e limit. It was a matter of choice, and
when two people want their baby, and have no reason for not having their
baby, it is silly to wait.

"Why did they wait so long if they both want it?"

"Oh," replied Martha in a matter-of-fact voice, "they've been working at
it right along."

James thought some more. He'd come to see if he could detect any
difference between the behavior of Judge and Mrs. Carter, and the
behavior of Tim and Janet Fisher. He saw little, other than the standard
differences that could be accounted for by age and temperament. Tim and
Janet did not really act as if they'd Discovered Something New. Tim, he
knew, was a bit more sweet and tender to Janet than he'd been before, but
there was nothing startling in his behavior. If there were any difference
as compared to their original antics, James knew that it was undoubtedly
due to the fact that they didn't have to stand lollygagging in the
hallway for two hours while Janet half-heartedly insisted that Tim go
home. He went on to consider his original theory that the Carters were
childless because they occupied separate bedrooms; by some sort of
deduction he came to the conclusion that he was right, because Tim and
Janet Fisher were making a baby and they slept in the same bedroom.

He went on in a whirl; maybe the Carters didn't want children, but it was
more likely that they too had tried but it hadn't happened.

And then it came to him suddenly that here he was in the kitchen alone
with Martha Bagley, discussing the very delicate subject. But he was
actually no closer to his problem of becoming a participant than he'd
been an hour ago in the living room. It was one thing to daydream the
suggestion when you can also daydream the affirmative response, but it
was another matter when the response was completely out of your control.
James was not old enough in the ways of the world to even consider
outright asking; even if he had considered it, he did not know how to
ask.

* * * * *

The evening went slowly. Janet and Tim returned about the time the
dishwashing process was complete. Janet proposed a hand of bridge; Tim
suggested poker, James voted for pinochle, and Martha wanted to toss a
coin between canasta or gin rummy. They settled it by dealing a shuffled
deck face upward until the ace of hearts landed in front of Janet,
whereupon they played bridge until about eleven o'clock. It was
interesting bridge; James and M