d.

"What about, Bert? Good news about what?"

"Why--ah--why, the ac's goin' big, like I tole you. An'--an' say, boy,
out at one place--out at K.C., it--why, it stopped the show!"

"Stopped the show!" breathed Freddy in awe. "Oh, Bert, we never done
that before!"

"An' so--so she--ah, Florette--y'see, kid, account of the ac' goin' so
big, why, she--has to--go away--for a little while."

"Go away, Bert! Where?"

"To--to--Englund, an'--Australia."

"To Englund, an'--Australia?"

"Yeah, they booked her up 'count o' the ac' goin' so great."

"Oh, Bert!"

"Yeah. An' lissen. She's booked for fifty-two weeks solid!"

"Fifty-two weeks! Oh, Bert, that ain't never happened to us before!"

"I know. It's--great!"

Bert blew out his breath loudly, mopped his forehead. He could look at
Freddy now, and he saw a face all aglow with love and pride.

"When she comin' to get me, Bert?" the child asked confidently.

"Why--why, Freddy--now--you---"

Bert could only flounder and look dismayed.

"She ain't goin' off an' leave me!" wailed the child.

"Now, lissen! Say, wait a minute! Lissen!"

"But, Bert! Bert! She--"

"Say, don't you wanna help Florette, now she's got this gran' bookin'
an' all?"

"Sure I do, Bert. I wanna he'p her with her quick changes like I
useter."

"You he'p her! Say, how would that look in all them swell places she's
goin' to? W'y, she'll have a maid!"

"Like the headliners, Bert?"

"Sure!"

"A coon, Bert?"

"Sure! Like a li'l musical com'dy star."

"Honest?"

"Honest!"

"But, Bert, w'y can't I go, too?"

"Aw, now, say--w'y--w'y, you're too big!"

"What-ta y' mean, Bert?"

"W'y, kid, you talk's if you never bin in the p'fession. How ole does
Miss Le Fay look? Nineteen, tha's all. But with a great big boy like
you taggin' on--W'y, say, you'd queer her with them English managers
right off. You don' wanna do that now, Freddy?"

"No, but I--"

"I knew you'd take it sensible. You always bin a lot of help to
Florette."

"Did she tell you, Bert?"

"Sure!"

"A' right. I'll stay. When--when's she comin' to tell me goo'-by?"

"Why--why--look-a-here. Brace up, ole man. She had to leave a'ready."

"She's gone?"

"Say, you don' think bookin' like that can wait, do you? It was take
it or leave it--quick. You didn't wan' her to throw away a chancet
like that, huh, Freddy? Huh?"

Freddy's head sank on his chest. His hands fell limp. "A' right," he
murmured without looking up.