y daughter."

Mamma got no further, for Marie uttered a French shriek, wrung her
hands, and then began to burrow wildly in the trunk and among the
papers, crying distractedly:

"Great Heavens, madame! the wreath has been forgotten! What an
affliction! Mademoiselle's enchanting toilette is destroyed without the
wreath, and nowhere do I find it."

In vain they searched; in vain Marie wailed and Belle declared it must
be somewhere; no wreath appeared. It was duly set down in the bill, and
a fine sum charged for a head-dress to match the dainty forget-me-nots
that looped the fleecy skirts and ornamented the bosom of the dress. It
had evidently been forgotten; and mamma despatched Marie at once to try
and match the flowers, for Belle would not hear of any other decoration
for her beautiful blonde hair.

The dress fitted to a charm, and was pronounced by all beholders the
loveliest thing ever seen. Nothing was wanted but the wreath to make
it quite perfect, and when Marie returned, after a long search, with no
forget-me-nots, Belle was in despair.

"Wear natural ones," suggested a sympathizing friend.

But another hunt among greenhouses was as fruitless as that among the
milliners' rooms. No forget-me-nots could be found, and Marie fell
exhausted into a chair, desolated at what she felt to be an awful
calamity.

"Let me have the carriage, and I'll ransack the city till I find some,"
cried Belle, growing more resolute with each failure.

Marnma was deep in preparations for the ball, and could not help her
afflicted daughter, though she was much disappointed at the mishap. So
Belle drove off, resolved to have her flowers whether there were any or
not.

Any one who has ever tried to match a ribbon, find a certain fabric, or
get anything done in a hurry, knows what a wearisome task it
sometimes is, and can imagine Belle's state of mind after repeated
disappointments. She was about to give up in despair, when some one
suggested that perhaps the Frenchwoman, Estelle Valnor, might make the
desired wreath, if there was time.

Away drove Belle, and, on entering the room, gave a sigh of
satisfaction, for a whole boxful of the loveliest forget-me-nots stood
upon the table. As fast as possible, she told her tale and demanded the
flowers, no matter what the price might be. Imagine her feelings when
the Frenchwoman, with a shrug, announced that it was impossible to give
mademoiselle a single spray. All were engaged to trim a b