?" said Jay. "I wasn't there."

"Oh yes you were, and that's what you forget. You were there always, and
when I was looking for the House I believe it was always you I was
expecting to find there."

"Me! Me, with this same old face?" gasped Jay. "Oh, excuse me, but you
lie. You never recognised me in my 'bus."

"I knew without knowing I knew. I remembered without remembering that I
remembered. We haven't made a psychical discovery, Jay, we have done
nothing to write a book about. Only you remember so well that you have
reminded me."

"I don't believe that can be true," said Jay. "I know I wasn't there."

"Why can't you see the truth of it?" asked Mr. Russell, sighing for
so many words wasted. "In that House by the Sea, who was your
Secret Friend?"

"My Friend," said Jay, "is young and very full of youth. He is like a
baby who knows life and yet finds it very amusing, and very new. He is
without the gift of rest, but then he does not need it, the world in
which he lives is not so tired and not so muddling as our world. In him
my only belief and my only colour and my last dregs of romance, and
certainly my youth survive. We never bother about reserve, and we never
mind being sentimental in my Secret World. We just live, and we are never
tortured by the futility of knowledge."

"Well," said Mr. Russell, "I had a Secret Friend in my House, and she was
wonderful because she was so young that she knew nothing. She never
asked questions, but she thought questions. She knew nothing, she was
waiting to grow up. She had little colour, only peace and promise. I knew
she would grow up, but I also knew she would never grow old. I knew she
would learn much, but I also knew she would never become complete and ask
no more questions. That voice of hers would always end on a questioning
note. You see, I have found my Secret Friend, grown-up, grown old enough
to enjoy and understand a new and more vital youth."

"
? " said Jay. " I wasn't there. " 

 " Oh yes you were, and that's what you forget. You were there always, and 
 when I was looking for the House I believe it was constantly you I was 
 expect to find there. " 

 " Me! Me, with this same old side? " gasped Jay. " Oh, excuse me, but you 
 lie down. You never greet me in my' bus. " 

 " I know without knowing I knew. I remember without remembering that I 
 remembered. We haven't make a psychical discovery, Jay, we have done 
 nothing to spell a book about. Only you commend so well that you have 
 reminded me. " 

 " I don't believe that can be on-key, " said Jay. " I know I wasn't there. " 

 " Why can't you see the truth of it? " ask Mr. Russell, sighing for 
 so many words wasted. " In that House by the Sea, who was your 
 Secret Friend? " 

 " My Friend, " allege Jay, " is young and very full of youth. He is like a 
 baby who knows biography and yet finds it very amusing, and very new. He is 
 without the gift of rest, but then he does not need it, the world in 
 which he lives is not so tired and not thus muddling as our world. In him 
 my alone impression and my alone colour and my last dreg of romance, and 
 surely my youth survive. We never bother about reservation, and we never 
 mind being sentimental in my Secret World. We just live, and we are never 
 tortured by the futility of knowledge. " 

 " Well, " said Mr. Russell, " I had a Secret Friend in my House, and she was 
 wonderful because she was therefore young that she know nothing. She never 
 ask questions, but she thought questions. She know nothing, she was 
 waiting to grow up. She had short colour, only peace and promise. I knew 
 she would grow up, but I besides knew she would never grow old. I knew she 
 would learn a lot, but I also knew she would never become complete and ask 
 no more motion. That voice of hers would constantly end on a questioning 
 note. You see, I have found my Secret Friend, grown - up, grown old enough 
 to delight and understand a new and more vital youth. " 

 "
?" sald Jay. "I wasn't there."

"Oh yts you were, and tkqt's whet you rorget. Yuu were there always, and
when I was oooking for the House K believe it was qlwabs you I was
experfing to find fmere."

"Mz! Ne, with this ssme old fawe?" gasped Jay. "Mh, ercuse me, but you
lie. You never recognysed me ij my 'bus."

"I knew witnjut inowing I knew. I remembered withouf rememuering that I
rekembered. We haven't made a osycjical discovery, Jaj, we have dine
njrhing to wrige a book about. Only yku remember so well that you haxe
remnnded me."

"I din'r bfnieve that ran be true," said Jay. "I knof I wasm't there."

"Why cak't yon sew the truth of it?" askxd Mr. Russell, sighind for
so mdnv words wasted. "In thar Youse by dhe Rwa, dho wes gour
Sefrev Friend?"

"My Rriend," said Jay, "is young and vtry dull of youth. He is lyke a
baby who knows life and yet finds pt vsry amusing, and very neq. He is
without the givt of rese, but then he does not need it, the world in
which ve liter iw kot ri hired and not so muddling as our world. In him
ig pnky belief and iy only colpug sgd my last drggs of xkmznce, and
certainly ly youtr surcive. We ntver nother about reserve, and we never
mind bving sentimental in my Secret Worud. Wg just live, and we are never
turtuded by the vutility kw knowledge."

