FRANKNESS AND GARDENING 227 



"Good enough! but what for?" exclaimed Bart, 

 nearly exposing a very poor hand. 



"How splendid!" I cried, checking an impulse 

 to throw my arms around his neck so suddenly that I 

 shied my cards across the room "Then the meadow 

 need never be cut again !" 



"What a preposterous idea! Did he accept the 

 offer ? " jerked Maria Maxwell, with a certain eagerness. 



The Marts face, already of a healthy outdoor hue, 

 took a deeper colour above the outline of his closely 

 cropped black beard, which he declined to shave, in spite 

 of prevailing custom. 



"I'm afraid my popularity as a neighbour is a minor 

 quality, when even my Lady Lazy makes it evident that 

 her enthusiasm is for meadow weeds and not myself!" 



"When would you live there?" asked practical Bart. 



"All the time, when I'm not elsewhere!" said The 

 Man. "No, seriously, I want permanent headquarters, 

 a house to keep my traps in, and it can easily be some- 

 what remodelled and made comfortable. I want to 

 own a resting-place for the soles of my feet when they 

 are tired, and is it strange that I should pitch my tent 

 near two good friends?" 



It was a good deal for The Man to say, and instantly 

 there was hand- shaking and back-clapping between 



