BEGINNING THE GARDEN 41 



full of good manure should give plenty for the little 

 border-bed. An inch deep over the beds should be 

 enough." 



"Quinlan will be here to do the work for you. 

 Will you excuse me if I leave now, Mr. Trommel ? 

 I shall have to run for my train." 



" Certainly, certainly," said Herr Trommel, making 

 his precise little bow. 



"Now, little one," he said to the under-gardener, 

 "we will to work." He took a two-foot rule from 

 his pocket and measured along the back fence from 

 the corner. "Twelve, fourteen, fifteen," he counted. 

 "Hand me the stake there so," and he drove it in 

 the ground. "Now hold you this end of string here 

 at the stake while I draw it to the fence-corner to 

 get the distance with the string so. Now" (he held 

 it in one hand) "walk along to the Herr Papa's 

 stake, so, and let us see if it is the fifteen feet. 

 Good ! The Herr Papa did not make the bad guess. 

 This is a lady's way of measuring, but it will do for us. 

 Now we stretch the string between these stakes so." 



Mary was deeply interested. "Now we are going 

 to mark out a flower-bed, are n't we t " she asked, 

 when the garden inclosure was outlined with stick 

 and string. 



