feels himself grown
to be such a criminal. Immense periods of time seem to be
slipping away, but he doesn't know at all whether he is getting
to be really and truly a man, or whether he is getting littler
and littler. There is always the fear of diminishing, because one
would so like to be grown up, and when one is such a bad little
boy, how can he expect ever to be grown up? David felt himself
slipping and slipping. He was slipping back into three-years-old.
From that he would go into two-years-old, and before very long he
would be only one. He knew it was coming on. There was a tingling
flush going down his back, a cold current, like ants with frozen
feet. Maybe it was only perspiration, but how was a little boy to
know that? He was gasping with excitement when he suddenly called
out: "Here I am!"

The idea was that the Doctor should instantly seize him and save
him from being dissolved into empty air. But no sooner had David
called than he was overcome with shame. At first he was
astonished that his voice should really be _his_ voice. There was
no change in it--not the slightest--and he now saw that he had
only fooled himself. That is why he was ashamed. He was so
ashamed that he began to cry.

That would not do at all. Fav-ver Doctor said it wouldn't, and he
was so distressed about it that he offered David the rare
privilege of wearing his watch. At any other time the little boy
would have been mightily set up over the honor, but at such a
time as this no distinction of any sort was for him. He did not
deserve it. He had disgraced himself too much for that, and he
pushed the watch from him. He kicked his feet against the chair
and rudely exclaimed:

"Don't want your watch!"

In some ways Dr. Redfield was not different from most of us. So
many years had passed since he was a little boy that he had
forgotten that what appears to be only sullenness may in reality
be something quite different. Perhaps if he had been more like
his normal self instead of being a very tired and a very
irritable doctor he would not have considered it necessary to
regard David with the eye of stern discipline. But however that
may be, the man pivoted suddenly upon his heel and marched out of
the room, leaving the little boy alone to brood at his leisure
upon the sad impropriety of being rude.

David wanted to go with the Doctor, but the man would have
nothing to do with any little boy who cries without any reason
for crying and is