st run up and get on something dry--"

"You had better shut off the water," said Mrs. Fenelby, and went
into the house.

Billy laid the hose carefully at his feet.

"I say," he said, hesitatingly, to Kitty, "wear the one you had on
last night--the white one. I--I think that one's pretty."

"Oh, no!" said Kitty. "I can't wear that one. That one is all mussed
up. I can't wear that one again. I have a lovely blue one."

"No!" said Billy, whispering, and glancing suspiciously at the
house. "Not blue! Please don't! It--it's dangerous."

"Oh, but it is a dream of a waist!" said Kitty. "You wait until you
see it."

"No!" pleaded Billy again. "Not a blue one! If you wore a blue
one I couldn't help but notice it was blue. It isn't safe. Don't
wear a blue one, or a green one, or a brown one. Just a white one.
Not any other color; just white. You see," he said with sudden
confidentiality, "I'm a detective. I'm detecting for Tom. I told him
I would, and I've got to keep my word. He has a notion someone is
smuggling things into the house without paying the duty, and he got
me to detect at you for him. We're suspicious about your clothes.
There's a white waist, and this pink waist, already, and if you go
to wearing blue ones and all sorts of colors, I can't help but
notice it. I don't want to get you into trouble with Tom, you know."
He hesitated a moment and then said, "You helped me out about those
cigars."

"All right!" said Kitty, cheerfully, "I'll wear a white one, but I
think you might be color blind if you really want to help me."

VIII

THE FIELD OF DISHONOR

There was a train from the city at 6:02, and Tom was not likely to
be home on one earlier. At 5:48 Kitty and Billy and Mrs. Fenelby
were sitting on the porch, and Bobberts was lying in a tilted-back
rocking chair, behaving himself. It was a calm and peaceful suburban
scene--the stillness and the loneliness and the mosquitoes were all
present. It was the idle time when no one cares whether time flies
or halts. Mrs. Fenelby had the table set and the cold dinner ready;
Kitty was primped; and Billy should have had nothing in the world to
do, but he had been opening and closing his watch every minute for
the last half hour. He was uneasy. At 5:48 he arose and stretched
out his arms.

"I guess," he said as lazily as he could; "I guess I'll walk down
and meet Tom. I haven't been out much to-day."

There was one thing he had to do. He had to see Tom bef