William's mother sighed.

"For goodness' sake, William, don't open that discussion again. For
the tenth time to-day, you are _not_!"

"But _why_ not?" he persisted. "I only want to know why not. That's
all I want to know. It looks a bit funny, doesn't it, to give a party
and leave out your only son, at least,"--with a glance at Robert, and a
slight concession to accuracy--"to leave out one of your only two
sons? It looks a bit queer, surely. That's all I'm thinking of--how it
will look."

"A bit higher your end," said Ethel.

"Yes, that's better," said William's mother.

"It's a _young_ folks' party," went on William, warming to his
subject. "I heard you tell Aunt Jane it was a _young_ folks' party.
Well, I'm young, aren't I? I'm eleven. Do you want me any younger? You
aren't ashamed of folks seeing me, are you! I'm not deformed or
anything."

"That's right! Put the nail in there, Ethel."

"Just a bit higher. That's right!"

"P'raps you're afraid of what I'll _eat_," went on William bitterly.
"Well, everyone eats, don't they? They've got to--to live. And you've
got things for us--them--to eat to-night. You don't grudge me just a
bit of supper, do you? You'd think it was less trouble for me to have