gleefulness suddenly went
out of him.

"I'm afraid," she said, "I'm afraid there's not enough left of
your hair to smell."

The suspicion came to David that Mother was not glad. Instead of
applauding his fine hair-cut, she had a silly way of asking what
had been done with the curls.

This is the way mothers act sometimes when they want to be
downright discouraging. David showed how he felt about it by
asking if supper wouldn't soon be ready, and throughout the meal
he bore himself with dignity. Although it is not easy to pass the
rolls when one's arms are so short and the plate is so large and
wobbly, the little boy was sure that to-night he was reaching a
surprising distance across the table. Surely Mother must have
been impressed with this new and astonishing length of arm.

When it came bed-time, David felt it would be weakness on his
part, now that he was almost grown to be a man, to allow Mother
to continue her absurd habit of sitting beside him while he went
to sleep. He told her very delicately that in the future she need
not go to so much trouble. He was resolved not to be such a
nuisance. Hereafter he would always go to sleep all by himself.

But in beginning this practice he did not think it advisable to
take off his trousers. Perhaps he would not feel so man-grown if
he took them off; perhaps the kilts-and-blouse feeling would come
on him in the night, unless he were consciously secure in
knickerbockers.

"I--I couldn't keep them on, could I, Mother?" The question came
plaintively, from the very depths of his desire.

"But, David," said Mother, "if you wear them out by sleeping in
them, then how are you to get any more? And besides, don't you
think they need a rest as well as you?"

Anybody could see the logic of that. David reluctantly permitted
his trousers to be taken off, and he was particularly eager to
see that they should have honorable treatment. He had a
misgiving that Mother did not know where they should properly be
stowed for the night, and his doubt thus found expression:

"Where does Doctor put his?"

The result of the question was not satisfying. David found that
he had brought up suddenly at the never-mind period. But his
close-cropped head leaned out over the edge of the crib; and his
eager eyes attentively regarded the floppy little legs of
trouvers as they were folded over the back of a chair. Then came
a sigh of resignation, and the shorn head was plumped down
resolutely u