Baby Jane's Mission

  INTRODUCTION

  ADDRESSED SOLELY TO GROWN-UPS

  Baby Jane is eight years old. She has grave grey eyes and straight,heavy, dull gold hair. She is very reserved, but those who have thehonour of her friendship know her for a very fine lady with a tenderheart and a loyal conscience. Because her conscience is sometimesobvious, and because she looks at you as if she were thinking of yourather gravely, some mean grown-up has said she was a prig. Perhaps sheis--I have always honoured a prig.

  She cannot see clever jokes--mine for instance--but laughs beautifully,so that all who hear laugh too, when perhaps Pat, the puppy, pretends toeat his big chum, Radical, the cat.

  She is a friend of mine, and sometimes invites me to tea with her. Onone such occasion, for lack of other talk, I told her of some of myadventures in Patagonia (where I have never been). She was deeplyinterested, but at some more than usually strange incident she grew red,and with much hesitation said, 'I'm sorry--it's rude tointerrupt--but----'

  She said nothing more, but I understood that she did not believe me. NowI did not answer in words, and expressed myself only in a deep andsubtle look; but, after a long and serious gaze, a light shone in herintelligent eyes and she gave one of her lovely little laughs.

  'We understand one another?' I asked.

  She nodded smiling, pleased with herself and me for understanding oneanother so cleverly.

  Soon afterwards she invited me to tea again, and greeted me eagerly overthe bannisters when I arrived in her dominions, but she said nothingexcept in the way of courteous hospitality until tea was well begun.Then with a very rosy face she said:

  'Shall I tell you some of my adventures this time?' I was charmed withthe idea, and privately proud, for it proved what real friends we werethat she should so confide in me.

  What follows is my free version of her account, which I can only hope isnot quite spoiled in the re-telling.