at his Lady of the
Roses brought.

Certainly it was not a satisfactory visit at all, and for the first
time David was almost glad to have Mr. Jack go and leave him with his
books. The BOOKS, David told himself, he could understand; Mr. Jack he
could not--to-day.

Several times after this David's Lady of the Roses and Mr. Jack
happened to call at the same hour; but never could David persuade these
two friends of his to stay together. Always, if one came and the other
was there, the other went away, in spite of David's protestations that
two people did not tire him at all and his assertions that he often
entertained as many as that at once. Tractable as they were in all
other ways, anxious as they seemed to please him, on this one point
they were obdurate: never would they stay together.

They were not angry with each other--David was sure of that, for they
were always very especially polite, and rose, and stood, and bowed in a
most delightful fashion. Still, he sometimes thought that they did not
quite like each other, for always, after the one went away, the other,
left behind, was silent and almost stern--if it was Mr. Jack; and
flushed-faced and nervous--if it was Miss Holbrook. But why this was so
David could not understand.

The span of handsome black horses came very frequently to the Holly
farmhouse now, and as time passed they often bore away behind them a
white-faced but happy-eyed boy on the seat beside Miss Holbrook.

"My, but I don't see how every one can be so good to me!" exclaimed the
boy, one day, to his Lady of the Roses.

"Oh, that's easy, David," she smiled. "The only trouble is to find out
what you want--you ask for so little."

"But I don't need to ask--you do it all beforehand," asserted the boy,
"you and Mr. Jack, and everybody."

"Really? That's good." For a brief moment Miss Holbrook hesitated;
then, as if casually, she asked: "And he tells you stories, too, I
suppose,--this Mr. Jack,--just as he used to, doesn't he?"

"Well, he never did tell me but one, you know, before; but he's told me
more now, since I've been sick."

"Oh, yes, I remember, and that one was 'The Princess and the Pauper,'
wasn't it? Well, has he told you any more--like--that?"

The boy shook his head with decision.

"No, he doesn't tell me any more like that, and--and I don't want him
to, either."

Miss Holbrook laughed a little oddly.

"Why, David, what is the matter with that?" she queried.

"The ending;