XVI.
THE END OF THE STORY.
AS Jimmieboy proceeded along the icy road he observed that everythingwas beginning to thaw, and then, peering as far into the distance as hecould, he saw a great flame burning fiercely and scorching everythingwith which it came in contact. It was quite evident that the Gas Stovehad brought with him the most effective ammunition possible for hispurposes.
"I don't see exactly how he does it," said the newly appointed Secretaryof State, as he ran hurriedly toward the devastating fire.
"Easy enough," returned the voice. "He has brought along a largequantity of gas and a garden hose, and he has turned on the gas just asyou would turn on water, lit it, and there you are. There is absolutelyno withstanding him, and unless he can be induced to stop very shortly,he'll destroy this whole kingdom, and we'll have nothing but a desertocean; and I can tell you, Jimmieboy, a desert ocean where there isnothing but water is worse than a desert desert where there is nothingbut sand."
"It seems almost a pity to destroy such a beautiful place as this," saidJimmieboy, looking about him, taking note of the great tall ice-coveredtrees and the frost flowers and grasses at the road-side. "But, youknow, Jack Frost bit my little brother, which was very cowardly of him,and that's why the Gas Stove and I have come here to fight."
"I think you are wrong there," said the voice. "I don't believe Jack anymore than kissed him; but if he did bite him, it was because he lovedhim."
Jimmieboy had never thought of it in that light before. All he knew wasthat whatever Jack Frost had done, it had brought tears to little Russ'seyes and woe to his heart.
"It's rather a funny way to show love to bite a person," said Jimmieboy.
"Just let me ask you a few questions," said the voice. "Do you likecherries and peaches?"
"Oh, don't I!" cried Jimmieboy, smacking his lips. "I just dote on 'em!"
"Then," said the voice,
"Why do you bite the cherry sweet? Why in the peach do your teeth meet?"
"Never thought of it that way," said Jimmieboy.
"I suppose not," returned the voice. "Are you fond of apples andgingerbread?"
"Well, rather!" ejaculated Jimmieboy.
"Then tell me this," asked the voice:
"Why do you gnaw the apple red? Why do you chew your gingerbread?"
"Because I like 'em," returned Jimmieboy.
"Why do you crunch your taffy brown? Why do you nibble your jumble down? Why do you munch your candy ball? Why do you chew at all--at all?"
continued the voice.
"To make things last longer. 'Tain't proper to gulp 'em all down atonce," answered Jimmieboy.
"And that's why Jack Frost bit little Russ," asserted the voice. "In thefirst place, he loved him. Little Russ was to him as sweet as a cherryis to you. In the second place, he took a little wee bite, because itwasn't proper to gulp him all down. To-morrow that bite spot will bewell, and little Russ will be none the worst for it. Now I don't see whyyou should want to ruin all this beautiful country just for that. Itisn't a crime to love babies or to eat cherries."
"That's so," said Jimmieboy. "But Jack Frost has done other things. Hekilled a lot of mamma's flowers."
"No, he didn't," returned the voice. "Your mamma left 'em out-doors allnight, and Jack came along and did just what the bees do. He took allthe sweetness he could find out of 'em, and brought them here, where heplanted them and made them appear like flowers of silver. You see whatthe heat down there is doing?"
Jimmieboy looked, and saw the icy covering melting off the flowers andtrees, and as the silver coating fell away they would wave softly in thebalmy air for a moment, and then wither and crumble away.
"Isn't that too bad?" he said.
"It is, indeed," replied the voice. "Those flowers and trees would havestood and lived on forever in their ice coats--ever fresh, ever happy.The warmth from the invader's fire gives them one glad mad moment ofecstasy, and then they wither away, and are lost forever. Is that worthwhile, my boy?"
The voice quivered a little as it uttered these words, and Jimmieboyfelt tears rising in his own eyes too. Jack Frost was not so bad afellow, after all, as he had been made out.
"But he made our hired man's back ache when he went to dig some holesfor the fence posts," said Jimmieboy, who now felt that he should havesome excuse for his presence in Frostland, and on a mission ofdestruction. "Was that right of him?"
"Even if it was his fault, it was right," said the voice. "I don'tbelieve it was his fault, though. Hired men have a way of havingback-ache when there's lots to do. But supposing Jack did give it tohim. That hired man was taking a spade and scarring Mother Earth withits sharp edge. Jack Frost gets all that he has from Mother Earth. Shehas given him work to do--work that has made him what he is--and it washis duty to protect her."
"Well, I don't know what to do," said Jimmieboy, beginning to sob. "Icame here for revenge, and I don't think----"
"There is only one thing for you to do, be true to those who trust you,"said the voice. "Now who trusts you? Your nurse doesn't--she wouldn'tlet you out of her sight. Your papa believes in you, but he never wouldhave intrusted such a mission as this to your hands; nor would yourmamma or little Russ. On the other hand, Jack Frost has made youSecretary of State, and you promised to help him in this dreadfultrial--_he trusts you_. As the poem says,
"E'en though it's sure to take and bust you, Be ever true to them that trust you."
"I'll save them," said Jimmieboy. And then he started off on a run downthe road, and ere long stood face to face with the Gas Stove. The latterimmediately threw down his hose, turned off the gas, and claspedJimmieboy to his heart.
"Saved! Saved!" he cried. "I have found you at last. Dear me, howanxious I have been about you!" And then he burst out in song:
"But now, O joy? My averdupoy Will steadily increase; For, now you're back, My woes will pack Their clothes in their valise,
"And fly afar, To the uttermost star That shines up in the skies, While you and I Will warble high The gleesomest of cries.
