Dabney. He isn't a little boy any more."

"He isn't a man yet," exclaimed Samantha. "And he talks slang
dreadfully."

"But then, he does grow so!" remarked Keziah.

"Mother," said Pamela, "couldn't you get Dab to give Dick Lee the slang,
along with the old clothes?"

"We'll see about it," replied Mrs. Kinzer.

It was very clear that Dabney's mother had begun to take in a new idea
about her son.

It was not the least bit in the world unpleasant to find out that he was
"growing in more ways than one," and it was quite likely that she had
indeed kept him too long in roundabouts.

At all events, his great idea had been worked out into a triumphant
success; and, before the evening was over, Pamela replied to a remark of
Samantha's,--

"I don't care. He's taller than I am, and I'd ever so much rather have a
frock-coat walk beside me to meeting."