thought, seeing it's so early—say, Ma, may I go to the movies for a little while?"
"You intended to go all the time, didn't you, William?" came his mother's voice.
"Yes'm, but"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
That was something of a poser. "Well, I meant to, but—but you said not to keep the door open and—and" Fudge's voice dwindled into silence.
"Why do you tell me now?"
Gee, but she certainly could ask a lot of hard questions, he reflected. "I thought maybe—oh, I don't know, Ma. May I? Just for a little while? I'm going with Perry—if you say I can."
"I'd rather you told me in the first place, William, but telling me now shows that you know you did wrong. You mustn't tell lies, William, and when you said you were going to the library"
"Yes'm, I know!" Fudge was shifting impatiently from one foot to the other, his eyes fixed on the library clock, seen through an oval pane in one of the green baize doors. "I—I'm sorry. Honest, I am. That's why I telephoned, Ma."
"If I let you go to-night you won't ask to go again next week?"
"No'm," replied Fudge dejectedly.
"Very well, then you may go. And you needn't
54
