I wonder w

her face

llar, "and they stole the jelly in a hurry and dropped this and never noticed,

a slip on the landing sent her to her knees in terror. The empty quiet seemed to hum around her; strange snappings of the old woodwork dried her throat. With her hand on the swing door

distinguish between what she saw and heard and what she wished to se

but she pursed her lips and whispered, "they'

door on its well-oiled hinge and sli

-glass dish of celery and a ruby mound of jelly; a crusty loaf of new bread lay broken at his right; at his left, winking in the sunbeam, stood a decanter half filled with a

h sudden grayish white; against it his thin lips were marked in lavender. While the grandfather clock ticked

rl?" he demanded sternly, pointedly

ped and drop

ticular," she mu

n carefully and wiped his fingers o

rst into a room like that, where a person with a weak

here, little girl?"

m?" Caroline re

die on you," he

stepped

nquired fearfully. "I'm so sor

aking about so sof

flus

silver, and-and I was coming in to-to get them, and I didn't expect anybody would be her

that's one on me! I must say you're a nervy youn

eant I was playing it was burglars; I didn't

you play burglars? Anything

ared uncomp

a dog. And she never locks a thing, you know-she says if they intend to get in, they will, and that's all there is about it. So this time she went for three days, and Miss Honey and the General and Deli

" said

ches of the topaz liquor

sniffed i

now by the smell, partly like colog

watched the light play through it, then made a slight

as good as her voice," he sa

Uncle Joe's," she explained. Then,

ing to have pictures taken of Miss Honey and General. But a

ng his well-kept finger-nails. "I can't s

d followed the directi

er suit-case, long and solid looking. It was op

telligent remark that she understood the situation, and could easily imag

g, waving a whisk-broom in the air and offering it to Aunt Edith with the most extraordinary force of manner. And her aunt, who wore at the time a raincoat and tam o'shanter cap, had leaned forward graciously, gurgled out a most delicious little tune, accepted the whisk-broom, affected to inhale its fragranc

subtly different from that of the friends of her own family. But even the most unconventional guest had never collected the sideboard silver, and a little feeling was growing in the air ... doubt and a bit of what might have begun to be fear ... when

pkin, "with your hair all cobwebs and all that dirt on your knees and those fi

e repeated

d with-with anybody else the sam

fied glance, he we

get in, now? No

h the little cellar window and u

out in that little back ha

still," she added, "so as to sur

t. You're all right. Now, I suppose you're wondering what all this means, aren't you? You haven't g

you," she interrupted, "

d, his hands gripped

know that?" he cried rou

nk a little b

ing to his vest, "I saw it

air and fingered the little

nes ... so you've seen t

, and my Uncle Joe and Uncle Lindsay

to Yale?"

e informed him. "The General's going when he grows

ng forward in genuine interest, "I g

them all," sh

ent to Yale, he was walking along the Campus, and right by Old South Middle he met the President. And the President stopped and

k his head t

ted. "Old South Middle-th

never pay the rent!" he said briskly. "Now let's get to business.

ck at him, his own quick smile

. I'd have been the same myself. And you'll be even more surprised when you find out what I'm doing-

ook he

using, and packed them with the others. Caroline, watching his hands, noticed in the cor

et as you are, Missy, I'd tell her my plans, I would, and get her to he

r head, her eyes f

s way. You may have heard your uncle say something about it being kind o' careless, leaving the ho

distinct sense of relief. "I've often

r, starting in v

e Holt! And what should I be doing, eating my lunch here, if I didn't?" he demanded. "What should he tell me about his troubles

e stood

quite overcome with her own stupidity, "but as I have to get away pretty quick now, I'll tell you. You see,

house to look after it-he felt worried. But no, she wouldn't. Wouldn't even get a dog-t

m, "she wouldn't. Au

,' says Joe to me, that's my name, Henry Barke

ch her a lesson, that's what. I'd I'd give her one good scar

ched for his overcoat and

n find in a hurry, pack it up careful and hide it away wherever you say. Then when your wife gets back and finds 'em gone, there'll be the d-- there'll be a row, and when she says it's her fault f

ooked hard at Caroline; her answering glance was troubled and n

went on, glancing hurriedly around the room. "'You know as well as I do that if they should get caught doing it, anybody would swear 't

