"'Now,for instance,'she says,'when the boy made that call,after the girl first came back,and when the boy didn't like it because they talked of colleges and travels,and such things,you tell him that I happen to know that that girl was just hoping and hoping he'd speak of the old days and games;but that she could n't speak,of course,when he hadn't been even once to see her during all those weeks,and when he'd acted in every way just as if he'd forgotten.'""But she hadn't waved--that Princess hadn't waved--once!"argued Mr.Jack;"and he looked and looked for it.""Yes,SHE spoke of that,"returned David."But SHE said she shouldn't think the Princess would have waved,when she'd got to be such a great big girl as that--WAVING to a BOY!She said that for her part she should have been ashamed of her if she had!""Oh,did she!"murmured Mr.Jack blankly,dropping suddenly into his chair.
"Yes,she did,"repeated David,with a little virtuous uplifting of his chin.
It was plain to be seen that David's sympathies had unaccountably met with a change of heart.
"But--the Pauper--"
"Oh,yes,and that's another thing,"interrupted David."The Lady of the Roses said that she didn't like that name one bit;that it wasn't true,anyway,because he wasn't a pauper.And she said,too,that as for his picturing the Princess as being perfectly happy in all that magnificence,he didn't get it right at all.For SHE knew that the Princess wasn't one bit happy,because she was so lonesome for things and people she had known when she was just the girl."Again Mr.Jack sprang to his feet.For a minute he strode up and down the room in silence;then in a shaking voice he asked:--"David,you--you aren't making all this up,are you?You're saying just what--what Miss Holbrook told you to?""Why,of course,I'm not making it up,"protested the boy aggrievedly."This is the Lady of the Roses'story--SHE made it up--only she talked it as if 't was real,of course,just as you did.She said another thing,too.She said that she happened to know that the Princess had got all that magnificence around her in the first place just to see if it wouldn't make her happy,but that it hadn't,and that now she had one place--a little room--that was left just as it used to be when she was the girl,and that she went there and sat very often.And she said it was right in sight of where the boy lived,too,where he could see it every day;and that if he hadn't been so blind he could have looked right through those gray walls and seen that,and seen lots of other things.And what did she mean by that,Mr.Jack?""I don't know--I don't know,David,"half-groaned Mr.Jack.
"Sometimes I think she means--and then I think that can't be--true.""But do you think it's helped it any--the story?"persisted the boy."She's only talked a little about the Princess.She didn't really change things any--not the ending.""But she said it might,David--she said it might!Don't you remember?"cried the man eagerly.And to David,his eagerness did not seem at all strange.Mr.Jack had said before--long ago--that he would be very glad indeed to have a happier ending to this tale."Think now,"continued the man."Perhaps she said something else,too.Did she say anything else,David?"David shook his head slowly.
"No,only--yes,there was a little something,but it doesn't CHANGE things any,for it was only a 'supposing.'She said:'Just supposing,after long years,that the Princess found out about how the boy felt long ago,and suppose he should look up at the tower some day,at the old time,and see a ONE--TWO wave,which meant,"Come over to see me."Just what do you suppose he would do?'But of course,THAT can't do any good,"finished David gloomily,as he rose to go to bed,"for that was only a 'supposing.'""Of course,"agreed Mr.Jack steadily;and David did not know that only stern self-control had forced the steadiness into that voice,nor that,for Mr.Jack,the whole world had burst suddenly into song.
Neither did David,the next morning,know that long before eight o'clock Mr.Jack stood at a certain window,his eyes unswervingly fixed on the gray towers of Sunnycrest.What David did know,however,was that just after eight,Mr.Jack strode through the room where he and Jill were playing checkers,flung himself into his hat and coat,and then fairly leaped down the steps toward the path that led to the footbridge at the bottom of the hill.
"Why,whatever in the world ails Jack?"gasped Jill.Then,after a startled pause,she asked."David,do folks ever go crazy for joy?Yesterday,you see,Jack got two splendid pieces of news.
One was from his doctor.He was examined,and he's fine,the doctor says;all well,so he can go back,now any time,to the city and work.I shall go to school then,you know,--a young ladies'school,"she finished,a little importantly.
"He's well?How splendid!But what was the other news?You said there were two;only it couldn't have been nicer than that was;to be well--all well!"
"The other?Well,that was only that his old place in the city was waiting for him.He was with a firm of big lawyers,you know,and of course it is nice to have a place all waiting.But I can't see anything in those things to make him act like this,now.Can you?""Why,yes,maybe,"declared David."He's found his work--don't you see?--out in the world,and he's going to do it.I know how I'd feel if I had found mine that father told me of!Only what Ican't understand is,if Mr.Jack knew all this yesterday,why did n't he act like this then,instead of waiting till to-day?""I wonder,"said Jill.
