Jack the Englishman

by H. Louisa Bedford

There was a hasty scuttle after him as Eva ran to catch him up.

"Stop, boy! I think you's nice! You's got booful blue eyes!"

Jack turned, laughing merrily. "You're a funny little kiddie. Do you want to come, then?"

Eva nodded gravely, thrusting a confident hand in his.

"You're old, a lot older than me," she said, admiring the agility with which Jack climbed the top of the gate and pulled back the iron fastening to let her through.

"I'm seven, big for my age, Aunt Betty says, but I want to be a lot bigger before I'm done with."

"I'm six next bufday," Eva announced. "I had a bufday last week."

"Then you're six now."

Eva shook her head vigorously. "Next bufday, mummy says."

"Oh, you're only five," said Jack dejectedly. A baby of five was really too young to play with.