I'd love to do it," Carol

irrepressible uncle. Better than anyone, Caroline, his conspirator elect, knew the

at's why I asked you if he hadn't. I guess he was afraid

d gratefu

at its weight. "'What's the good,' says I, 'of calling yourself a friend, if you can't run a little risk? Just tell me the day to come and where you wa

firmly and moved

I don't want to lose

edly; "what place did Uncle Joe pick out? Won

d on the window button, and

sed to tell a soul, you know, but you've been such a brick, and being h

nodded br

re, counting the-counting everything, and an old barn's no place for it. See here. You promise me to stay here for an hour-one hour exactly, by the clock-and I'll leave

uld be grand

nd I'll take this to your house in half an hour. Will you promise not to leave for an hour? We mustn't be seen together, you kn

m, flushed with importance, "and tell 'em not to open it,

o' sorry they went to Yale," he added

g; his eyes rolled back,

re and the furious whisper that went with it c

d the suit-case over the ledge, and peering over the balcony stepped out. Suddenly he paused, one leg over the sill; his eyes rolled back towards the room, his lips tightened. So

she whispered in a glow of t

g heavily she peered over the sill. Directly below them crouched a

they kept quite still, that quaking pair, perhaps.... The man brea

or fle

oaded!" the voice came

ave a shri

" she cried, "it's

ng man came in behin

d, steadying the weapon. The man sto

r carried a gun in my

ay, it's o

opping in horror at the ugly

ntreated, sick with foreboding at the dogged man

him, Missy," said the m

ne; go straight

ak in that tone, and it was partly in t

t, and you needn't talk to me that way, e

, with this stricken, passive man before her. Her voice faltered, she choked.... Had Uncle Joe

ne, will you go home?" he demande

y; her faith totter

ob gets done? Have I made you any trouble yet? My goose is cooked, all right, and we'll-we'll talk that over, later, when Miss

I'd have been careful," Carolin

it turns out. It was a bad plan, I guess-you can see how your cousin takes it

ck and-oh Lord, what's th

-what the hel

d him; his head fell over on his arms, a

at him, but the weakness was ge

r and I don't agree very well on the best way to teach people to lock their houses. I-it seems to me a pretty poor joke. Uncle Joe never meant it to go quite so far,

she returned eagerly, "I know just what you mean

t," he sa

he added, looking uncomfortably at the bent f

rritably, "it's all right now, Caroline. Hadn't you b

in," she returned, almost assured

ht of the young fellow's nervou

and-and then I must be hurrying on-hurrying on," he repeated vaguely, with dazed eyes.

t pin?" he cried sharp

fully. "You're 'way off there,"

eeably. "I happen to know the contrary. I'll trouble y

kative admiration of the Great Dane, was obl

n. There was a moment of silence. O

oo?" Lindsay asked

s James Wardwell," s

prang to

stood over the man, careless of the r

tared agha

a flush of mortification Lindsay mastered his weapon, h

gritted

n met his eyes for a second, then wit

ew back un

like that?" he said, "ho

ooked at

s it going to?" Linds

er did

Lindsay's voice was

g, uneven breath.

it-case, at the man in th

me since he had last addressed her, he noticed Car

again on the man, "do you know

no

Selma so

it back so nobo

d him, "and the-things

ully and his hold on t

ng himself he answered evenly, "Oh, yes, might as well g

efore him into the librar

rop into a seat and s

id in there is true?" he asked abruptly,

d, "proof?" He stared al

he boy answer

wear the pin of his society-a pin I happen to know he lost recently-and I f

fingers together and

me so to begin with-she came like a ghost-and then the dog finished me. I had one o' them once and he ne

stamped

say? Or shall we discuss

u know you've given me a half a dozen chances, if I'd had the nerve for the risk? Why, I c'd've butted that gun out of your hand twice in the last ten min

