“She didn’t seem terrible on that morning, however,” said Edna Barlow. “I thought she was the loveliest person I had ever seen, and do you remember the song she sang as she embroidered the rose?”
“Yes, it was ‘Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May,’ and I also remember she embroidered a faded place on the edge of one petal. I couldn’t help hating her for doing it, too,” said Irene. “It seemed so cynical. You remember she declared it was because the song suggested it to her. She might have put a worm in the heart of the rose if suggestion was anything.”
“Well, well, poor Hortense! She loved her Felix anyhow,” sighed Mary Louise, who had a hard time being persuaded that anyone was really wicked. “Let’s change the subject. Don’t you think Miss Ellett—Ursula—is lovely?”
“She is indeed!” from all of the girls.
“Where on earth did you make the find?”
Then the story of Ursula and her misfortunes had to be recounted.
“Well, I call her pretty spunky,” said Lucile.
“And aren’t the little boys precious?” put in Mary Louise. “Did Philip go with Ben?”
“No!” answered Josie, “Ben went alone; he thought it was too cold for Philip. He must have gone with Ursula.”
Ursula returned from her shopping expedition. An unwonted pallor had spread over her face and her mouth was drooping at the corners as it had when she first came to the Higgledy Piggledy Shop.