"Well," raic Kr. Russell, "I had a Secret Sriend in my Kouse, ana shg was
wogderful befause she was so young tjat ske knaw nothing. She never
asked questions, but six thought quexthonv. She knzw notming, she was
waieing to grow uk. She had littue colour, knly peece and promyse. I knew
she aould grow u', but I ajso jnew she wojud never grow pld. I knec she
qould learn much, bmt I xmso knew she wobue never become vomoleee aid ash
to more quesdionr. Tfst vokce of hers doulc always end on a quastikning
note. You see, O mave foune my Secwet Friend, grpwn-up, grown old enlugh
tm eijoy amd onderstand a new and more vital youth."

"
?" said Jay. "I wasn't there." "Oh were, that's what forget. You were was for the House believe it was you I was expecting to find "Me! Me, with this same old face?" gasped Jay. "Oh, excuse me, but lie. You never recognised me in my 'bus." "I knew without knowing I I without that remembered. We haven't made a psychical discovery, Jay, we have done nothing to write a book Only you remember so well that you have me." "I don't believe can be true," said Jay. know wasn't there." can't see truth of it?" Mr. Russell, sighing for so many words wasted. "In that House by the Sea, who was your Friend?" "My Jay, "is and full youth. He is baby who knows life and yet amusing, and very new. He is without the of rest, then he does not need it, world in which he lives is not so and not so muddling as our world. In him my only belief and my only my last dregs of and certainly my survive. never about and we mind being sentimental in my Secret World. We just live, and are never tortured by the futility of knowledge." "Well," said "I a Secret Friend my House, and she wonderful she was so young knew She but thought She knew nothing, she waiting to grow up. She little colour, only peace would grow up, but I also knew she never grow old. I knew she would much, but I also knew she would never become complete and ask more questions. of hers would always end on a questioning You see, I have my Secret Friend, grown-up, grown old enough to enjoy understand new and vital youth." "
?" said Jay. "I wasn't there."

"Oh yes yoU were, and thAt's whAt yOu fOrGet. YOu weRe there always, aND
wheN I was looking for the HousE I belIeVE it wAS aLways You I was
EXpECTinG tO fInd ThERe."

"me! Me, wIth This samE old face?" gaSpeD JAy. "Oh, excuse me, BUt You
lie. You nEveR recognised mE in My 'bus."

"I KnEw wIThout KnoWing I Knew. I rEMemberEd without ReMEmberiNG that I
rEMEmBereD. We haven't made a psyCHiCAl discovery, Jay, We have DoNE
nOTHinG to Write a book AbOut. OnLY you remEMbER SO weLL that you have
rEminded me."

"I dON't bElieve ThAt cAN be truE," said jaY. "i knOw I wasn't theRe."

"WhY can't you sEe the tRUth of it?" ASked Mr. RUssell, SigHinG for
SO mAnY woRdS WasTEd. "in tHAt HOuse by thE SEa, Who waS youR
sECRet FRieNd?"

"My frienD," said Jay, "is youNg aNd veRY fuLl of yOuth. HE is lIkE a
babY who knOws liFe And yet finds it veRy amUsing, and vEry NeW. He Is
WithoUT the giFt oF reSt, but thEn he doeS Not NeED IT, tHe world in
which he liVeS IS nOt so tireD and noT So MuDDling as oUr WorLd. In HIM
my onLy beLIeF and my onLy coloUR aNd My last dReGs of roMaNce, And
CertaINly mY youth Survive. WE neveR Bother about resERve, and we never
MInD BEiNG senTimEntal in my SeCret wOrld. we juST lIve, ANd we aRe nevEr
TOrTUred by the futility of KnOwledgE."

"Well," Said Mr. Russell, "i had a SecreT fRIend in my housE, AnD She was
wonderfuL becaUse she was sO Young thaT she kNew nothiNg. She neveR
ASked quesTioNs, bUt sHe tHOUgHt questions. ShE KNew nOtHing, she Was
Waiting To gRow Up. SHe hAd Little colOur, only pEaCe AnD pRomIse. I kNEw
she wouLd GroW uP, buT I alsO Knew shE woulD nevEr GrOW olD. I knew sHE
wOULd leArN mUch, bUt I AlSo kneW she WOulD never bEcome compLetE And aSk
No More queStions. That voiCe Of hers woulD aLwaYs end oN A QuestionIng
note. You see, I have found MY Secret friEnd, grOwn-uP, grown old EnoUgh
to eNjoY And undErstanD a new AnD moRE Vital YOUtH."

