54 THE JONATHAN PAPERS 



alyssum along each side, to last along after 

 the bulbs are over.&quot; 



&quot;You can do that in the spring if you want 

 to. I ll bring up some bulbs to-morrow.&quot; 



The winter passed and the spring came 

 sweet, tormenting. 



&quot;Jonathan,&quot; I said at luncheon one day, 

 &quot;I got the sweet alyssum seed this morn 

 ing.&quot; 



&quot;Sweet alyssum?&quot; He looked blank. 

 &quot;What do you want sweet alyssum for? It s 

 a foolish flower. I thought you were n t 

 going to have a garden, anyway.&quot; 



&quot;I m not; but don t you remember about 

 the phlox? We said we d put in some sweet 

 alyssum to mark it so it would n t get cut 

 down.&quot; 



&quot;The bulbs will do that, and when they re 

 gone it will be high enough to show.&quot; 



&quot;Well, I have the seed, and I might as well 

 use it. It won t do any harm.&quot; 



&quot;No. I don t believe sweet alyssum ever 

 hurt anybody,&quot; said Jonathan. 



That evening when he came in I met him 

 in the hall. I had the florist s catalogue in 



