for he was very tired, and besides, he was looking up into the
man's face.

"Warts aren't nice for little boys," said Dr. Redfield. "You and
I don't want them on _us_, do we?"

"Don't I, please?" said David, very earnestly. Then he wanted to
know if he could not be born in Indiana. That is where Mitch
Horrigan had been born, and he was always bragging about it. But
the Doctor didn't seem to be in a conversational humor. He made
no reply to David's request, and that vexed the little boy. He
suddenly let go of the man's hand and stood still. Then the
Doctor stopped, too, and asked what was wrong. It was now that
David closed his fist upon his thumbs and frowned savagely.

"I am not," he declared; "I am not neither a girl, am I?"

The reply of his big friend was consoling, but not satisfying,
and it was some time before the man again felt the little, soft
fist in his hand and saw the little boy looking wistfully up into
his face.

"If only I had a few of them, Fav-ver Doctor," said David, "only
just a few little warts!"




CHAPTER VIII