"I suppose so," he murmured.

"My brother Willie's been at your house all afternoon," she remarked.

He repeated, "I suppose so," but in a tone which combined the vocal
tokens of misery and of hopeless animosity.

"He just went home," said Jane. "I was 'cross the street from your
house, but I guess he didn't see me. He kept lookin' back at your house.
Miss Pratt was on the porch."

"I suppose so." This time it was a moan.

Jane proceeded to give him some information. "My brother Willie isn't
comin' back to your house to-night, but he doesn't know it yet."

"What!" exclaimed Mr. Parcher.

"Willie isn't goin' to spend any more evenings at your house at all,"
said Jane, thoughtfully. "He isn't, but he doesn't know it yet."

Mr. Parcher gazed fixedly at the wonderful child, and something like
a ray of sunshine flickered over his seamed and harried face. "Are you
SURE he isn't?" he said. "What makes you think so?"

"I know he isn't," said demure Jane. "It's on account of somep'm I told
mamma."

And upon this a gentle glow began to radiate throughout Mr. Parcher. A
new feeling budded within his bosom; he was warmly attracted to Jane.
She was evidently a child to be cherished, and particularly to be
encouraged in the line of conduct she seemed to have adopted. He wished
the Bullitt and Watson families each had a little girl like this. Still,
if what she said of William proved true, much had been gained and life
might be tolerable, after all.

"He'll come in the afternoons, I guess," said Jane. "But you aren't
home then, Mr. Parcher, except late like you were that day of the
Sunday-school class. It was on account of what you said that day. I told
mamma."

"Told your mamma what?"

"What you said."

Mr. Parcher's perplexity continued. "What about?"

"About Willie. YOU know!" Jane smiled fraternally.

"No, I don't."

"It was when I was layin' in the liberry, that day of the Sunday-school
class," Jane told him. "You an' Mrs. Parcher was talkin' in there about
Miss Pratt an' Willie an' everything."

"Good heavens!" Mr. Parcher, summoning his memory, had placed the
occasion and Jane together. "Did you HEAR all that?"

"Yes." Jane nodded. "I told mamma all what you said."

"Murder!"

"Well," said Jane, "I guess it's good I did, because look--that's the
very reason mamma did somep'm so's he can't come any more except in
daytime. I guess she thought Willie oughtn't to behave so's't you said
so many things abo