sing and
roguish, when she looked most like Sam. Suddenly she threw back her head
and opened her mouth, and tilting up the pie plate she drank it empty.
Her reddish gold hair sprang out in crackling rays around her face, her
eyes flashed and sparks flew out between her teeth before she closed her
mouth.

"Nina!" the old woman cried, and began to crumple, falling slowly
against Simone in a complete faint. Simone caught her in trembling hands
and lowered her gently. She said to her daughter, "You mustn't do that
in front of Grandy. You're a bad girl, you knew it would scare her," and
to herself she said: I must stop babbling, the child knows I'm being
silly. O isn't it wonderful, isn't it awful, O Sam, how I love you.

"Daddy said it would scare you," Nina admitted. "That's why I never
showed you before." Her hair was softly falling into place again, and
she was gazing curiously at her great-grandmother lying on the doorstep.

"It did scare me," Simone said. "I'm not used to it, darling. But don't
keep it secret any more."

"Is Grandy asleep?"

Simone said hastily, "Oh yes, she's taking a nap. She is old, you know,
and likes to take naps."

"That's not a nap," Nina said, leaning over and patting the old woman's
cheek, "I think she's having a bad dream."

Simone carried her grandmother into the house. If that old, tired heart
had jumped and floundered like her own, there must be some damage done
to it. If anything happened to her grandmother, the world would end,
Simone thought, and was furious with Nina, and at the same time, full of
joy for her.

Cecily Putnam opened her eyes widely, and Simone said, "It does change,
you see. But it's in the family, after all."

The old woman sat upright quickly. "That wicked child!" she exclaimed.
"To come and frighten us like that. She ought to be spanked." She got up
with great strength and rushed out to the garden.

"Nina!" she called imperiously. The child picked up one of the small
stones from the pie plate now full of spring water, and came to her
great-grandmother.

"I'll make something for you, Grandy," she said seriously. She put the
stone in the palm of her hand, and breathed on it, and then held out her
hand and offered the diamond.

"It's lovely. Thank you," the old woman said with dignity, and put her
hand on the child's head. "Let's go for a walk and I'll show you how to
grow rose-apples. That's more becoming to a young lady."

"You slept on the step."