"Of course she did," answered Lizzie.
Becky only shrugged her shoulders disdainfully.
"Bet yer she hooked it out o' some shop, and had it in that bag she carried in," whispered Lotty Riker, the parcel-girl.
"Hush!" warned one of the company.
But it was too late. Becky had heard, and for the first time since she had been in the store, those about her saw hot wrath blazing from her eyes as she burst forth savagely,—
"Yer mean low-lived thing yer, yer must be up to sech tricks yerself to think that!"
"What is it? What did she say?" asked Lizzie.
Becky repeated Lotty's words, her wrath increasing as she did so.
"Hooked it! You know better, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Lotty Riker," said Lizzie. "Becky and I made the basket ourselves. See here now!" and, opening one hand, she displayed the ends of the paper strips as they had been cut off, and where they fitted the protruding ends on the basket. "But," turning to Becky, "Lotty knows better; she only wanted to bother you."