He was so silent at
breakfast in the station that Dr. Lavendar thought he did not like his
food.
"You can have something else, David. What do you want?"
"Ice-cream," David said, instantly alert.
"At breakfast!" David nodded, and the ice-cream appeared. He ate it in
silence, and when he had scraped the saucer, he said,
"Can you ever get back behind, sir?"
"Behind what?" Dr. Lavendar asked. He was looking at David and
wondering what was different about the child; he did not have quite
his usual aspect. "I must have left off some of his clothes," Dr.
Lavendar thought anxiously, and that question about getting back
behind suggested buttons. "Are your braces fastened?" he asked.
"And do it over again," David said. "Is there any way you can get back
behind, and do it over again?"
"Do what over again?" Dr. Lavendar said. "If they've come unfastened--
"
"I don't like sleeping," said David. "If I could get behind again, I
wouldn't."
Dr. Lavendar gave it up, but he fumbled under David's little coat and
discovered that the buttons were all right. "There seems to be
something different about you, David," he said, as they pushed their
chairs from the table. David had no explanation to offer, so Dr.
Lavendar consulted the waitress: "Is there anything wrong about this
little boy's clothing? He doesn't look just right--"
"I guess he hasn't had his hair brushed, sir," said the smiling young
woman, and carried the child off to some lair of her own, whence he
emerged in his usual order.
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