Katy repeated her message. Some of the girls were disappointed.
"Is that all?" they said. "We thought she would stand up and make a speech."
"Or a short poem," put in Rose Red,—"a few stanzas thrown off on the spur of the moment; like this, for instance:—
"Thank you, kindly, for your basket,
Which I didn't mean to ask it;
But I'll very gladly take it,
And when 'tis full of cake, it
Will frequently remind me
Of the girls I left behind me!
There was a universal giggle, which brought Miss Jane out of the school-room.
"Order!" she said, ringing the bell. "Young ladies, what are you about? Study hour has begun."
"We're so sorry Mrs. Florence is going away," said some of the girls.
"How did you know that she is going?" demanded Miss Jane, sharply.
Nobody answered.
Next day Mrs. Florence left. Katy saw her go with a secret regret.
"If only she would have said that she didn't believe I wrote that note!" she told Clover.