THE GARDEN THIEF 225 



eyes, for her sight was growing dim, would look 

 across the wide, open plain till she could see the 

 sails of a windmill. It was very far away and 

 such a trouble to make out which way the sails 

 turned, but if they were swept vigorously round 

 from the east, she would sigh and say, " We shall 

 have a dry spring." On the other hand, when 

 they were turned by a westerly breeze, she was 

 pleased, because she knew that plenty of rainy 

 weather was, of two evils, the better one to choose, 

 if plants were to have an early start and grow 

 strong before summer. 



One of our latest excitements has been that 

 some of the best flowers and earliest vegetables 

 grown in the garden here are missing, and evidently 

 some midnight thief has been at work. No doubt 

 later on we shall discover who has taken them, 

 but for the time being we are nonplussed. The 

 village constable, whose military salute, alone, in- 

 spires confidence, apart from his life-long experi- 

 ence of laying skilful traps to catch the unwary, 

 has several times examined carefully all openings 

 in the hedges that surround the garden. His 

 advice has been attended to, and various infallible 

 secret recipes for the detection of an intruder have 

 been carried out, but apparently the offender is 

 aware of our plotting and is postponing for a time 

 any further attack. It has hitherto been on a 

 Saturday that the best named carnations and early 

 peas have vanished, and so it has been decided to 

 appoint watchmen to guard the garden when that 

 night comes round again. 



My privilege was to take first duty, and at 



