Lucian's face was so expressive of disappointment that Mrs. Redmond was glad that she had made out a small list.
"Of course there are some things—and we are ever so much obliged to you and Fritz for your willingness to do errands."
"You see," continued Lucian, confidentially, and dropping his voice that his sister might not overhear him, "I didn't ask Martine what she needed. That would have started her off to suggest no end of things,—you know what girls are. I can tell pretty well what she ought to have, so we'll just slip off before she can say anything."
Fritz had condescended to accept a few suggestions from Amy, and the two boys rushed off in high spirits. An hour later, when they returned, their arms filled with packages, followed by a grinning hotel boy who was dragging a large parcel, Mrs. Redmond lifted her hands in amazement.
"Two hats!" she exclaimed, in still greater surprise as they undid the strings of the larger package, "but only one was really needed. Martine left hers behind, but Amy—"
"Now, Mrs. Redmond," said Fritz, "perhaps you didn't observe Amy's. Why, some one must have turned the hose on it; the flowers were all bedraggled, and the ribbon—Mrs. Redmond, surely you must have noticed its condition. But these are so pretty that I couldn't let Lucian be the only one to buy a hat."
"It's certainly very thoughtful in you, Fritz, but still my list—"
"Oh, we've got everything that was on the list, only these little extras were just to amuse ourselves."
"Six stocks! you extravagant boy!" Martine, arriving on the scene, had opened one of her brother's parcels.
"Six stocks!" he repeated. "Why, that's only one and a half apiece!"