"You can't see to undress in the dark, Russ," scolded Rose.

Russ did not say a word. He got up and walked into his mother's and
father's stateroom, and greatly to his sister's vexation he closed the
door between the two rooms.

Daddy Bunker had just come in.

"Why, Russ," said he, "haven't you gone to bed yet?"

"No, sir," said Russ. "And I guess I can't. I've got to talk to you
first. I guess I can't go to sleep till I've told you something."

Daddy smiled at Mother Bunker but nodded to Russ.

"All right," he said. "We will go out on deck again and take a turn up
and down and you shall tell me all about it."

Mother made no objection, although the hour was getting late, and she
smiled, too, when she saw Russ slip into his jacket again and follow his
father out of the stateroom. On the deck Russ burst out with:

"I promised I wouldn't tell anybody. But when I gave him his supper I
told him I'd just have to tell my father, I was afraid; and he said he
didn't have any father and he didn't know whether fathers wouldn't
'snitch,' and I said my father wouldn't."

"I see," said Mr. Bunker gravely. "You recommended me as being a safe
person to trust a secret with. I am glad you did so."