"You're as hateful and as horrid as you can be, Rose Red," she exclaimed angrily. Then she flew out of the room, and shut the door behind her with a bang.
"There! she's gone upstairs to be mad," said Louisa Agnew.
"I don't care if she has," replied Rose, who was in a perverse mood.
"I wish you hadn't said that, Rosy," whispered Clover.
"Lilly really felt badly."
"Well, what if she did?
So do I feel badly, and you, and the rest of us.
Lilly hasn't taken out a patent for bad feelings, which nobody must infringe.
What business has she to make us feel badder, by setting up to be so much worse than the rest of the world?"
Clover said nothing, but went on with a book she was reading.
In less than ten minutes, Rose, whose sun seldom stayed long behind a cloud, was at her elbow, dimpling and coaxing.
"I forgive you," she whispered, giving Clover's arm a little pinch.
"What for?"
"For being in the right.
About Lilly, I mean.
I was rather hateful to her, I confess.
Never mind.
When she comes downstairs, I'll make up.
She's a crocodile, if ever there was one; but, as she's your cousin, I'll be good to her.
Kiss me quick to prove that you're not vexed."
"Vexed indeed!" said Clover, kissing the middle of the pink cheek.
"I wonder if anybody ever stayed vexed with you for ten minutes together, You Rosy-Posy you?"
"Bless you, yes!
Miss Jane, for example.
She hates me like poison, and all the time.
Well, what of it?
I know she's sick, but I 'can't tell a lie, pa,' on that account.
Where's Katy?"
"Gone in to see her, I believe."
"One of these days," prophesied Rose, solemnly, "she'll go into that room, and she'll never come out again!
Miss Jane is getting back into biting condition.
I advise Katy to be careful. What's that noise?
Sleigh-bells, I declare!
Girls,"—mounting a desk, and peeping out of the window,—"somebody's got a big box,—a big one!
Here's old Joyce at the door, with his sledge.
Now who do you suppose it is?"
"It's for me.
I'm sure it's for me," cried half a dozen voices.
"Bella, my love, peep over the balusters, and see if you can't see the name," cried Louisa; and Bella, nothing loath, departed at once on this congenial errand.
"No, I can't," she reported, coming back from the hall.
"The name's tipped up against the wall.
There's two boxes!
One is big, and one is little!"
"Oh, who can they be for?" clamored the girls.
Half the school expected boxes, and had been watching the storm all day, with a dreadful fear that it would block the roads, and delay the expected treasures.
At this moment Mrs. Nipson came in.
"There will be the usual study-hour this evening," she announced. "All of you will prepare lessons for Monday morning.
Miss Carr, come her for a moment, if you please."
Clover, wondering, followed her into the entry.
"A parcel has arrived for you, and a box," said Mrs. Nipson.