If he had never taken her to see that hateful , blue-silk doll , she would never have got so fond of it as to be breaking her heart because it was sold . `` If I was only rich , '' said Tommy miserably , `` I 'd buy her a cartload of dolls , all dressed in blue silk and all with brown eyes . But I ca n't do nothing . '' By this time Tommy had reached the paling in front of Miss Octavia 's lawn , and from force of habit he stopped to look over it . But there was not much to see this time , only the little green rows and circles in the brown , well-weeded beds , and the long curves of dahlia plants , which Miss Octavia had set out a few days before . All the geraniums were carried in , and the blinds were down . Tommy knew Miss Octavia was away . He had seen her depart on the train that morning , and heard her tell a friend that she was going down to Chelton to visit her brother 's folks and would n't be back until the next day . Tommy was still leaning moodily against the paling when Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Reid came by , and they too paused to look at the garden . `` Dear me , how cold it is ! '' shivered Mrs. Reid . `` There 's going to be a hard frost tonight . Octavia 's flowers will be nipped as sure as anything . It 's a wonder she 'd stay away from them overnight when her heart 's so set on them . '' `` Her brother 's wife is sick , '' said Mrs. Jenkins . `` We have n't had any frost this spring , and I suppose Octavia never thought of such a thing . She 'll feel awful bad if her flowers get frosted , especially them dahlias . Octavia sets such store by her dahlias . '' Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Reid moved away , leaving Tommy by the paling . It was cold -- there was going to be a hard frost -- and Miss Octavia 's plants and flowers would certainly be spoiled .
XXXXX thought he ought to be glad , but he was n't .
Chelton Octavia Reid Tommy cartload dahlia days geraniums morning overnight