The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-01-07

close friend. called
him Hal. instinctivoly
feeling what a misfit was
the name Harry-by which his fam
~ called him. | was very proud of
being his chunI. not only because he
was a boy, but because he was two
or three years my elder, and so, of
course, was two or three years the
wiser. He was no girl-bOy. for he
raced and played ball, and marbles,
ran away and went in swimming and
look his thrashing for it just as 9TH
or boys did, but he was gentler than
hey; he was imaginative and
thoughtful. We were the only chill
dren living in that direct neighbor-
hood, which was a very retired one,
so that our companionship seemed
he natural outcome OF the situation.
we were both "booky'' to an unus-
gai degree and we were both Sunday
school enthusiasts. In this neigh
borhood the city had been altering
The grade of one of the streets and
so had left on one side high bank
Of clay. The moment my eye fell
upon that bank | cried:
"Oh, Hal. if only there was a hole
IN it,"
a hole; what good would that
beg"
Why" l sputtered excitedly, IF
the hole was big enough. We could
crawl into it, couldn't we-and-and
il could be caves and grottos-and
We could be fairies or play Robinson
Crusoe OF be hermits or robbers.
"Hermits would do, Clarie-we
could play hermits and read our
Sunday school books there, and eat
dates-that is if they have any at
the grocery. Let's go see now; I've
got a nickel"
But" / argued, there's got to
be a hole
SO there will be. by and by, but
come now"
Oh, that hOle-neYer would ii have
been larger than the inside of a
big pail but for the aid of a good
uatured Irish laborer. who general
IN sat at the loot of our cliff. as
We called it, when eating his noon
day meal. In a few minutes. with
mighty arms and immense shovel.
with throbbinS hearts, we saw our
cave growing until oh. joy! we
knew we could crawl into it. Then,
suddenly the work stopped
oh, please, sir. won't you make
it 90 a little deeper in?" pleaded
Hal.
NO, I'll not. sure even now I'm
afraid the thing will be Gavin in
on yer.
That fear did not trouble US a
particle. AS hermits. we retired as
TAR in as the cave would permit,
but. unfortunately. our legs were
very palpably still in the world. AS
we sat side by side, high up in the
face of the bank, we had clear,
far view of the blue of the lake
Where it gently, gently melted
against the blue of the sky. and
with our own little Bibles open on
our laps, we used to look silently a
long time. and then one day l heard
Hal say. low to himself. almost
like that, but not quite" And once
he pretended he had not spoken, and
once he did not even hear my ques-
lion OF what he meant. and SO
came to know that his big brown
eyes did not always see me when
they were turned on me, My bro
Their hermit had a secret-a secret
kept from me. and l had told him
every secret l had. and every secret
everybody else had. that | know
anything about. Tears came into
my eyes-then / was angry.
That's right" l cried, don't tel
il, Don't trust Clarie-little tattleI
and tale bearer" / leaned my fore
head against the side of the cave
i burst into sobs. You can keeT
your secret-and keep your old cave
OO-and-and-"
He raised my head and laid i
back against his shoulder Their
he took up the corner of my apron
and began to rub my falling tears
all over my grieving little face.
But Clarie. dear, there is no Sc
cret-there's something. yes. and
wanted to tell you about it. too
but honestly / didn't dare-I wa
afraid you'd laugh at me. and-ant
Tin lower, tenser tonel / don't be
lieve l could bear TO hear it laughed
at"
sat up and looked at him. an,
very seriously he returned my look
Mother knows" he said slowly
and I'm going to tell you in all tn
world. and no one else; for IN
not afraid of your laughing, now.