blond, handsome father and the
little son--and Jacky said, "Mr. Curtis, does God see everything?"

"Why, yes," Maurice said, rather confused, "He does; Jacky. So," he
ended, with proper solemnity, "you must be a very good boy."

"Why," said Jacky, "will He get one in on me if I ain't?"

"So I'm told," said Maurice.

"Does He see _everything_?" Jacky pressed, frowning; and Maurice said:

"Yes, sir! Everything."

Jacky reflected and sighed. "Well," he said, "I should think He'd laugh
when he sees your shoes."

"Why! what's the matter with my shoes?" his discomfited father said,
looking down at his feet. "My shoes are all right!" he defended himself.

"Big," Jacky said, shyly.

Maurice roared, crushed a geranium leaf in his hand, and asked his son
what he was going to be when he grew up; "Theology seems to be your long
suit, Jacobus. Better go into the Church."

Jacky shook his head. "I'm going to be a enginair. Or a robber."

"I'd try engineering if I were you. People don't like robbers."

"But _I'll_ be a _nice_ robber," Jacky explained, anxiously.

"I'll bring you a train of cars some day," Maurice said.

"Say, 'Thank you,' Jacky," Lily instructed him.

Again Jacky shook his head. "He 'ain't gimme the cars yet."

Maurice was immensely amused. "He wants the goods before he signs a
receipt! I'll buy some cars for him."

"My soul and body!" said Lily, following him to the door; "that boy gets
'round everybody! Well, what do you suppose? I go to church with him!
Ain't that rich? Me! He don't like church--though he's crazy about the
music. But I take him. And I don't have to listen to what the man says.
I just plan out the food for a week. Sometimes,"--her amber eyes were
lovely with anxiously pondering love--"sometimes I don't know but what
I'll make a preacher of him? Some preachers marry money, and get real
gentlemanly. And then again I think I'd rather have him a clubman. But,
anyway, I'm savin' up every last cent to educate him!"

"He's worth it," Maurice said, and there was pride in his voice; "yes,
we must--I mean, you must educate him."

On his way home, stopping to buy some flowers for his wife, Maurice
found himself thinking of Jacky as a boy ... as a mighty bright boy, who
must be educated. As--_his_ boy!

"You forgot the day," he challenged Eleanor, good-naturedly, when he
handed her the violets.

She said, briefly, "No; I hadn't forgotten."

The pain in her worn face made him wince....