Then, at another
shout from her brother, she discarded her finery and, holding fast to
her doll with true mother instinct, hurried timidly to the waiting
automobile.
On that day when Helen had sent her servant to take them for a ride,
these children of the Flats had thought that no greater happiness was
possible to mere human beings. But now, as they sat with their
beautiful princess lady between them on the deep-cushioned seat, and
watched the familiar houses glide swiftly past, even Bobby was silent.
It was all so unreal--so like a dream. Their former experience was so
far surpassed that they would not have been surprised had the
automobile been suddenly transformed into a magic ship of the air, with
Tom a fairy pilot to carry them away up among the clouds to some
wonderful sunshine castle in the sky.
It is true that Bobby's conscience stirred uneasily when he felt an arm
steal gently about him and he was drawn a little closer to the princess
lady's side. A feller with a proper pride does not readily permit such
familiarities. It had been a long time since any one had put an arm
around Bobby--he did not quite understand.
But as for that, the princess lady herself did not quite understand
either. Perhaps the sight of little Maggie and her play lady friends so
elegantly costumed for their social function had suddenly convinced her
that these children of the Flats were of her world after all.
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