THEYARRIVF 2g

of sullen reluctance, not because he was really a sullen
lad, but simply because he had discovered that when his
elders asked these questions, they were usually not in
search of information, but were trying to get at him.

"Penny bloods, them things is,"

" Tisn't," said Stanley, balancing himself on the
other leg now. 'This is tuppence. I buy it ev'ry week,
have done ever since it come out. Boy's Companion,
it's called. It's got the best tales in," he added, in a
sudden burst of confidence. "All about boys who fly in
airplanes an' go to Mexico an' Russia an' all over an'
have advenshers!"

"Advenshers! They'd be better off at 'ome-with their
advenshers! You'll be wantin' to go an' 'ave advenshers
yerself next—and then what will yer poor mother say?"

But this only goaded Stanley into making new and
even more dangerous admissions. "I'm going to try
and be a detective," he mumbled.

"Well now, did y'ever!" cried Mrs. Cross, at once
shocked and delighted. "A detective! I never 'eard
of such a thing! What d'yer come 'ere for if yer want
to be a detective. There's no detectin' 'ere. Go on with
yer! 'Ere, yer not big enough, and yer never will be
either 'cos yer'd 'ave to be a pleeceman first before they'd
let yer be a detective, and they'd never 'ave yer as a
pleeceman."

"You can be a detective without being a bobby first/1
replied Stanley, scornfully- He had gone into this ques-
tion, and was not to be put off by a mere outsider like
Mrs. Cross. " 'Sides, you can be a private detective an*
find jewels, an* shadder people. That's what I'd like to
do—shadder people."

"What's that? Follerin' 'em about, is it? Oh, that's