"Hooray for you, mother! I wish I'd thought of that to say to Bart this morning," exclaimed Fred. "But I'll say it the next time I see him."
Mrs. Markham's anger at the imputation her husband was dishonest had carried her beyond the bounds of her customary caution, and, regretting her indiscretion, she shook her head.
"You mustn't do anything of the sort, Fred. Promise me you won't."
"Why?" he demanded, surprised at this sudden change in his mother, without replying to her request.
"Because it will only make it harder for your father."
"How?"
For several minutes Mrs. Markham was silent, evidently considering whether or not the time had come when Fred should be told all the ramifications of the failure. Finally deciding such a course would be the wisest, she parried:
"If I tell you, will you promise not to make that remark to Bart?"
"I won't do so if it will hurt father."
This answer seeming satisfactory, Mrs. Markham said: