Young Annie Halliway seemed very much pleased to be asked. She laughed right out.
"In a March wind!" she said.
"Eh?" said Old Man Smith. He turned to me again. "What did you say her name was?" he asked.
I felt a little cross.
"Halliway!" I said. "Halliway—Halliway—Halliway! They live in the big house out by the Chestnut Trees! They only come here in the Summers! Except now! The Doctors say it's Mysteria!"
"The Doctors say what is Mysteria?" said Old Man Smith.
"What Annie's got!" I explained. "What made her lose her mind! Mysteria is what they call it."
"U—m—m," said Old Man Smith. He reached way down into his pocket. He pulled out a box. He opened the box. It was full of pieces of colored glass! And of china! He juggled them in his hands. They looked gay. Red they were! And green! And white! And yellow! And blue! He snatched out all the blue ones and hid 'em quick in his pocket. "She seems sort of partial to blue," he said.
There was one funny big piece of glass that was awful shiny. When he held it up to the light it glinted and glowed all sorts of colors. It made your eyes feel very calm.
Annie Halliway reached out her hand for it. She didn't say a word. She just stared at it with her hand all reached out.