turning
to the table, he laid the strap upon the beautiful marble; and, in sight
of all, cut it away to the very buckle--inch by inch!

"Now!" he cried, as he scattered the pieces upon the carpet.

The punishment was complete; his triumph nothing less than perfect. And
it occurred to him now that there was particular gratification in having
present this morning His Royal Highness. "Mister Prince," he said, "I'm
awful tickled you was here!"

The Prince expressed himself as being equally pleased. "Mister Smith,"
he returned, "I don't know as I ever seen a boy that could hit like you!
Why, Mister Smith, it's _wonderful_! How do y' do it?" He shook
Johnnie's hand warmly.

"Well, I guess I'm like David, Mister Prince," Johnnie explained
modestly. "O' course you know David--and his friend, Mister
Goli'th?--Oh, y' _don't_? Y' mean y' ain't never met neither _one_? Oh,
gee! I'm surprised! But that's 'cause y' don't know Mrs. Kukor,
upstairs. They're both friends of hers. Well, I'll ask 'em down."

An upturned face and a beckoning arm accomplished the invitation,
whereupon there entered at once the champion Philistine and that youth
who was ruddy and of a fair countenance. And after a deal of
hand-shaking all around, Johnnie told the tale of that certain
celebrated fight--told it as one who had witnessed the whole affair. He
turned his face from side to side as he talked, gesticulating with easy
grace.

"And now I guess we're ready t' start, ain't we?" he observed as he
concluded. "David, would you and your friend like t' come along?--Only
Big Tom, he's got t' stay behind, 'cause----"

At the stove, the untidy heap of brown blanket in the wheel chair
stirred again. Out of the faded folds a small head, blanched and
bewhiskered, reared itself weakly. "Johnnie," quavered old Grandpa.
"Johnnie! Milk!"

The boy's lips ceased to frame words. His right arm fell to his side;
the left went up again to resume that tugging at his hair. He swayed
slightly, shifting his weight, and his big toe began once more to curl
and uncurl. Then, as fancy was displaced by reality, as dreaming gave
place to fact, Barber disappeared from the floor. The silk-hatted
gentlemen with the gold canes went, too--along with the gallant young
English Prince, that other Prince who was of Israel, and a tall person
with a sore, red bump on his forehead. The gold-and-green walls faded;
so did the carpet, the curtains, and that light-gray suit (which was
pre