lady came out, followed by a maid who carried a chair that was filled
with pillows. She set the chair under a tree midway in the garden
between the house and the road. The old lady sank into it and the maid
deftly covered her with a large woolen shawl; then saying some word, and
placing a small silver bell on the grass within easy reach of the lady
in the chair the maid left.

Suzanna stood, unable to run. Someone then had moved into the tiny
house. And who? Suzanna knew everyone in the village of Anchorville, and
the old lady was a stranger. Suzanna gave up the question and started
back toward the gate when the old lady suddenly turned and saw the
child.

[Illustration: The prettiest old lady she had ever seen]

"Come here," she called, and Suzanna perforce obeyed. When she stood
near the small figure in the chair she waited, while she decided that
this was quite the prettiest old lady she had ever seen. The wavy silver
hair lying under a white lace cap, with two little curls falling on
either side made the blue eyes seems like a very little baby's at the
stage when they're deciding just what color they shall be. Like Suzanna,
the lady was dressed in white, flowing as to skirt, and trimmed with
quantities of fine old lace. On her hand was one ring, a lovely
moonstone. Suzanna at once loved that ring, not because it was a piece
of jewelry, but because it did look like a stray moonbeam that the rain
had fallen on.

"And who may you be?" asked the old lady at once.

Now something about her hostess called out all of Suzanna's colorful