there’s no use in your pestering further.”

“Oh, all right. But I think it’s a shame, letting the secret get buried under all that water.”

Grandfather’s smile faded and his face grew flushed and the vein on his temple began to swell and turn purple. He started to rise, too, but suddenly changed his mind and sank back down and rested his head back against the chair. “I won’t get tempered over it again,” he said, more to himself than Ronnie. “But don’t you go talking like that any more. Remember, always keep thinking the best is going to happen.”

“I really do believe that, Gramps. I was just saying what I did because I hoped you’d change your mind and tell me the secret.”

“Well, I’ll think on it. I’ll think on it. Maybe I’ll decide to tell you. But don’t bother me about it any more, you hear?”

“Yes, Gramps.”

“All right. Now go on and get out of here. I’m tired and I’m going to bed.”

31 Ronnie was tired too, but he stopped in the dining room on his way upstairs to take another look at the candlesticks. They were beautiful. Twelve cut-glass, diamond-shaped crystals hung by spun glass chains in a circle from the rim of the candle holder. The base and stick itself were of solid frosted glass, embellished with intricate designs of rose and turquoise embossing. He set one of the crystals in motion and it tinkled like a bell against its neighbor crystal.

31

He climbed the stairs to the upstairs hall. Phil was in his own room, working at his desk. Ronnie poked his head inside and watched his brother cutting out baseball players’ pictures from the backs of cereal boxes he had been accumulating. “Bill and I are starting a business in the morning. You can come in with us if you want.”

“What kind of a business? If it’s work, you can count me out.”

Ronnie explained what they had in mind. Phil seemed interested. “I’ll sleep on it,” he told Ronnie and went on with his work.

Ronnie moved down the hall and entered his own room. He didn’t turn on the light, but instead went to the window and, brushing back the curtains, stared out into the blackness.

The moon was at the quarter, but there was enough light from it to light up patches of the St. 

 Prev. P 21/99 next