drew up and looked in
at the windows with interest. They had improved a little. The draper's
was particularly gay with new spring things, and to Mona who had not seen
a shop lately, unless she walked the three miles to Milbrook, the sight
was fascinating. One window was full of ties, gloves, and ribbons; the
other was as gay as a garden with flowers of every kind and colour, all
blooming at once. Many of them were crude and common, but to Mona's eyes
they were beautiful. There were wreaths of wall-flowers, of roses, and of
lilacs, but the prettiest of all to Mona was one of roses and
forget-me-nots woven in together.

"Oh," she gasped, "how I'd love to have that one! Oh, I'd love it!"
There were hats in the window, too. Pretty, light, wide-brimmed hats.
Mona's eyes travelled backwards and forwards over them till she saw one of
the palest green straw, the colour of a duck's egg.

"Oh, wouldn't the roses and forget-me-nots look lovely on that, with just
a bow of white ribbon at the back. Oh, I wish----"

"Why, it's Mona Carne!" cried a voice behind her, and Mona, wheeling
swiftly round, found Millie Higgins at her elbow.

"Why, who ever would have thought of meeting you strolling up the street
just as though you had never been away!" cried Millie. "But you've grown,
Mona. You are ever so much taller than when you went away, and your
hair's longer too. Do you think I am changed?"

Mona was delighted. She wanted to be tall, and she wanted to have nice
long hair. She had never cared for Millie Higgins before, but at that
moment she felt that she liked her very much indeed, and they chattered
eagerly to each other, lost to everything but the news they had to pour
into each other's ears.

After a little while, though, Millie tired of talking. She wanted to get
on, and what Millie wanted to do she generally did. "I must fly--and
there's your poor mother home worrying herself all this time to a
fiddle-string, wondering what has become of you. She expected the van an
hour ago, and had got your tea all ready and waiting for you."

Mona started guiltily, and then began to excuse herself. "Well, we were
late in coming, we were so long on the road. Mr. Darbie said he'd drive
me up, but I liked walking best. If I had gone up by the van I shouldn't
have been there yet, so it's all the same."

"The van! Why, it's gone by. Only a minute ago, though. If you run
you'll be there almost as soon as he will."