Maida noticed that Rosie examined very carefully all the things displayed in windows and on counters. But nothing she saw seemed to satisfy her, for she did not buy.
“What is it, Rosie?” Maida asked after a while.
“I’m looking for something for my mother.”
“I’ll help you,” Maida said. She took Rosie’s hand, and, thus linked together, the two little girls discussed everything that they saw.
Suddenly, Rosie uttered a little cry of joy and stopped at a jeweler’s window. A tray with the label, “SOLID SILVER, $1,” overflowed with little heart-shaped pendants.
“Mama’d love one of those,” Rosie said. “She just loved things she could hang round her neck.”
They went inside. “It’s just what I want,” Rosie declared. “But I wish I had a little silver chain for it. I can’t afford one though,” she concluded wistfully.
“Oh, I know what to do,” Maida said. “Buy a piece of narrow black velvet ribbon. Once my father gave my mother a beautiful diamond heart. Mother used to wear it on a black velvet ribbon. Afterwards papa bought her a chain of diamonds. But she always liked the black velvet best and so did papa and so did I. Papa said it made her neck look whiter.”
The other three children looked curiously at Maida when she said, “diamond heart.” When she said, “string of diamonds,” they looked at each other.
“Was that another of your dreams, Maida?” Rosie asked mischievously.