ndthensaid,

    “HiAmalia.IamDorna…Doyourememberme?...Iusedtopyhide-and-seekwithyou.Haveyotten?...”Amalia’sfaceremainedwoodenandexpressionless.Itwashardtotellwhatshewasreallythinkingandfeeling.Dornadrewanartheairbeforeherandasked,

    “Doyourememberyouusedtohaveamagicflyingbroom?Ihavelearouseittoo.Wouldyoulikemetotakeyououtandpy?”Sayingso,shemadeamovementofgettingonabroomandabouttoflyoff.Sheingtodistracttheoldwomaoodsideanddiffusethesituation.Butfarfrombeingpacified,Amaliagotangryandshouted,

    “Scram!Idon’tknowyou.Stopbme…GoameDimitri.Whyhasn’thebeentoseeme?...Thatdevil!”However,Dornawasnotdauherebuff.ShewalkedovertoAngelica,whisperedsomethinginherearwhichmadeAngelicaturnaheroom.Dornawalkedbaalia,stoopeddown,cppedherhandsandsaid,

    “ehereMaureen!eoverandsayhitoAmalia.”TheintelligentlittledogwalkedovertoAmaliaandsatdown.Thatcute,pudgylittlecockspanielwasreallyquiteadorableandfewwhosawitcouldresistitscharm.Amaliahadbeensobusyrantingandravingthatshedidnotnoticedtherewasalittledogsittingatthefootofitsmistress.Whenshesaearbeforeher,hereyeslightedupandasmileappearedonherfaceasshemumbled,

    “Littledog…Cutelittledog…Itsfurislongandshiny….Lookatit,sofatandcuddly.ItlooksjustlikeDimitriwhenhewassmall…Ahyes!Thismustbemyson,Dimitri!!!”AmaliastoopedforwardtopatMaureen’sheadandstrokeitssmooth,shinycoatoffur.ThebeautieswereamusedbyAmalia’sstrange,ramblingwords,butdidnhoutloudthoughitwasreallyhardforthemtosuppresstheirmirth!ButthehoughtitwasreallysadtoseetowhatditionAlzheimer’sdiseasecouldreducethehumanmind.Itwasalsoveryworrisometorealizethatthisdiseasewassomethingthatmodernscehasnocureforandtheyhadyettolearnhowtopreventit.Justthenlivelyandjoyfulmusicofthecha-chadanceflewintotheroom.ThatwaswhatDornaaskedAngelicatodo.DornapattedMaureen’srumpandsaid,

    “Goodboy.Goodboy.Now’syourcetoshowoffyourwonderfulcha-chadaoAmalia!Goon!Doyourstuff!IfyoumakeAmaliasmile,Iwillgiveyouagreatrewardter.”Maureenbarked,“Bo!”asifsaying,“Noproblem.It’salloproceededtogetupanddahecha-cha,twistingitspudgybodyandswingingitsheadacctothemusic.Amaliawassoentedwiththedangdogthatsheugheduntilshewasbendedover.Thebeautieshadneverbeforeseenalittledogdancesorhythmicallytomusiceither;thereforetheytoowereenthralledbytheperformance,cppedloudlyandughed.Merry,tinklingughtermoremusicalthananymelodyfilledthergelivingroom,dispersiense,belligerent,andawkwardmoodthathadcovereditearlier.DentlypulledAmaliaupfromthesofaandbegandangwithherandAmaliadan,herslowandsluggishmovementskeepingtimetothemusic.DornalookedtriumphantlyatNatalieasifsaying,“SeehowI’mdoing?Youdidn’tbelieveIcoulddoiteh?Doyoubelievemenow?”Inthishappy,peadjoyfutmosphere,SamanthaonceagainintroducedCharinatothebeautiessoeveryonecouldgetacquaihebeautiesweledherwithopenarmsandftteringwordsofwelesaying,

    17

    “Lookhowbeautifulyouare!Andwhatwonderfulfigure!”

    “Ah,butyourstyleandnobledispositionareevenmoresuperior,fittingforafamousauthoress!”

    “Oh!Howdoyoukeepyourskinasasmoothassilkandasvelvety?”

