〃You see I found out yesterday that it's the THINKING that does it。 All
day long I was thinkingonly thinking。 I wasn't DOING it； at all。 I was
really raking behind the cart； but the hours all were sunny。〃
Miss Holbrook laughed now outright。
〃What a persistent little mental…science preacher you are！〃 she
exclaimed。 〃And there's truthmore truth than you knowin it all； too。 But
I can't do it； David；not thatnot that。 'T would take more than
THINKINGto bring that；〃 she added； under her breath； as if to herself。
〃But thinking does bring things；〃 maintained David earnestly。 〃There's
JoeJoe Glaspell。 His mother works out all day； and he's blind。〃
〃Blind？ Oh…h！〃 shuddered Miss Holbrook。
〃Yes； and he has to stay all alone； except for Betty； and she is n't there
much。 He THINKS ALL his things。 He has to。 He can't SEE anything with
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his outside eyes。 But he sees everything with his inside eyeseverything
that I play。 Why； Lady of the Roses； he's even seen thisall this here。 I told
him about it； you know； right away after I'd found you that first day： the
big trees and the long shadows across the grass； and the roses； and the
shining water； and the lovely marble people peeping through the green
leaves； and the sundial； and you so beautiful sitting here in the middle of it
all。 Then I played it for him； and he said he could see it all just as plain！
And THAT was with his inside eyes！ And so； if Joe； shut up there in his
dark little room； can make his THINK bring him all that； I should think
that YOU； here in this beautiful； beautiful place； could make your think
bring you anything you wanted it to。〃
But Miss Holbrook sighed again and shook her head。
〃Not that； David； not that；〃 she murmured。 〃It would take more than
thinking to bringthat。〃 Then； with a quick change of manner； she cried：
〃Come； come； suppose we don't worry any more about MY hours。 Let's
think of yours。 Tell me； what have you been doing since I saw you last？
Perhaps you have been again toto see Mr。 Jack； for instance。〃
〃I have； but I saw Jill mostly； till the last。〃 David hesitated； then he
blurted it out： 〃Lady of the Roses； do you know about the gate and the
footbridge？〃
Miss Holbrook looked up quickly。
〃Knowwhat； David？〃
〃Know about themthat they're there？〃
〃Whyyes； of course； at least； I suppose you mean the footbridge that
crosses the little stream at the foot of the hill over there。〃
〃That's the one。〃 Again David hesitated； and again he blurted out the
burden of his thoughts。 〃Lady of the Roses； did you evercross that
bridge？〃
Miss Holbrook stirred uneasily。
〃Notrecently。〃
〃But you don't MIND folks crossing it？〃
〃Certainly notif they wish to。〃
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〃There！ I knew 't wasn't your blame； 〃 triumphed David。
〃MY blame！〃
〃Yes； that Mr。 Jack wouldn't let Jill come across； you know。 He called
her back when she'd got halfway over once。〃 Miss Holbrook's face
changed color。
〃But I do object；〃 she cried sharply； 〃to their crossing it when they
DON'T want to！ Don't forget that； please。〃
〃But Jill did want to。〃
〃How about her brotherdid he want her to？〃
〃Nno。〃
〃Very well； then。 I didn't； either。〃
David frowned。 Never had he seen his beloved Lady of the Roses look
like this before。 He was reminded of what Jill had said about Jack： 〃His
face was all stern and white； and his lips snapped tight shut after every
word。〃 So； too； looked Miss Holbrook's face； so； too； had her lips snapped
tight shut after her last words。 David could not understand it。 He said
nothing more； however； but； as was usually the case when he was
perplexed； he picked up his violin and began to play。 And as he played；
there gradually came to Miss Holbrook's eyes a softer light； and to her lips
lines less tightly drawn。 Neither the footbridge nor Mr。 Jack； however； was
mentioned again that afternoon。
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CHAPTER XVII
〃THE PRINCESS AND THE
PAUPER〃
It was in the early twilight that Mr。 Jack told the story。 He； Jill； and
David were on the veranda； as usual watching the towers of Sunnycrest
turn from gold to silver as the sun dropped behind the hills。 It was Jill who
