登陆注册
15283400000043

第43章 "THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER"(2)

"Well,to begin with,the old aunt died.The girl was sixteen then.It was in the winter that this happened,and the girl was far away at school.She came to the funeral,however,but the boy did not see her,save in the distance;and then he hardly knew her,so strange did she look in her black dress and hat.She was there only two days,and though he gazed wistfully up at the gray tower,he knew well enough that of course she could not wave to him at such a time as that.Yet he had hoped--almost believed that she would wave two waves that last day,and let him go over to see her."

"But she didn't wave,and he didn't go over.She went away.And then the town learned a wonderful thing.The old lady,her aunt,who had been considered just fairly rich,turned out to be the possessor of almost fabulous wealth,owing to her great holdings of stock in a Western gold mine which had suddenly struck it rich.And to the girl she willed it all.It was then,of course,that the girl became the Princess,but the boy did not realize that--just then.To him she was still 'the girl."

"For three years he did not see her.She was at school,or traveling abroad,he heard.He,too,had been away to school,and was,indeed,just ready to enter college.Then,that summer,he heard that she was coming to the old home,and his heart sang within him.Remember,to him she was still the girl.He knew,of course,that she was not the LITTLE girl who had promised to marry him.But he was sure she was the merry comrade,the true-hearted young girl who used to smile frankly into his eyes,and whom he was now to win for his wife.You see he had forgotten--quite forgotten about the Princess and the money.Such a foolish,foolish boy as he was!"

"So he got out his flags gleefully,and one day,when his mother wasn't in the kitchen,he ironed out the wrinkles and smoothed them all ready to be raised on the pole.He would be ready when the girl waved--for of course she would wave;he would show her that he had not forgotten.He could see just how the sparkle would come to her eyes,and just how the little fine lines of mischief would crinkle around her nose when she was ready to give that first wave.He could imagine that she would like to find him napping;that she would like to take him by surprise,and make him scurry around for his flags to answer her."

"But he would show her!As if she,a girl,were to beat him at their old game!He wondered which it would be:'I'm coming over,'or,'You are to come over here.'Whichever it was,he would answer,of course,with the red 'All right.'Still,it WOULD be a joke to run up the blue 'Got to work,'and then slip across to see her,just as she,so long ago,had played the joke on him!On the whole,however,he thought the red flag would be better.And it was that one which he laid uppermost ready to his hand,when he arranged them."

"At last she came.He heard of it at once.It was already past four o'clock,but he could not forbear,even then,to look toward the tower.It would be like her,after all,to wave then,that very night,just so as to catch him napping,he thought.She did not wave,however.The boy was sure of that,for he watched the tower till dark."

"In the morning,long before eight o'clock,the boy was ready.He debated for some time whether to stand out of doors on the piazza,or to hide behind the screened window,where he could still watch the tower.He decided at last that it would be better not to let her see him when she looked toward the house;then his triumph would be all the more complete when he dashed out to run up his answer."

"Eight o'clock came and passed.The boy waited until nine,but there was no sign of life from the tower.The boy was angry then,at himself.He called himself,indeed,a fool,to hide as he did."

Of course she wouldn't wave when he was nowhere in sight--when he had apparently forgotten!And here was a whole precious day wasted!

"The next morning,long before eight,the boy stood in plain sight on the piazza.As before he waited until nine;and as before there was no sign of life at the tower window.The next morning he was there again,and the next,and the next.It took just five days,indeed,to convince the boy--as he was convinced at last--that the girl did not intend to wave at all.""But how unkind of her!"exclaimed David.

"She couldn't have been nice one bit!"decided Jill.

"You forget,"said Mr.Jack."She was the Princess.""Huh!"grunted Jill and David in unison.

同类推荐
  • 金光明经疏

    金光明经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 嘉靖东南平倭通录

    嘉靖东南平倭通录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 人参谱

    人参谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 台湾兵备手抄

    台湾兵备手抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 鄂州龙光达夫禅师鸡肋集

    鄂州龙光达夫禅师鸡肋集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 始末传记音之篇

    始末传记音之篇

    饱受磨难和欺凌?没关系,在苦难中成长。饱受冷眼和谩骂?没关系,在风雨中蜕变。我不入地狱谁入地狱?道可道,非常道。我只想拿着我的吉他静静的弹着,我的舞台不在上面,而在需要我的地方。我的吉他可以帮助别人,可以抱打不平,可以解决一切困难。别人都叫我独行侠、、、、所谓的独行不是一意孤行,而是贯彻的意思。
  • 战神联盟之扭曲

    战神联盟之扭曲

    谁能在腥风血雨中魔发无损?谁能保你一世安宁?谁能看破红尘?这世间,你只要爱你自己就好。
  • 重生千金魔女:大人我错了

    重生千金魔女:大人我错了

    风云突起,恶魔重生。前世被敬重的继母和疼爱的妹妹害得家破人亡,最终选择自焚结束生命。凤凰涅槃,浴火重生。却不想招惹了他。“大人,夫人杀了曹副局长。”秘书战战兢兢地站在一旁。“嗯。”合上文件起身离开。“大人你去哪里?”“回家烧水,等夫人沐浴更衣。”他是妖王,却甘愿为她一个人下厨房还有……上床。
  • 冥冥的注定

    冥冥的注定

    一场车祸,魂归原位,安颜回归了自己的原位,恢复了原世的记忆,只是偏偏忘了自己与妖君的爱恨情仇。妖君,紧追不舍,本尊看上的女人竟敢如此不听话……看来得用好好教训教训了。“你干嘛总是追着我?”安颜看着这个熟悉脸庞的男人,恶狠狠地说道。“本尊乐意!”冥夜的嘴角微微一翘。忽然从冥夜的身后冒出来了一个小女孩。小女孩看着安颜楚楚可怜看着安颜:“娘亲~”“这孩子我要了……你别挡道!”且看这一家人的爆笑认亲寻妻之路。
  • 末世奇迹

    末世奇迹

    末世来临,少年意外回到远古,修仙法、养灵兽,他会有怎样的奇遇?又能否阻止末世降临?
  • 杂毛小道

    杂毛小道

    如果不是身上的这件道袍,打死我,都不会相信这辈子竟然混成了一个道士。仰望着漫天星辰,我喜滋滋的想到自己好歹也算是个掌门了,却突兀的听到一声娇诧!师兄,你欠我两百块,啥时候还?师妹!兄最近手头紧!那就肉偿!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 荒天古域

    荒天古域

    在写下这本书的过程中,我发现这本书的渠道已经偏离了我起初的构想。我给它贴上玄幻的标签,却不小心把它写成了仙侠。以至于发生在男主角身上不可思议的事情,也是身为作者的我始料未及的。
  • 家教同人之回音

    家教同人之回音

    直到十年之后沢田纲吉才明白。这么多年来,于他而言究竟是得到的更多还是失去的更多,都不重要了。只有和那个人一起走过的日子……才是无可取代的,最最珍贵的宝物。注:本文是《家庭教师》耽美同人,CP向为1827/云纲,慎入。
  • 倾城绝世毒舌女神医

    倾城绝世毒舌女神医

    21世纪的倾城医学系学院校花,因为一个某然的机会,而穿越回了古代,成了一名——毒舌女神医!谁说美女一定是小巧玲珑,只会求抱抱,但是她却不一样~