one flower a little, carefully
spreading its petals. "My! ain't they soft!" he marveled. "Gee! I'd like
t' make some 'xac'ly like 'em out o' silk! And, ouch! What's _this_?"

"This" was a thorn, the first he had ever seen. Learning that the roses
had many thorns, he begged hard for one, whereupon Cis broke off for him
that particular needlelike growth which was the farthest down on any
stem. He received it gratefully on a palm, carried it to the window, and
there split it open with a thumb-nail; and having been assured by Cis
that it was a safe enough thing to do, he finally put the divided thorn
into his mouth and chewed it up. And found it good!

Next, he begged a bit of stem. At first, Cis demurred, arguing that to
cut a stem might injure the rose at its top; but was won over when
Johnnie pointed out that all of the stems had been already cut
once--"and maybe it was good for 'em!" But then the question was, which
of the seventeen stems could best spare a bit of its length? This took
consideration; also, measuring--with a string. At last the longest stem
of all was found. Cis held it tenderly while Johnnie did the cutting.
Snip! He got a quarter-inch of the growth. This, also, he split,
examined, smelled, and ate. And discovered that it tasted even better
than the thorn!

Meanwhile, Cis was parading, her bouquet clasped to her breast. He went
over and walked to and fro beside her, studying the flowers. "Those come
up out o' the dirt, didn't they?" he mused. "But they're pink and green.
And dirt ain't, is it? So how can the _roses_ be like they are? 'R else
the ground ought t' be pink on top--that's t' make the flowers--and
green 'way down, so's t' grow the stems. And how does the roses know not
t' git green up top and pink all up and down? And how----"

"Oh, do hush!" implored Cis. "Don't you see that I'm trying to think?
Don't talk aloud, Johnnie, please!"

It was then they heard the stairs creak, and a heavy step in the hall.
And thought of Big Tom for the first time--having been too enthralled by
the roses, until now, to remember anything else. "Oh, quick!" Johnnie
was between Cis and the door of her room. He moved aside to let her
pass. "Oh!"--but, being panic-stricken, she stepped in the same
direction, so that she stumbled against him. Finding himself again
blocking her path, "Hurry!" he urged, and dodged the other way. She also
dodged that way. Thus they did a kind of frightened side-to-side dance
there i