Music in the Night (Logan 4)

from an old and respectable family, Grandma? Not

even when you were growing up?"

"Of course not," she said. "I wouldn't permit

myself to like someone like that."

"That's not something you can permit yourself

to do and not to do, Grandma," I said, smiling. "It's

something magical. Surely, when you were my age--

"

"I was never a foolish young woman, Laura,

never like any of these empty-headed girls nowadays.

My father wouldn't have tolerated it anyway,

especially with my sister being such a disgrace. It

would have destroyed him if both his daughters . . ."

She paused to pull herself up tight again. "This is all

beside the point. We're not here to discuss my past;

we're here to discuss your future and the future of the

family's reputation," she insisted.

"Can't you remember what it was like to be my

age? You couldn't have worried about all this back

then."

"Of course I worried about all this." She shook

her head. '1 knew I should have taken more of a role

in your upbringing. Sara . . . Sara is just not equipped

and she has too much to do with your crippled sister." "May is not crippled, Grandma. She has a

handicap, but it hasn't stopped her from being a good

student and doing most of the things other young girls

her age can do. She's very helpful around the house, does her chores, looks after her own things. She's far from a burden to Mommy, Grandma. If you would just let me teach you some sign language, you could talk with her directly and see for yourself how bright

and wonderful she is."

"Ridiculous. I have no time for that sort of

thing. Besides, you all shield her too much because of