, in answer to Mr. Jack's
uplifted eyebrows, "I'm glad that you understand what I'm talking
about. You see, I tried Perry Larson last night on it, to get him to
tell me what to do. But he only stared and laughed. He didn't know the
names of 'em, anyhow, as you do, and at last he got really almost angry
and said I made him feel so 'buggy' and 'creepy' that he wouldn't dare
look at himself in the glass if I kept on, for fear some one he'd never
known was there should jump out at him."

Mr. Jack chuckled.

"Well, I suspect, David, that Perry knew one of your gentlemen by the
name of 'conscience,' perhaps; and I also suspect that maybe conscience
does pretty nearly fill the bill, and that you've been having a bout
with that. Eh? Now, what is the trouble? Tell me about it."

David stirred uneasily. Instead of answering, he asked another question.

"Mr. Jack, it is a beautiful world, isn't it?"

For a moment there was no, answer; then a low voice replied:--

"Your father said it was, David."

Again David moved restlessly.

"Yes; but father was on the mountain. And down here--well, down here
there are lots of things that I don't believe he knew about."

"What, for instance?"

"Why, lots of things--too many to tell. Of course there are things like
catching fish, and killing birds and squirrels and other things to eat,
and plaguing cats and dogs. Father never would have called those
beautiful. Then there are others like little Jimmy Clark who can't
walk, and the man at the Marstons' who's sick, and Joe Glaspell who is
blind. Then there are still different ones like Mr. Holly's little boy.
Perry says he ran away years and years ago, and made his people very
unhappy. Father wouldn't call that a beautiful world, would he? And how
can people like that always play in tune? And there are the Princess
and the Pauper that you told about."

"Oh, the story?"

"Yes; and people like them can't be happy and think the world is
beautiful, of course."

"Why not?"

"Because they didn't end right. They didn't get married and live happy
ever after, you know."

"Well, I don't think I'd worry about that, David,--at least, not about
the Princess. I fancy the world was very beautiful to her, all right.
The Pauper--well, perhaps he wasn't very happy. But, after all, David,
you know happiness is something inside of yourself. Perhaps half of
these people are happy, in their way."

"There! and that's another thing," sighed David. "You