ned too, and then I glanced up at him lovingly and
murmured "Jack," just like Peggy did.

That seemed to sober him, and he considered a minute. "Listen, Billy,"
he began, slowly; "we're in your power, but I'm going to trust you."

I just hooted, because there wasn't much else he could do. But he didn't
smile, only his eyes sort of twinkled.

"Be calm, my son," he said. "You're a gentleman, I believe, and all
I need do is to point out that what you've seen and heard is not your
secret. I'm sure you realize that it's unnecessary to ask you not to
tell. Of course, you'll never tell one word--NOT ONE WORD--" and he
glared. "That's understood, isn't it?"

I said, "Yep," sort of scared. He's splendidly big and arrogant, and has
that man-eating look, but he's a peach all the same.

"Are we friends--and brothers?" he asked, and slid a look at Peg.

"Yep," I said again, and I meant it.

"Shake," said Dr. Denbigh, and we shook like two men.

That was about all that happened that day except about my fishing. There
was a very interesting--but I suppose Lorraine wouldn't care for that.
It was a good deal of a strain on my feelings not to tell Alice, but
of course I didn't. But once in awhile I would glance up at Dr. Denbigh
trustingly and murmur "Jack," and he would be in a fit because I'd
always do it when the family just barely couldn't hear. As soon as Peg
came home from college we skipped to the mountains, and she went back
from there to college again, and I didn't have a fair show to get rises
out of them together, and in the urgency of 'steen things like pigeons
and the new puppy, I pretty nearly forgot their love's young dream. I
didn't have a surmise that I was going to be interwoven among it like I
was. I saw Aunt Elizabeth going out with Dr. Denbigh in his machine two
or three times, but she's a regular fusser with men, and he's got a kind
heart, so I wasn't wise to anything in that. The day Peg came home for
Christmas she was singing like the blue canaries down in the parlor,
and I happened to pass Aunt Elizabeth's door and she was lacing up her
shoes.

"Oh, Billy, ask Peggy if she doesn't want to go for a walk, will you?
There's a lamb," she called to me.

So I happened to have intelligence from pristine sources that they went
walking. And after that Peg had a grouch on and was off her feed the
rest of the vacation--nobody knew why--I didn't myself, even, and it
didn't occur to me that Aunt Elizabeth had proba