THE SUGAR MOON 35 



the clinging hand. **The earth-mother is call- 

 ing me, so run home as fast as you can." 



And before Dotty May could answer, Nani 

 was gone — but where ? 



Sunny days followed!, with frosty nights, 

 so the days were busy ones for the workers 

 in the sugar bush. Every morning Nani was 

 there to lend a willing hand, but every night 

 she slipped away and none knew where she 

 went — ^it was like the passing of the sunbeams 

 when the sun calls, and they obey his summons 

 promptly like good children. And so Nani 

 came and went with the sunbeams and seemed 

 one with them. 



One morning Aunt Miranda came to help 

 boil down the sirup. Aunt Miranda looked as 

 if she had been cut out of cardboard with a 

 pair of sharp scissors. 



*^So this is the children's friend,'' she said, 

 looking through her spectacles at Nani. 

 ^^What is your name, did you say ?" 



**Nani," was the reply. 



''Well, Nanny," said Aunt Miranda, ''I 

 guess you must hev been raised in the sugar 



