was a great
trial to him that his parents could not look more leniently upon his
children. He had rarely brought them to visit their grandparents, because
it always made his mother nervous and irritable. But it was too absurd to
think that such nervousness and irritation could cause her brown hair to
turn almost white, a proceeding which he had always thought was a mere
figure of speech anyway.

Breakfast proceeded in an uncomfortable silence. It was useless to try to
console Grandma Maynard, or to make her think that the gray hair was
becoming to her. Indeed, everything that was said only made her more
disconsolate about the fate which had overtaken her, and more annoyed at
the children, whom she considered to blame.

At last, sharp-eyed, practical Kitty volunteered the solution. She had
sat for some time watching her grandmother, and at last she felt sure
that she saw grains of powder fall from the gray hair to the shoulder of
Grandma's gown. When she was fully convinced that this was the case, she
looked straight at the victim of misfortune and said, "Grandma, I think
you are playing a trick on us. I think you have powdered your hair, and
you are only pretending it has turned gray."

"What do you mean, Kitty, child?" said her father, in amazement, for it
almost seemed as if Kitty were rebuking her grandmother.

"Why, just look, Father! There is powder shaking down on Grandma's
shoulder."

"Nonsense!" cried Grandma, angrily. "I'd be likely to do a thing like
that, wouldn't I, Miss Kitty? And indeed, if it _were_ powder, and could
be brushed out, and leave my hair its natural color, I should be only too
grateful!"

This was Marjorie's chance. She loved to make a sensation, and laying
down her knife and fork, she said, quietly, "Kitty is right, Grandma; it
_is_ nothing but powder, and I put it there myself."

"What!" exclaimed Grandma. "Do you mean to say, Marjorie, that you
powdered my hair? How did you do it? Oh, child, if you are telling me the
truth, if it is really only powder, I shall be so relieved that I will
make you a handsome present!"

This was a new turn of affairs, indeed! Marjorie had had misgivings as to
the results of her practical joke, but it had seemed to her merely a
harmless jest, and she had hoped that it might be taken lightly. But when
Grandma expressed such consternation at her whitened hair, Marjorie had
been shaking in her shoes, lest she should be punished, rather than
laughed at f