sciously progressed may be gauged from the fact that they did not feel it necessary to act grown-up toward each other. Nobody, except perhaps United States Senators and ticket agents, of whose inner life I know nothing, is ever as grown up as he appears to his contemporaries. All he needs is a proper companion to show himself in his true kiddish colours. Kenneth did not even appreciate the fact that he was in love with Daphne. He had passed through the usual number of school and college "cases" and he thought he knew just what being in love was like. It was a tempestuous matter with a lot of violent emotion attached to it, and a number of symptoms that were pleasant or disagreeable according as you looked at it. He felt entirely differently toward Daphne. To be sure, he wanted to be with her all the time, and was totally neglectful of his old companions, but that was because she was such a good sort; you could talk foolishly with her without being silly. She was a good sport and was game for anything. She had sense
Allie Peyton saw plainly enough, but she was a wise woman and said nothing. Except that she warned the Colonel against one thing.
"Don't ever call them 'children'," she said. "They are children, of course, and they act like children—I believe they're out at Sing Toy's cookey jar right now—but they'll freeze into grown-ups in two jiffies if you make them conscious of what they're doing."
Neither the Colonel nor Brainerd attached the slightest importance to Kenneth's constant presence. To them Daphne was still an infant. They thought it rather kind of Kenneth to spend so much time amusing the child.
IV
The year, in spite of the encouragement of its early rain, turned out to be another dry one. The tourists were delighted. They had come out to buy climate; and climate was being delivered to them. The first rains, and a few unimportant subsequent showers, had started the green, so that the country looked well. The brilliant days followed each other, clear and sparkling.
