"Your centerpiece—oh, dear me!" Alexia by this time had it free, and burst into a laugh as she held it up.
"Well, now, I expect I have dragged off my green floss," exclaimed her aunt, in irritation. "I am quite sure of it."
"Well, 'twould be in the closet," said Alexia, who didn't relish offering to go back, "'twon't hurt it to stay there a little while."
"I must find it," said Miss Rhys decidedly. And Alexia, wild to go down to tell Polly Pepper she was to stay to luncheon, flew over the stairs, leaving her aunt to get her green floss as she could.
"But I can't," said Polly, when Alexia had hugged her and danced around her to her heart's content; "I must go home."
"Why, Polly Pepper, you can't ever go in this awful rain."
"It isn't going to rain much more," said Polly, running over to the window to flatten her face against the pane.
"You'll be struck if you do that." Little Mr. Filbert looked after her in disapproval. "The window is the worst place in a thunderstorm; you see, it——"
"Oh, that's what you said about the chimney closet," said Alexia, in scorn, "and there can't be two places that are the worst."
"Oh, Alexia," said Polly, looking back from the window.