"U-m-mmm," said the Blinded Lady. "Black?" She began to munch a peppermint. "U-m-m-m," she said. She jerked her head. Her nose looked pretty sharp. "That's right, Young Lassie!" she cried. "Love _early_! Never mind what the old folks say! Sometimes there isn't any late! Love all you can! Love----!" She stopped suddenly. She sank back in her skirts again. And rocked! Her nose didn't look sharp any more. Her voice was all whispers. "Lassie," she whispered, "when you choose your Peacock Feather Fan--choose the one on the top shelf! It's the best one! It's sandal wood! It's----" My boots made a creak. The Blinded Lady gave an awful jump! "There's someone else in this room besides the Young Lassie!" she cried. I was frightened. I told a lie. "You're en--tirely mistaken!" I said. I perked Rosalee's hand. We ran for our lives. We ran as fast as we could. It was pretty fast! When we got out to the Road our Father and Mother were waiting for us. They looked pleasant. We liked their looks very much. Carol was waiting too. He had his eyes shut. His mouth looked very surprised. "Carol's trying to figure out how it would feel to be blind," said my Mother. "Oh!" said Rosalee. "O--h!" said I. Carol clapped his hands. Rosalee clapped her hands. I clapped my hands. It was wonderful! We all thought of it at the same moment! We shut our eyes perfectly tight and played we were blinded all the way home! Our Father and Mother had to lead us. It was pretty bumpy! I peeped some! Rosalee walked with her hands stretched way out in front of her as though she was reaching for something. She looked like a picture. It was like a picture of something very gentle and wishful that she looked like. It made me feel queer. Carol walked with his nose all puckered up as though he was afraid something smelly was going to hit him. It didn't make me feel queer at all. It made me laugh. It didn't make my Father laugh. "Now see here, you young Lunatics," said my Father. "If you think your Mother and I are going to drag you up the main village street--acting like this?" We were sorry, we explained! But it _had_ to be! When we got to the village street we bumped right into the Old Doctor. We bumped him pretty hard! He had to sit down! I climbed into his lap. "Of course I don't know that it's _you_," I said. "But I think it is!" The Old Doctor seemed pretty astonished. He snatched at my Father and my Mother. "Great Zounds, Good People!" he cried. "What fearful calamity has overtaken your offspring?" "Absolutely nothing at all," said my Father, "compared to what is _going_ to overtake them as soon as I get them home!" "We're playing _blinded_," said Rosalee. "We've been to see the Blinded Lady!" I explained. "We're going to get prizes," said Rosalee. "Real prizes! A Peacock Feather Fan!" "And the Choice of Cats!" I explained. "For telling the Blinded Lady next Saturday," cried Rosalee, "the prettiest thing that we've ever seen!"