MR. TROMMEL'S ASSISTANT 9 



"Maybe he was just playing tag," suggested the 

 owner of the brown eyes. 



"Perhaps," admitted Mr. Trommel 5 "but Daphne 

 was frightened and hid herself in a great hollow 

 tree. The young man could not then find her. But 

 when Daphne wished to get out she could not she 

 was become a tree. That was what Apollo did to 

 her." 



"How could he?" asked the under-gardener. 



u Ach I " said Mr. Trommel ; "he was a very power- 

 ful young man. And since then she has changed 

 still more : she has become a shrub. See ! " and he 

 held up the tiny pot in his hand ; "we will have to 

 wait some years for this one, but then the branches 

 will be grown and the first thing in the spring they 

 will all be covered with the dear little pink blossoms 

 so fragrant ! Ah, you must come and see Daphne 

 then!" 



"Oh ! I will," said Mary. 



They worked in silence for a few minutes ; the 

 uuder-gardener was lost in thought. "Mr. Trommel," 

 she said suddenly, "why could n't I have a little 

 garden at home, in a box in the window, I mean ? 

 Would you show me how 1 " 



"Yes, yes, we shall see," answered the old man, 