    “Enough!Stopplimentin

ndthensaid,

    “HiAmalia.IamDorna…Doyourememberme?...Iusedtopyhide-and-seekwithyou.Haveyotten?...”Amalia’sfaceremainedwoodenandexpressionless.Itwashardtotellwhatshewasreallythinkingandfeeling.Dornadrewanartheairbeforeherandasked,

    “Doyourememberyouusedtohaveamagicflyingbroom?Ihavelearouseittoo.Wouldyoulikemetotakeyououtandpy?”Sayingso,shemadeamovementofgettingonabroomandabouttoflyoff.Sheingtodistracttheoldwomaoodsideanddiffusethesituation.Butfarfrombeingpacified,Amaliagotangryandshouted,

    “Scram!Idon’tknowyou.Stopbme…GoameDimitri.Whyhasn’thebeentoseeme?...Thatdevil!”However,Dornawasnotdauherebuff.ShewalkedovertoAngelica,whisperedsomethinginherearwhichmadeAngelicaturnaheroom.Dornawalkedbaalia,stoopeddown,cppedherhandsandsaid,

    “ehereMaureen!eoverandsayhitoAmalia.”TheintelligentlittledogwalkedovertoAmaliaandsatdown.Thatcute,pudgylittlecockspanielwasreallyquiteadorableandfewwhosawitcouldresistitscharm.Amaliahadbeensobusyrantingandravingthatshedidnotnoticedtherewasalittledogsittingatthefootofitsmistress.Whenshesaearbeforeher,hereyeslightedupandasmileappearedonherfaceasshemumbled,

    “Littledog…Cutelittledog…Itsfurislongandshiny….Lookatit,sofatandcuddly.ItlooksjustlikeDimitriwhenhewassmall…Ahyes!Thismustbemyson,Dimitri!!!”AmaliastoopedforwardtopatMaureen’sheadandstrokeitssmooth,shinycoatoffur.ThebeautieswereamusedbyAmalia’sstrange,ramblingwords,butdidnhoutloudthoughitwasreallyhardforthemtosuppresstheirmirth!ButthehoughtitwasreallysadtoseetowhatditionAlzheimer’sdiseasecouldreducethehumanmind.Itwasalsoveryworrisometorealizethatthisdiseasewassomethingthatmodernscehasnocureforandtheyhadyettolearnhowtopreventit.Justthenlivelyandjoyfulmusicofthecha-chadanceflewintotheroom.ThatwaswhatDornaaskedAngelicatodo.DornapattedMaureen’srumpandsaid,

    “Goodboy.Goodboy.Now’syourcetoshowoffyourwonderfulcha-chadaoAmalia!Goon!Doyourstuff!IfyoumakeAmaliasmile,Iwillgiveyouagreatrewardter.”Maureenbarked,“Bo!”asifsaying,“Noproblem.It’salloproceededtogetupanddahecha-cha,twistingitspudgybodyandswingingitsheadacctothemusic.Amaliawassoentedwiththedangdogthatsheugheduntilshewasbendedover.Thebeautieshadneverbeforeseenalittledogdancesorhythmicallytomusiceither;thereforetheytoowereenthralledbytheperformance,cppedloudlyandughed.Merry,tinklingughtermoremusicalthananymelodyfilledthergelivingroom,dispersiense,belligerent,andawkwardmoodthathadcovereditearlier.DentlypulledAmaliaupfromthesofaandbegandangwithherandAmaliadan,herslowandsluggishmovementskeepingtimetothemusic.DornalookedtriumphantlyatNatalieasifsaying,“SeehowI’mdoing?Youdidn’tbelieveIcoulddoiteh?Doyoubelievemenow?”Inthishappy,peadjoyfutmosphere,SamanthaonceagainintroducedCharinatothebeautiessoeveryonecouldgetacquaihebeautiesweledherwithopenarmsandftteringwordsofwelesaying,

    17

    “Lookhowbeautifulyouare!Andwhatwonderfulfigure!”

    “Ah,butyourstyleandnobledispositionareevenmoresuperior,fittingforafamousauthoress!”

    “Oh!Howdoyoukeepyourskinasasmoothassilkandasvelvety?”

    “Enough!Stopplimentin