I stole up and slipped my hand in his. Somehow I did not like to see him cry.
"He was eating that little girl's supper," a chorus of eager little boys explained. "He was eating it all up!"
"I wasn't either," the stout boy declared, hastily. "I was only pretending." He dusted off his knees, and looked around the incredulous circle. "I tell you I was only pretending. I was going to bring it to her all right afterwards."
Nobody believed him, not even I, for had I not seen him eating the pink ice-cream?
"You had better come with me," Mrs. Otway said, laughingly. "Come. You can finish your supper in the next room."
It was very pleasant after she had taken him away. Every one was so good to me. There were lots of nice things left on the table, and Theodore filled the largest plate that he could find. Other little boys stood around to watch me eat, and gave me presents. One gave me his jackknife, and one gave me a penny which he had brightened to gold by rubbing it on the carpet. When we went back in the parlor there were dozens and dozens of little boys who wanted to dance with me. I could not tell whom to choose. Then, in hardly a moment, Auntie May looked in the door, and I knew that the party was over, and I must go home.
I told Theodore good-bye last of all.
"Good-bye," he said, slipping a little brass curtain-ring on my left hand. "I'm coming back when I'm a man. Then we'll get married, and live in a house. And I'll shoot rabbits for dinner. Would you like that?"
"Yes," I answered, promptly.
He surveyed me for an anxious moment. Our heads were very nearly on a level.