From the shadow the child watched her, sullenly, suspiciously. But with her loosened hair falling down over her pink dressing gown, Nancy herself looked an eerie little sprite; in a moment the child's alarm vanished. Of course she _knew_ that this must be Miss Sabriny Leavitt's niece, but it was fun, anyway, to pretend that she _was_ the Moon-Queen! And she must be very, very nice not to have "chased" her at once! And she might stop dancing, too, any moment! So out she ran to join Nancy, with hands outstretched, and together they capered and danced around among the old trees until, quite out of breath, Nancy fell upon the soft grass. "Oh, goodness me, what _fun_! Now come here, Miss Fairy, and tell me who you are? _Are_ you a fairy come from the Village of Tall Grass in yonder field?" The child, completely won, dropped at Nancy's feet. "I'm Nonie Hopworth." "Oh-h!" Nancy was genuinely surprised. "Are you Davy's sister?" The child nodded. "Yep." She regarded Nancy closely. "You're _different_, aren't you?" Nancy caught her meaning. "Yes, I'm different--at least, I'm not exactly like----" "Miss Sabriny or--or B'lindy. _She'd_ have chased me! That's why I come here to play at night. Anyway, it's easier to pretend at night. Do you ever pretend, Miss?" "Call me Nancy, do! Of course, I pretend, often! I love to." "Ain't it fun--I mean isn't! I forgot. I play it 'most all the time." Nancy looked curiously at the strange little figure, almost wraithlike in the dim light. It was hard to believe that the winsome creature could belong in Freedom--and to the "no-good" Hopworths. There was grace in every movement of the thin little body not in the least concealed by the worn, soiled, out-grown dress. Two dark, burning, eager, questioning eyes told of a spirit that lived above and beyond the sordid, colorless monotony of a life with old Dan'l Hopworth and Liz, who "didn't believe a feller oughta have any fun!" "What do you pretend, Miss Nancy?" Nancy laughed and rubbed the soles of her bare feet. "Well, once I pretended I was the Moon-Queen and I scratched my poor feet dreadfully. What do you pretend?" Nonie rocked back on her heels. "Oh, lots and lots of different things. My every-day game is Rosemary. She's my make-believe chum. She lives down in the haunted house on the North Hero road, only when I pretend, of course, the house isn't haunted. And it's got lovely glass things from the ceiling for candles and they sparkle like rainbows and diamonds. Rosemary and I play games and we--we read and tell each other stories and sometimes she helps me with the work, when Liz ain't around. Only Rosemary don't believe in fairies. She says that's baby, so when she's away I pretend fairy." "When the moon shines----"