pose we leave it until
to-morrow," suggested Mr. Jack, still with the lamp extended in his
hand.

"But I promised the Lady of the Roses that I'd say it to-night,"
demurred the boy, in a troubled voice.

The man drew his lamp halfway back suddenly.

"The Lady of the Roses! Do you mean--she sent a message--to ME?" he
demanded.

"Yes; about the story, 'The Princess and the Pauper,' you know."

With an abrupt exclamation Mr. Jack set the lamp on the table and
turned to a chair. He had apparently lost his haste to go to bed.

"See here, David, suppose you come and sit down, and tell me just what
you're talking about. And first--just what does the Lady of the Roses
know about that--that 'Princess and the Pauper'?"

"Why, she knows it all, of course," returned the boy in surprise. "I
told it to her."

"You--told--it--to her!" Mr. Jack relaxed in his chair. "David!"

"Yes. And she was just as interested as could be."

"I don't doubt it!" Mr. Jack's lips snapped together a little grimly.

"Only she didn't like the ending, either."

Mr. Jack sat up suddenly.

"She didn't like--David, are you sure? Did she SAY that?"

David frowned in thought.

"Well, I don't know as I can tell, exactly, but I'm sure she did n't
like it, because just before she told me WHAT to say to you, she said
that--that what she was going to say would probably have something to
do with the ending, anyway. Still--" David paused in yet deeper
thought. "Come to think of it, there really isn't anything--not in what
she said--that CHANGED that ending, as I can see. They didn't get
married and live happy ever after, anyhow."

"Yes, but what did she say?" asked Mr. Jack in a voice that was not
quite steady. "Now, be careful, David, and tell it just as she said it."

"Oh, I will," nodded David. "SHE said to do that, too."

"Did she?" Mr. Jack leaned farther forward in his chair. "But tell me,
how did she happen to--to say anything about it? Suppose you begin at
the beginning--away back, David. I want to hear it all--all!"

David gave a contented sigh, and settled himself more comfortably.

"Well, to begin with, you see, I told her the story long ago, before I
was sick, and she was ever so interested then, and asked lots of
questions. Then the other day something came up--I've forgotten
how--about the ending, and I told her how hard I'd tried to have you
change it, but you wouldn't. And she spoke right up quick and said
probably you didn't wa