d to be stealing. Now have you an animal? I ask you a direct
question."

"Yes, sir." It was a whisper so low as hardly to be heard.

"All right, you'll have to get rid of it. Do you understand?"

Red's mother intervened. "Do you mean to say you're keeping a
meat-eating animal, Red? It might bite you and give you blood-poison."

"They're only small ones," quavered Red. "They hardly budge if you touch
them."

"They? How many do you have?"

"Two."

"Where are they?"

The Industrialist touched her arm. "Don't chivvy the child any further,"
he said, in a low voice. "If he says he'll get rid of them, he will,
and that's punishment enough."

He dismissed the matter from his mind.

VIII

Lunch was half over when Slim dashed into the dining room. For a moment,
he stood abashed, and then he said in what was almost hysteria, "I've
got to speak to Red. I've got to say something."

Red looked up in fright, but the Astronomer said, "I don't think, son,
you're being very polite. You've kept lunch waiting."

"I'm sorry, Father."

"Oh, don't rate the lad," said the Industrialist's wife. "He can speak
to Red if he wants to, and there was no damage done to the lunch."

"I've got to speak to Red alone," Slim insisted.

"Now that's enough," said the Astronomer with a kind of gentleness that
was obviously manufactured for the benefit of strangers and which had
beneath it an easily-recognized edge. "Take your seat."

Slim did so, but he ate only when someone looked directly upon him. Even
then he was not very successful.

Red caught his eyes. He made soundless words, "Did the animals get
loose?"

Slim shook his head slightly. He whispered, "No, it's--"

The Astronomer looked at him hard and Slim faltered to a stop.

With lunch over, Red slipped out of the room, with a microscopic motion
at Slim to follow.

They walked in silence to the creek.

Then Red turned fiercely upon his companion. "Look here, what's the idea
of telling my Dad we were feeding animals?"

Slim said, "I didn't. I asked what you feed animals. That's not the same
as saying we were doing it. Besides, it's something else, Red."

But Red had not used up his grievances. "And where did you go anyway? I
thought you were coming to the house. They acted like it was my fault
you weren't there."

"But I'm trying to tell you about that, if you'd only shut _up_ a second
and let me talk. You don't give a fellow a chance."

"Well, go on and tell me if