sometimes ... Do you see anything about me to worry them?”
“Not a thing. So your aunts are pretty good to you? Give you everything you want?”
“Almost everything,” said Timothy cautiously. “Only they won’t have raisins in the rice pudding on Fridays. I can’t imagine why. They always have it at Ingleside. The doctor is especially fond of it, so it must be healthy. Aunt Edith would be willing but Aunt Kathleen says the Norrises have never put raisins in the rice pudding. Oh, are you going?” The man had stood up. He was very tall but he stooped a little. Timothy was sorry he was going although there was something about him he didn’t like, just as there was something he did. And it was nice to have a man to talk to.
“I’m going down to the lake,” said the man. “Would you like to come with me?”
Timothy stared.
“Do you want me to?”
“Very much. We’ll ride on the ponies and eat hot dogs and drink pop ... and anything you like.”
It was an irresistible temptation.
“But ... but,” stammered Timothy, “Aunt Kathleen said I wasn’t to go off the grounds.”
“Not alone,” said the man. “She meant not alone. I’m sure she’d think it quite ... lawful ... to go with me.”
“Are you quite sure?”
“Quite,” said the man ... and laughed again.
“About the money,” faltered Timothy. “You see I’ve only ten cents. Of course I’ve got a quarter from my allowance but I can’t spend it. I must get Aunt Edith a birthday present with it. But I can spend the ten cents ... I’ve had it a long time. I found it on the road.”
“This is my treat,” said the man.
“I must go and shut Merrylegs up,” said Timothy, relieved, “and wash my face and hands. You won’t mind waiting a few minutes?”
“Not at all.”
Timothy flew up the driveway and disposed rather regret-fully of Merrylegs. Then he scrubbed himself, giving special attention to his ears. He hoped they were clean. Why couldn’t ears have been made plain? When Jem Blythe asked Susan Baker the same question one day she told him it was the will of God.
“It would be more convenient if I knew your name,” he hinted, as they walked along.
“You may call me Mr. Jenkins,” said the man.
Timothy had a wonderful afternoon. A glorious afternoon. All the merry-go-rounds he wanted ... and something better than hot dogs.
“I want a decent meal,” said Mr. Jenkins. “I didn’t have any lunch. Here’s a restaurant. Shall we go in and eat?”
“It’s an expensive place,” said Timothy. “Can you afford it?”
“I think so.” Mr. Jenkins laughed mirthlessly.
It was expensive ... and exclusive. Mr. Jenkins told Timothy to order what he wanted and never think of expense. Timothy was in the seventh heaven of delight. It had been a glorious afternoon ... Mr. Jenkins had been a very jolly comrade. And now to have a meal with a real man ... to sit opposite him and order a meal from the bill of fare like a man himself. Timothy sighed with rapture.
“Tired, son?” asked Mr. Jenkins.
“Oh, no.”
“You’ve had a good time?”
“Splendid. Only ...”
“Yes ... what?”
“I didn’t feel as if you were having a good time,” said Timothy slowly.
“Well,” said Mr. Jenkins as slowly, “I wasn’t, if it comes to that. I kept thinking of ... of a friend of mine and it rather spoiled things for me.”
“Isn’t he well?”
“Quite well. Too well. Too likely to live. And ... you see ... he isn’t happy.”
“Why not?” asked Timothy.
“Well, you see, he was a fool ... and worse. Oh, he was a very big fool. He took a lot of money that didn’t belong to him.”
“You mean he ... stole it?” queried Timothy, rather shocked.
“Well, let’s say embezzled. That sounds better. But the bank thought it bad any way you pronounced it. He was sent to prison for ten years. They let him out a little sooner ... because he behaved rather well. And he found himself quite rich. An old uncle had died when
“Not a thing. So your aunts are pretty good to you? Give you everything you want?”
“Almost everything,” said Timothy cautiously. “Only they won’t have raisins in the rice pudding on Fridays. I can’t imagine why. They always have it at Ingleside. The doctor is especially fond of it, so it must be healthy. Aunt Edith would be willing but Aunt Kathleen says the Norrises have never put raisins in the rice pudding. Oh, are you going?” The man had stood up. He was very tall but he stooped a little. Timothy was sorry he was going although there was something about him he didn’t like, just as there was something he did. And it was nice to have a man to talk to.
“I’m going down to the lake,” said the man. “Would you like to come with me?”
Timothy stared.
“Do you want me to?”
“Very much. We’ll ride on the ponies and eat hot dogs and drink pop ... and anything you like.”
It was an irresistible temptation.
“But ... but,” stammered Timothy, “Aunt Kathleen said I wasn’t to go off the grounds.”
“Not alone,” said the man. “She meant not alone. I’m sure she’d think it quite ... lawful ... to go with me.”
“Are you quite sure?”
“Quite,” said the man ... and laughed again.
“About the money,” faltered Timothy. “You see I’ve only ten cents. Of course I’ve got a quarter from my allowance but I can’t spend it. I must get Aunt Edith a birthday present with it. But I can spend the ten cents ... I’ve had it a long time. I found it on the road.”
“This is my treat,” said the man.
“I must go and shut Merrylegs up,” said Timothy, relieved, “and wash my face and hands. You won’t mind waiting a few minutes?”
“Not at all.”
Timothy flew up the driveway and disposed rather regret-fully of Merrylegs. Then he scrubbed himself, giving special attention to his ears. He hoped they were clean. Why couldn’t ears have been made plain? When Jem Blythe asked Susan Baker the same question one day she told him it was the will of God.
“It would be more convenient if I knew your name,” he hinted, as they walked along.
“You may call me Mr. Jenkins,” said the man.
Timothy had a wonderful afternoon. A glorious afternoon. All the merry-go-rounds he wanted ... and something better than hot dogs.
“I want a decent meal,” said Mr. Jenkins. “I didn’t have any lunch. Here’s a restaurant. Shall we go in and eat?”
“It’s an expensive place,” said Timothy. “Can you afford it?”
“I think so.” Mr. Jenkins laughed mirthlessly.
It was expensive ... and exclusive. Mr. Jenkins told Timothy to order what he wanted and never think of expense. Timothy was in the seventh heaven of delight. It had been a glorious afternoon ... Mr. Jenkins had been a very jolly comrade. And now to have a meal with a real man ... to sit opposite him and order a meal from the bill of fare like a man himself. Timothy sighed with rapture.
“Tired, son?” asked Mr. Jenkins.
“Oh, no.”
“You’ve had a good time?”
“Splendid. Only ...”
“Yes ... what?”
“I didn’t feel as if you were having a good time,” said Timothy slowly.
“Well,” said Mr. Jenkins as slowly, “I wasn’t, if it comes to that. I kept thinking of ... of a friend of mine and it rather spoiled things for me.”
“Isn’t he well?”
“Quite well. Too well. Too likely to live. And ... you see ... he isn’t happy.”
“Why not?” asked Timothy.
“Well, you see, he was a fool ... and worse. Oh, he was a very big fool. He took a lot of money that didn’t belong to him.”
“You mean he ... stole it?” queried Timothy, rather shocked.
“Well, let’s say embezzled. That sounds better. But the bank thought it bad any way you pronounced it. He was sent to prison for ten years. They let him out a little sooner ... because he behaved rather well. And he found himself quite rich. An old uncle had died when
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