ndmother dear, _may_ I
have that cup when you die?"

"Molly," said Sylvia, her face growing very red, "it is perfectly
horrible of you to talk that way. I am quite ashamed of you. Don't mind
her, grandmother. She just talks as if she had no sense sometimes. How
_can_ you, Molly?" she went on, turning again to her sister, "how _can_
you talk about dear grandmother dying? _Dear_ grandmother, and you
pretend to love her."

Molly's big blue eyes opened wide with astonishment, then gradually they
grew misty, and great tears welled up to their surface.

"I don't _pretend_--I _do_ love her," she said. "And I don't _want_ you
to die, grandmother dear, do I? only we all must die some time. I didn't
mean to talk horribly. I think you are very unkind, Sylvia."

"Children, children," said grandmother's gentle voice, "I don't like
these words. I am sure Molly did not mean anything I would not like,
Sylvia dear, but yet I know how _you_ mean. Don't be in such a hurry to
judge each other. And about the cup, Molly, I'll consider, though I hope
and believe you will not need it to remind you of the lesson I want to
impress on you by the story of my long-ago troubles. Now kiss each other,
dears, and kiss me, for it is quite bed-time. Good-night, my little
girls. Ralph, my boy, open the door for your sisters, and pleasant dreams
to you all."

CHAPTER IX.

RALPH'S CONFIDENCE.

"Sad case it is, as you may think
For very cold to go to bed;
And then for cold not sleep a wink."

WORDSWORTH'S _Goody Blaks_

"Grandmother," said Ralph, when they were all sitting at breakfast the
next morning, "didn't you say that your grandmother once had an adventure
that we might like to hear? It was at the beginning of the story you told
us--I think it was something about the corkscrew staircase. I liked the
story awfully, you know, but I'm fearfully fond of adventures."

Grandmother smiled.

"I remember saying something about it," she said, "but it is hardly worth
calling an adventure, my boy. It showed her courage and presence of mind,
however. She was a very brave little woman."

"Presence of mind," repeated Ralph. "Ah yes! that's a good thing to have.
There's a fellow at our school who saved a child from being burnt to
death not long ago. It was his little cousin where he lives. It wasn't
he that told me about it, he's too modest, it was some of the other
fellows."

"Who is he? what's his name?" asked Molly.