increasing difficulty there was in pretending that
Colin was still a fretful invalid.

"You see we can't help laughing nearly all the
time when we are together," explained Colin.
"And it doesn't sound ill at all. We try to choke
it back but it will burst out and that sounds worse
than ever."

"There's one thing that comes into my mind so
often," said Mary, "and I can scarcely ever hold
in when I think of it suddenly. I keep thinking
suppose Colin's face should get to look like a full
moon. It isn't like one yet but he gets a tiny
bit fatter every day -- and suppose some morning
it should look like one -- what should we do!"

"Bless us all, I can see tha' has a good bit o'
play actin' to do," said Susan Sowerby. "But
tha' won't have to keep it up much longer.
Mester Craven'll come home."

"Do you think he will?" asked Colin.
"Why?"

Susan Sowerby chuckled softly.

"I suppose it 'ud nigh break thy heart if he
found out before tha' told him in tha' own way,"
she said. "Tha's laid awake nights plannin' it."

"I couldn't bear any one else to tell him," said
Colin. "I think about different ways every day.
I think now I just want to run into his room."

[[351]]

p350 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p351w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p352

v?