"Very well," I said, gathering the rest into a bunch, "see that all
those go back with my compliments, best thanks and regrets for the
delay. I'll keep these three a day or so longer for patterns."
Did I say that all this happened last year? It did.
Yesterday I had another borrowed-handkerchief parade and found
forty-three. The spectacle was not without its pathos. F.W.H. now had a
lot of holes; so had E.F. and M.L.K. But of a softness still!
All the old friends were there too, in spite of what I had directed.
"I thought these were to have gone back," I said. "Didn't I say so?"
"Yes; but--"
"But what?"
"I didn't think you really meant it."