A Christmas Posy — Edition Insights

Auntie was a little calmer by now. She looked up with a piteous expression in her still white face.

"My dears, my dears," she said, "you must not be vexed with me, and yet I feel that you have a right to be so. I have had such a misfortune--I have lost--just now, on my way to or from the bank, I don't know which--I have _lost_ dearest mother's--your grandmother's old watch! And with it the locket that was always attached to it, you know--the one with _her_ great-grandfather's and his daughter's hair."

"I know," said Molly, "gray hair on one side and bright brown like Sylvia's on the other. Oh, Auntie, Auntie--_poor_ Auntie."

And Sylvia flung herself down beside poor Auntie and burst into tears of sympathy. It was sweet to Aunt Laura, even in the midst of her acute distress, to feel that their first thought was not for the loss itself--much as it could not but touch them--but of sorrow for _her_.

"Grandmother's old watch--grandmother dear's old watch," repeated the two girls, as if they could not believe it. The old watch they remembered all their lives, whose face was almost as familiar to them as that of grandmother herself--the watch and locket which seemed almost a part of her--it was terrible, it was too bad to be true!

"How did it happen?" said Sylvia, trying to choke down her tears. "Tell us more, Auntie. Can nothing be done? You don't think it was stolen?"

"No--I feel sure I dropped it. I remember now that it was not securely fastened. That is what vexes me so terribly--to think it was my own fault! Oh, Sylvia--oh, Molly, when I saw it was gone I felt as if I should go out of my mind! It was just as I came out of the bank that I missed it, but it may have dropped some minutes before. I was hesitating as to whether I should have time to walk home, or if I should take a _coupé_ so as to get back to you quicker, my dears----"

"And we had made all so cosy for you--such a dear little tea--just look, Auntie;" and herself casting a glance round at their pretty preparations, Molly's tears flowed afresh.

"I had a presentiment," said Sylvia. "But go on, Auntie."

"And I looked at my watch--I mean, I was going to do so," continued Auntie, "and found it was gone. Of course I ran back to the bank, but it was not there. I rushed up and down the street and asked everybody I saw--I even went into some of the shops--I am afraid I must have seemed quite dazed. Then my only idea was to get back to you, so I called a _coupé_ and----" here poor Auntie broke down again.

"And is there nothing to be done?" repeated Sylvia.

"The coachman," said Auntie, "the coachman advised me to go to the 'commissaire de police' nearest to where I lost it. I have the name of the street. So now that I have seen you, I will go there at once," and she rose as she spoke. "Take my bag, Molly dear," she added, handing it to her. "The money is in it."

"It is a good thing _it_ wasn't lost too," said Molly, whose spirits were already beginning to reassert themselves. "But, Auntie, you must have some tea before you go. It is _quite_ ready."

Auntie, whose hand was already on the door, was beginning to refuse when Sylvia interrupted. "Yes, Auntie dear, you _must_," she said. "And while you are taking it, it will give me time to get ready."

"You, my child! I will not let you come--with your cold too."

"My cold is very little, Auntie dearest; I must come--I should come," she added pleadingly. "You can't go about by yourself, so upset as you are too. _Grandmother_ told me I was to take care of you. Yes, Molly dear, I know you would go, but I am a year and nine months older," continued Sylvia, rising to the dignity of her nineteen years. "It is right I should go."

She gained the day, and so did Molly, to the extent of persuading her aunt to swallow a cup of tea,--what a different tea-taking to that they had been looking forward to!--and in five minutes Auntie and Sylvia were driving along the streets which the former had but so lately passed through.

"Poor Molly," said Auntie.

"She will be getting up her hopes and expecting us to bring back good news," said Sylvia. "Well, we _may_ find it, Auntie. They say honest people _sometimes_ take things at once to the nearest police-office."