“It probably will, but later on,” replied the teacher, so the Judge was obliged to possess his soul in patience.
On this morning Titus was to finish his lesson and then go to school. At present he was in a small sitting room, while the Judge was in his study just across the hall.
Presently the master of the house took up a note written in a dainty feminine hand.
It was from the lady who was teaching Bethany. The Judge read it, then he began to laugh. Mrs. Hume was speaking of Bethany’s facility in making paper boxes; she was a marvelous, a wonderful child; she outdistanced all the others. She was a prodigy.
The Judge laughed more heartily than ever. He could fancy demure little Bethany’s slender fingers manipulating the too familiar cardboard. The child had evidently not told her teacher where she had learned the art of making boxes. She was an honest child, but she was inclined to be shy with strangers. Just as well in this case for her to be so. Her associates were mostly Grand Avenue children. Young as they were, they might look strangely upon the little girl who had been obliged to earn her living.
It was very amusing, though, to the Judge to read this lady’s gushing remarks on the subject of Bethany’s dexterity. He laughed again, and this time with such heartiness that he had to put up a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his eyes. Then he somewhat ruefully surveyed the remaining heap of letters.
“Who laughs hard prepares to cry harder,” he said, seriously. “There will be something there to make me sad.”
There was. The next letter he took up caused his jaw to drop like that of an old man.
He was absolutely confounded. He sat stock still, gazing with unseeing eyes at the pigeon, who, sharp enough to perceive that there was something the matter with him, flew up on the table, paraded over his heap of letters and papers, and uttered an inquiring “Rookety cahoo?”
The Judge did not hear her, and yet he was listening intently. His own door was ajar, and when a few minutes later the sitting room door opened and Titus came out into the hall he called, weakly, “Grandson!”