And he said he'd give all he had in the world if he really could change it, but he couldn't." "Did he say--just that ?" Miss Holbrook was leaning forward a little breathlessly now.
"Yes--just that; and that's the part I couldn't understand," commented David.

"For I don't see why a story--just a story made up out of somebody's head--can't be changed any way you want it.

And I told him so." "Well, and what did he say to that ?" "He didn't say anything for a minute, and I had to ask him again.

Then he sat up suddenly, just as if he'd been asleep, you know, and said, 'Eh, what, David ?' And then I told him again what I'd said.

This time he shook his head, and smiled that kind of a smile that isn't really a smile, you know, and said something about a real, true-to-life story's never having but one ending, and that was a logical ending.