Subtlety

Eli has a tendency, not so much to let the cat out of the bag as to liberate the feline hordes. A few minutes ago, she and Julia were out on the terrace coloring in their new coloring books. Because Katharine had been home napping when Lia bought the books, only the two older girls got books. Julia and Eli entered a solemn agreement to hide the existence of their treasures from their little sister. When Katharine awoke she heard her sisters voices. When she didn't find them inside the apartment, she called out the window to ask if they were outside. "We are outside Katharine," Eli roared in response. "But we have coloring books that you're not allowed to see!" Julia found this lapse endurable. "ELI!!!" she cried. When Katharine failed to fly into a jealous rage, Eli figured she hadn't understood what was at issue. She raced inside to explain in detail all the glory of the coloring books--the princesses, the scenes from fairy tales, the crisply printed lines, etc.