a hurry! The boy
will tell you all about it in time! Give him time I say! Give him
time!"

"No he won't," I explained. "My brother Carol never tells anything. He
can't."

"He's--dumb," said our Uncle Peter.

The Lady looked sort of queer.

"Oh dear--Oh dear--Oh dear," she said. "What a misfortune!"

Our Uncle Peter sort of sniffed his expression.

"Misfortune?" he said. "I call it the greatest blessing in the world!"
He glared at little Dicky. "Yes the greatest blessing in the world!" he
said. "A child who doesn't babble or fuss!--Or SCREAM!"

The Lady looked more and more surprised. She turned to the little boy.

"'Dumb,' Dicky," she said. "You understand? Doesn't speak?"

Dicky looked at his Mother. He looked at Carol. A little pucker came and
blacked itself between his eyebrows. As though to toss the pucker away
he tossed back his whole head and ran to Tiger Lily and threw his arms
around Tiger Lily's neck.

"Doesn't----EVER?" he said.

"Doesn't ever--what?" said our Uncle Peter.

"Sleep?" said Dicky.

"It was the boy we were talking about," laughed his Mother. "Not the
doggie." She tried to put her arms around him.

He wiggled right out of them and ran back to Tiger Lily.

"Is it his adenoids?" he cried. "Have you had his eyes tested? How do
you know but what it's his teeth?"

"Whose teeth?" frowned our Uncle Peter.

"Tiger Lily's!" cried Dicky.

His Mother made a sorry sound in her throat.

"Poor Dicky," she said. "He's had most everything done to
him!--Tonsils,--spine,--eyes,--ears,--teeth!--Why the last Doctor I saw
was almost positive that the Insomnia was due entirely to--" In the very
middle of what it was due to she turned to our Uncle Peter. Her voice
got very private. Our Uncle Peter had to stoop his head to hear it. He
had a proud head. It didn't stoop very easily.

"He isn't my own little boy," she whispered.

As though his ears were magic the little boy looked up and grinned. His
eyes looked naughty.

"Nobody's own little boy," he said. "Nobody's own little boy!" As though
it was a song without any tune he began to sing it. "Nobody's--Nobody's
own little boy!"

The Lady tried to stop him. He struck at her with his feet. It made a
hurt on her arm. He snatched Tiger Lily by the collar and started for
the door.

"Going to find Cook and get a bone!" he said. He said it like a boast.
He slammed the door behind him. It made a rude noise. He came running
back and looked a littl