“Well, if I could have such perfectly exquisite things,” breathed Alexia as they all oh-ed and ah-ed over the pink ribbons and dainty lace, “I'd be the very happiest girl.”
Kathleen Briggs thrust her long figure in among the bevy. “That toilet set is very pretty,” she said indifferently and with quite a young-lady air.
“Very pretty!” repeated Alexia, turning her pale eyes upon her in astonishment, “well, I should think it was! It's too perfectly elegant for anything!”
“Oh dear me!” Kathleen gave a little laugh. “It's just nothing to the one I have on my toilet table at home. Besides, I shall bring home some Oriental lace, and have a new one: I'm going around the world to-morrow, you know.”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Alexia faintly. And the other girls fell back, and stared respectfully.
“Yes,” said Kathleen, delighted at the effect she had produced. “We start to-morrow, and we don't know how long we shall be gone. Perhaps two years. Papa says he'll stay if we want to; but mamma and I may get tired and come home.” She jingled her bracelets worse than ever.
“They've come to bid us good-bye, you see,” said Silvia, to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Oh yes,” said Polly Pepper.
“Well, if you've got your things off, let's go out of doors,” proposed Silvia suddenly.
“Yes, do let's.” The girls drew a long breath as they raced off.