ead of it, but Mona quickly put it back again, and here and
there one had its roots torn away and loosened. In fact, most of Lucy's
plants found themselves wrenched from the cool, moist earth they loved,
and their hold on life gone. Presently Mona came to a large patch of
forget-me-nots. The flowers were not yet out, but there was plenty of
promise for by and by. It was not, though, the promise of buds, nor the
plant itself which caused Mona to cease her work suddenly, and sit back on
her heels, lost in thought.

"I've a good mind to go down now this minute and get it," she exclaimed
eagerly, "while mother's away. Buying a hat won't seem much if she hasn't
got to buy the trimmings. And--and if--if I don't get the wreath,
Mr. Tamlin may--may sell it before mother goes there."

This fear made her spring from her knees. Without any further hesitation,
she rushed, into the house, washed and tidied herself, got her blue purse
from the drawer in which it was still hidden, and in ten minutes from the
moment the thought first struck her she was hurrying down the street,
leaving the mat and the fork where she had been using them. But she could
think of nothing. Indeed, she could scarcely breathe for excitement until
she reached Tamlin's shop, and, to her enormous relief, saw the blue
wreaths still hanging there.

"Of course, it is much the best way to buy it now and take it home,"
Mona argued with herself. "It will only get dirty and faded where it is."

She felt a little nervous at entering the big shop by herself, especially
as she seemed to be the only customer, and the attendants had no one else
at whom to stare. She went up to the one who had the pleasantest smile
and looked the least grand of them all.

"Forget-me-nots? Oh, yes, dear, we have some lovely flowers this season,
all new in. Perhaps you'd prefer roses. We have some beautiful roses,
pink, red, yellow, and white ones--and wreaths, we have some sweet
wreaths, moss and rose buds, and sweet peas and grasses." She proceeded
to drag out great boxes full of roses of all shapes and kinds.
Mona looked at them without interest. "No, thank you I want
forget-me-nots."

"Oh, well, there's no harm in looking at the others, is there? I've got
some sweet marg'rites too. I'll show you. P'raps you'll change your mind
when you see them. Blue ties you so, doesn't it?"

"I've got daisies on a hat already. I'm tired of them. I want something
different."