She sat smiling at the scholars in history class, and when Esteban was called upon to tell how Columbus had landed on this island, the boy’s heart beat with pride. He told the story in glowing words, while he looked at the visitor out of the corner of his eye to see whether she was watching him. It was here in Porto Rico that Columbus had found his new world. It was here that he had set the Spanish flag. Esteban was almost sorry for the visitor to think that his little island had been so honored, and that Columbus had never seen New York, where the visitor lived.

When she came out later to look at the school gardens, Esteban tried to think of some way to make her forget that the great Columbus had not set foot on her native soil. She stood praising the gardens. Now the prize object in Esteban’s garden was a large red tomato that had grown bigger than any of the others. It was fine and smooth, and it hung from its vine as round and red as the morning sun. When the visitor spoke of it, Esteban was so proud that he plucked it for her and pressed it into her hands.