go, but Jane's alimentary canal went on forever.

"You were where, Jane?"

"At the Parchers'."

"Oh, I see."

"Yesterday afternoon," said Jane, "when Miss Parcher had the
Sunday-school class for lemonade and cookies."

"Did you hear Miss Parcher say--"

"No'm," said Jane. "I ate too many cookies, I guess, maybe. Anyways,
Miss Parcher said I better lay down--"

"LIE down, Jane."

"Yes'm. On the sofa in the liberry, an' Mrs. Parcher an' Mr. Parcher
came in there an' sat down, after while, an' it was kind of dark, an'
they didn't hardly notice me, or I guess they thought I was asleep,
maybe. Anyways, they didn't talk loud, but Mr. Parcher would sort of
grunt an' ack cross. He said he just wished he knew when he was goin'
to have a home again. Then Mrs. Parcher said May HAD to ask her
Sunday-school class, but he said he never meant the Sunday-school class.
He said since Miss Pratt came to visit, there wasn't anywhere he could
go, because Willie Baxter an' Johnnie Watson an' Joe Bullitt an' all the
other ones like that were there all the time, an' it made him just sick
at the stummick, an' he did wish there was some way to find out when she
was goin' home, because he couldn't stand much more talk about love.
He said Willie an' Johnnie Watson an' Joe Bullitt an' Miss Pratt were
always arguin' somep'm about love, an' he said Willie was the worst.
Mamma, he said he didn't like the rest of it, but he said he guessed he
could stand it if it wasn't for Willie. An' he said the reason they were
all so in love of Miss Pratt was because she talks baby-talk, an' he
said he couldn't stand much more baby-talk. Mamma, she has the loveliest
little white dog, an' Mr. Parcher doesn't like it. He said he couldn't
go anywhere around the place without steppin' on the dog or Willie
Baxter. An' he said he couldn't sit on his own porch any more; he said
he couldn't sit even in the liberry but he had to hear baby-talk goin'
on SOMEwheres an' then either Willie Baxter or Joe Bullitt or
somebody or another arguin' about love. Mamma, he said"--Jane became
impressive--"he said, mamma, he said he didn't mind the Sunday-school
class, but he couldn't stand those dam boys!"

"Jane!" Mrs. Baxter cried, "you MUSTN'T say such things!"

"I didn't, mamma. Mr. Parcher said it. He said he couldn't stand those
da--"

"JANE! No matter what he said, you mustn't repeat--"

"But I'm not. I only said Mr. PARCHER said he couldn't stand those d--"

Mrs.