, a cornered animal. Lindsay felt a tingle of excitement r

ut he blushed as he spoke, the man saw it, and Lindsay knew he saw it;

t if many of them are quite such accomplished liars as you appear to be; but my stroke will improve, I've

r, but raised his han

here," he said, "and-and you'd better take the pin, too, I guess. I'd be

d the leather case, cursing his awk

e was in his hand; across the bottom was scrawled

a long

, all right,"

s all I've got, and nobody'd know but some frie

the picture

, "Jim Wardwell's a gentleman! I-I-why I admired

smiled

almost complacently, "he's always gone

d was a network o

sted, "he always had the-his things-oh,

ys had plenty," t

d the soft chink of silver through t

d his face int

e lot," he said slowly, "I've said so of

rose, but fell back

, 'and so you will, mister, but not the way you think. There's some trouble coming to you and a child's mixed up in it. Look out for strange dogs,' she says, they all tell me that-'and run no risks this mon

say that Jim-" Lindsay's voice s

blinked

hing about it, of course. I sh'd think you'd know enough for th

waited. Caroline ran up the front stairs, and

He thought I was traveling and didn't want to be bothered. But I couldn't see him much-was I going to drag him down, just as I'd got him started right? Not much. 'Go an

his chair and

place you got the idea of from Jim,' something seemed to say to me, 'it's unlucky.' And everything so

indsay prompted. A drea

reman again at the works-we're bought up, chewed up and spit out like a wad o' paper?' Not much, I guess. No. Here's where I quit the honesty game, I said, for it don't pay. You stole my patent, and I shut up because I couldn't afford to fight you, and you raised me and raised me-and let me into the firm when you knew it was go

over their heads; her steps seemed t

about kill Jim,

o to college," the man returned sh

arned money-he's clever enough to work his way thr

a little planning. The thing is, never take a risk. Wait for a sure thing. Take from the kind that takes from your kind-they'll never miss it. Work alone, and never try to get too much. Who are the ones that get caught? The 'pals

leared hi

t Jim never asked you w

l-you know, you wouldn't expect him to, brought up as he's been-and I guess he thought 'twould be kinder to me not to mention it

h?" Lindsay repe

th Jim in a letter. I told him I'd sold out my interest in the firm and I was going to send him one more thousand for graduatin' with and I was going to

Williamson on the ranc

up after they got settled and try it out there. It was an awf

his head toward

'thousand'?" h

an no

wo. And then I was planning to drop out. Of course I never meant to see him much. I was always deadly afraid something'd happen, and I didn't want to get c

Lindsay was wrung

uch of anybody but

about in the dining-room again.

," he began, "I mean-I-oh, the devil! Y

m. "You've got it all back," he

know Jim," the boy mutt

d eagerly, "there's no cleverer scholar

"Not that amounts to any

ter fellow there than Ji

er fellow anywher

door. "Aren't we ever going, Lin?

ible thing to do, but I can't see that there are any two ways about it. I don't want to hear you say any more. If you'll

did. I always knew 'twas bound to come, though, and here it is. But it's hard. Jim was telling me last month about this singer that he'd heard was so careless, and I noted it down for use some day. You have to notice those things. He never said his fr

ed and motion

ome on, will y

an go

ed he'll ever know. But I couldn't explain why I didn't go up to New Haven, nor send the thousand, a

Oh, no!" L

rceny," said t

ome on!" cal

nything to you or any of his friends about me being mean about the thousand, when I'd promised it, just kind of give a hint, will you, that things may have

rd; his nerves were

ed to the French window, opened it,

"get out of my sight! If Jim ever receives ano

he chair. "Do you mean i

and turning half bent over the cha

ated violently, looking

for the picture on the floor, fo

nto the chair again; a dreadful pa

y," he said very quickly, and rolled agai

retty soon"-Caroline push

sky!" her cousin whispered, h

ile he labored myster

she whispered fearfully whe

ing out with her and turning the knob carefully. The din

to you on the way. You needn't hurry so, Caroline. There's no-we don't have to hurry." He tried

f; "he'll know what to do-oh, there's the dog. Come

ated, contentedly, reaching

ven for a joke?" she queried, following him down

agreed

f your pins?" She was trottin

almost faced her. He loo

believe worse men ha