"We'll sing and sing, And warble and sing, And warble, and sing, and sing, And warble and sing, And sing, sing, sing, And warble and sing, sing, sing,"
"Come off!" ejaculated the voice. "That's mighty poor poetry for a Stovethat's as glad as you are."
"Why, Jimmieboy, you pain me," said the Gas Stove, who thought that itwas his little friend that had spoken. "I didn't think you wouldcriticize my song of happiness that way."
"I never said a word," said Jimmieboy. "It was my friend the voice, whohelped me when I was in trouble, and----"
"And by whose efforts," interrupted the voice, "our Jimmieboy here isnow the Right Honorable Jamesboy. Secretary of State to his Majesty theEmperor of Frostland, Prince of Iceberg, Marquis Thawberry, and ChiefIce-cream Freezer to all the crowned heads of Europe, Asia, Africa,Austrilia and New Jersey. I'd advise you to take off your hat, Mr.Stove, for you are in the presence of a great man."
"No, no," cried Jimmieboy, as the Gas Stove doffed his iron lid; "don'ttake off your hat to me, Stovey. I am all that he says, but I am stillJimmieboy, and your friend."
"But what becomes of your war?" queried the Gas Stove, ruefully. "Ican't fight against you, and you are a part of the government."
"That's a very sensible conclusion," said the voice. "Only I wouldn'tlet King Jack know that, or he wouldn't ever let Jimmieboy go away fromhere. What you want to do is to make terms that will be satisfactory toboth parties, get Jack Frost to agree to 'em, and there you are. If hewon't agree, the Gas Stove will have to go on with the war until he doesagree."
"That's the thing to do, I suppose," said the Stove. "What shall Iinsist upon, Mr. Secretary?"
"Well, I think Jack ought to quit biting babies, no matter if he doeslove 'em," said Jimmieboy.
"I insist upon it," said the Gas Stove, firmly.
"I think, too," said Jimmieboy, "that he ou
ght not to run off with somany flowers."
"If you do not agree to that, Mr. Secretary," returned the Stove, "Ishall turn on my canned devastation again."
"I shall endeavor to secure the King's consent," replied Jimmieboy."And, furthermore, he must keep away from the water-pipes in my papa'shouse. He froze 'em all up last winter."
"That is my ultimatum," said the Stove.
"Your what?" queried Jimmieboy.
"My last word," explained the Stove.
"It's long enough to have been a half-dozen of your last words," laughedthe voice. "But is that all you're to agree upon?"
"I don't know of anything more," said Jimmieboy.
"Nor I," said the Stove.
"You're a mean couple," ejaculated the voice, angrily. "If I had my way,you'd do something for one who has served you when you were in trouble,"he added, addressing Jimmieboy. "Where would you have been if it hadn'tbeen for--for--well, for a friend of mine?"
"I don't know who you mean," said Jimmieboy.
"He wants something for himself," whispered the Gas Stove, "and he isright."
"Oh, you don't know who I mean, eh?" sneered the voice. And then headded:
"Who saved you from the icy sea. And brought you through S-A-F-E? Why, ME!
"Who thought about that jubilee, And filled Jack Frost chock up with glee? Why, ME!
"Who all your goings did o'ersee, And got this lofty place for thee? Why, ME!
"That's who. Now what are you going to do about it?"
"He's going back to Jack Frost," said the Gas Stove, "and he is going todemand that you shall be made Secretary of State in his place, and he isgoing to tell Jack that if he ever removes you from that position Ishall return and destroy the country."
"You are very moderate in your demands," said the voice. "I think KingJack will be very foolish if he refuses to accede to them, particularlythat one having reference to myself. I do not care for the office, ofcourse, but since there seems to be a demand for me, I shall accept."
THE GAS-STOVE IS INTRODUCED TO THE KING.]
So Jimmieboy, followed by the Gas Stove and the voice, returned to thepalace, and the demands of the Stove were laid before the monarch.
"I'll agree to 'em all gladly," said he, "save that which forces me todeprive myself of your valuable services. Was he quite firm about that?"
"He was!" shouted the voice, before Jimmieboy could speak.
Here somebody else in the distance seemed to call: "Jimmieboy! Hi!Jimmieboy!"
"Shall I accede or stand by you?" asked Jack, taking Jimmieboy by thehand.
"You'd better accede," said Jimmieboy, looking around to see who wascalling him, "for I have just heard some one calling me--my papa, Ithink--and I guess it's time for me to get up."
THE GAS-STOVE BURNING MERRILY AND WINKING AT HIM FROM THEFIREPLACE.]
What Jack's response to this curious remark would have been no oneknows, for just then a most strange thing took place. Jack Frost and hispalace in an instant faded completely from view, and Jimmieboy insurprise closed his eyes, rubbed them with both his fists, and thenopened them again, to find himself in his little cot in the nursery, thegas-stove burning merrily and winking at him from the fire-place, andthe friendly voice, as usual, nowhere to be seen, and now not even to beheard.
No sole remnant of the frozen country remained, save a few beautifulfrost pictures on the windows, which, it seemed to Jimmieboy, Jack hadleft there in remembrance of the services Jimmieboy had done him; and asfor the frost kiss on little Russ's chin, it had become as invisible asthat far sweeter kiss that mamma had placed upon that very same spotwhen she first discovered what Jack had done.
(THE END.)
Half-Hours with Jimmieboy Page 16