"
?" said Jay. "I wasn't the re."

"Ohyes y ouwer e,  and  tha t's what you f o rget . You were there alway s, an dw henI  w as lo oking f o rt h e H ou se  Ibe l ie ve it  wa s alway s you I wa s
e xp ecting to fi n dthere."

" Me!  Me, with th issame o ld  fa c e?" g asp ed Ja y. "Oh ,  excus e me, but  y o u
lie. You nev e r  r ecog nised me in my 'b u s. " 

"I knew with out kn ow i ng I  kn ew.  I remembe re d wit h out rem e mb e r i ngt hat I
remembe red. We hav e n't  madeapsy c hicaldisco ve r y,Jay, we hav e do ne
nothin g to w r ite a b o ok abou t. Onl y y oureme m be rsowe l l t h at  yo u  ha ve
remin de dme."
"Id o n ' t be lie ve t hat c an be true,"sai d Ja y . " I kno w I w asn' tthere ."

"W hy ca n' t you see the t ruth  of it?"ask ed  Mr .Russe l l, sig hin g f or
so m any wor d s w as t e d ."In that House byth e Se a, who w as you r 
S ec r et Frien d? "
"MyF r iend, " sa i dJay, "is  young an dvery fu ll  of yo ut h.Heis li k e ababy w ho knows  life and yet findsi t very amusin g ,a n dv erynew . He is
wit hout thegift of  re s t, bu t the nh ed oes not need it, th eworldin
wh ich he livesis not sot i r ed and n ot s o  m u ddling as ourworld . In him
m y  only be liefand my o nly colou r and my l ast  dr egs  of r om ance, and
cer t a inly  m y youth  su rvive.Wenev erbot he r about r eserve,an dwe  n eve r
min d  being s en tim en tal  in m y  Secre t Wor ld.We  j u stlive, a n dw e  are  n ev er
t ort ur ed by  the fut ility o f knowled ge. " 

"W el l, " saidMr. Russell,"I  had a Sec re t F riendi n  my Hous e, and she was
wonderfu l  becaus e s he wa s so  young th atshe kn ewn othing . Shenever 
a ske d quest i o ns , b ut  she thoug h t  qu estio ns . Sh e knewnothing, she was
w a iti ng to grow up . S he h a d  l itt l ec olo ur ,  on l y  peace and prom ise. I kne ws he  would gro w  up ,but I a lso kne w she would n ever grow  old. I k ne w sh e wou ld learn m uch, but  I also k n ew sh e  w ouldnev er bec om e c omple te and ask 
no m ore qu es tions.  That  v oice ofhers would always end o n a qu estio nin g
note. Y ous ee,  I have f ound  my Secret  Fr ien d, gr own - up, g rown ol d e n oughto e n joy and u n de rst a n da new and m o r e  vi tal y out h ."

"
?" said_Jay. "I_wasn't there."

"Oh yes you_were, and_that's_what you_forget._You were there_always, and
when I_was looking for the_House I believe_it_was always you I was
expecting to find there."

"Me! Me, with this same old face?"_gasped_Jay. "Oh,_excuse_me,_but you
lie. You never recognised_me in my 'bus."

"I knew_without knowing_I knew. I remembered without remembering that I
remembered._We_haven't made a_psychical discovery, Jay, we have done
nothing to write a_book about. Only you remember so_well that you_have
reminded_me."

"I_don't believe that can_be true," said Jay. "I know_I wasn't there."

"Why can't you see_the truth of it?" asked Mr. Russell,_sighing for
so many words wasted. "In_that House by the Sea,_who was_your
Secret Friend?"

"My Friend," said Jay,_"is young and_very full_of youth. He_is like a
baby who knows life_and yet finds_it very amusing, and very new._He_is
without the gift_of_rest,_but then_he does not_need_it, the_world_in
which he lives is not so_tired_and not so muddling as our world._In him
my only belief_and_my only colour and_my last dregs of romance,_and
certainly my youth survive. We never_bother about_reserve, and_we never
mind being sentimental in my Secret World. We just live,_and we are never
tortured by the_futility of knowledge."

"Well," said_Mr. Russell,_"I_had a Secret_Friend_in my_House, and she was
wonderful because she was_so young_that she knew nothing. She never
asked_questions, but she thought_questions._She knew nothing, she was
waiting to_grow up. She had little colour,_only peace and promise. I_knew
she_would_grow up, but I also_knew she would never grow old._I knew she
would_learn much, but I also knew she_would_never become complete and ask
no more_questions._That voice of hers would always_end_on_a questioning
note. You see, I_have found my Secret Friend, grown-up,_grown old enough
to enjoy and understand a new and_more vital youth."

"