had asked for the story。
〃About fairies and princesses； you know；〃 she had ordered。
〃But how will David like that？〃 Mr。 Jack had demurred。 〃Maybe he
doesn't care for fairies and princesses。〃
〃I read one once about a prince't was 'The Prince and the Pauper；' and
I liked that；〃 averred David stoutly。
Mr。 Jack smiled； then his brows drew together in a frown。 His eyes
were moodily fixed on the towers。
〃Hm…m； well；〃 he said； 〃I might； I suppose； tell you a story about a
PRINCESS anda Pauper。 Iknow one well enough。〃
〃Good！then tell it；〃 cried both Jill and David。 And Mr。 Jack began his
story。
〃She was not always a Princess； and he was not always a Pauper；and
that's where the story came in； I suppose；〃 sighed the man。 〃She was just a
girl； once； and he was a boy； and they played together andliked each
other。 He lived in a little house on a hill。〃
〃Like this？〃 demanded Jill。
〃Eh？ Oheryes； SOMETHING like this；〃 returned Mr。 Jack； with an
odd half…smile。 〃And she lived in another bit of a house in a town far away
from the boy。〃
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〃Then how could they play together？〃 questioned David。
〃They couldn't； ALWAYS。 It was only summers when she came to
visit in the boy's town。 She was very near him then； for the old aunt whom
she visited lived in a big stone house with towers； on another hill； in plain
sight from the boy's home。〃
〃Towers like thosewhere the Lady of the Roses lives？〃 asked David。
〃Eh？ What？ Oheryes；〃 murmured Mr。 Jack。 〃We'll say the towers
were something like those over there。〃 He paused； then went on musingly：
〃The girl used to signal； sometimes； from one of the tower windows。 One
wave of the handkerchief meant； 'I'm coming； over'； two waves； with a
little pause between； meant； 'You are to come over here。' So the boy used
to wait always； after that first wave to see if another followed； so that he
might know whether he were to be host or guest that day。 The waves
always came at eight o'clock in the morning； and very eagerly the boy
used to watch for them all through the summer when the girl was there。〃
〃Did they always come； every morning？〃 Asked Jill。
〃No； sometimes the girl had other things to do。 Her aunt would want
her to go somewhere with her； or other cousins were expected whom the
girl must entertain； and she knew the boy did not like other guests to be
there when he was； so she never asked him to come over at such times。 On
such occasions she did sometimes run up to the tower at eight o'clock and
wave three times； and that meant； 'Dead Day。' So the boy； after all； never
drew a real breath of relief until he made sure that no dreaded third wave
was to follow the one or the two。〃
〃Seems to me；〃 observed David； 〃that all this was sort of one…sided。
Didn't the boy say anything？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 smiled Mr。 Jack。 〃But the boy did not have any tower to
wave from； you must remember。 He had only the little piazza on his tiny
bit of a house。 But he rigged up a pole； and he asked his mother to make
him two little flags； a red and a blue one。 The red meant 'All right'； and the
blue meant 'Got to work'； and these he used to run up on his pole in
answer to her waving 'I'm coming over；' or 'You are to come over here。' So；
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you see； occasionally it was the boy who had to bring the 'Dead Day；' as
there were times when he had to work。 And； by the way； perhaps you
would be interested to know that after a while he thought up a third flag to
answer her three waves。 He found an old black silk handkerchief of his
father's； and he made that into a flag。 He told the girl it meant 'I'm
heartbroken；' and he said it was a sign of the deepest mourning。 The girl
laughed and tipped her head saucily to one side； and said； 'Pooh！ as if you
really cared！' But the boy stoutly maintained his position； and it was that；
perhaps； which made her play the little joke one day。
〃The boy was fourteen that summer； and the girl thirteen。 They had
begun their signals years before； but they had not had the black one so
long。 On this day that I tell you of； the girl waved three waves； which
meant； 'Dead Day；' you remember； and watched until the b