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 . Tommy thought he ought to be glad , but he was n't . He was sorry -- not for Miss Octavia , but for her flowers . Tommy had a queer , passionate love for flowers in his twisted little soul .
It was a shame XXXXX they should be nipped -- that all the glory of crimson and purple and gold hidden away in those little green rows and circles should never have a chance to blossom out royally .
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