"Oh, Aunt, what's that tagging after you?"--catching sight of the
piece of embroidery dangling from her aunt's long figure.
"I see nothing," said Miss Rhys, turning around with her head over her
shoulder.
"Well, do stand still, Aunt," cried Alexia, "a minute."
"What is it?" Miss Rhys kept saying, trying to see for herself.
"Your centerpiece--oh, dear me!" Alexia by this time had it free, and burst
into a laugh as she held it up.
"Well, now, I expect I have dragged off my green floss," exclaimed her
aunt, in irritation. "I am quite sure of it."
"Well, 'twould be in the closet," said Alexia, who didn't relish offering
to go back, "'twon't hurt it to stay there a little while."
"I must find it," said Miss Rhys decidedly. And Alexia, wild to go down to
tell Polly Pepper she was to stay to luncheon, flew over the stairs,
leaving her aunt to get her green floss as she could.
"But I can't," said Polly, when Alexia had hugged her and danced around her
to her heart's content; "I must go home."
"Why, Polly Pepper, you can't ever go in this awful rain."
"It isn't going to rain much more," said Polly, running over to the window
to flatten her face against the pane.
"You'll be struck if you do that." Little Mr. Filbert looked after her in
disapproval. "The window is the worst place in a thunderstorm; you see,
it----"
"Oh, that's what you said about the chimney closet," said Alexia, in scorn,
"and there can't be two places that are the worst.
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