“Kitty, how dreadful!”
“I don’t know,” Kitty answered, with unusual gravity; “she hasn’t much to live for.”
Blue Bonnet’s eyes were very pitiful. “And I meant to do so much for her!” She went home in quiet mood. It was like a day in early October, rather than November. How could anyone, on such a day, not want to live! She wished she might go out to the town farm; but Grandmother and Aunt Lucinda were making calls, and she must wait until their return to ask permission.
She took her books out to the hammock on the sunny back piazza, finding it even harder than usual to fix her thoughts on her studies; they would wander to the bare old house, out beyond the turnpike.
Alec, coming over, came upon her before she heard him. “Is it a brown study?” he asked. “It looks a little like a blue one.”
“Alec, did you know that poor old Mrs. Prior was sick?”
Alec sat down on the steps. “She isn’t—now. I just met Dr. Clark.”
“Alec, I simply hate myself!”
“What in the world is up now, Blue Bonnet?”
“I meant to be such a friend to her—she said she hadn’t any friends.”