78 MARY'S GARDEN AND HOW IT GREW 



"Who 's Mr. Trommel ? " asked the new neighbor. 



"He lives over there," answered Mary, pointing 

 to the long, low greenhouse, "and he knows every- 

 thing about flowers and gardens and trees and in- 

 sects. He is my most intimate friend," she finished 

 proudly. 



The new boy was all respectful attention. 



"Mr. Trommel helps me about my garden," she 

 went on, dropping another seed into its long, narrow 

 pocket. Then she looked up with sudden friend- 

 liness. "If you climb over, I '11 show you the tool- 

 house he made for me. Can you jump and not muss 

 my border?" 



"Huh ! " said the new boy, scornfully. "I can jump 

 three of those little flower-beds. Just watch me." 



But the under-gardener watched the feat with dig- 

 nified unconcern. 



"Don't step off the path," she cautioned. "I have 

 sweet alyssum planted here at the edge. Here 's the 

 tool-house, in the corner. It ought to be near the 

 garden, Mr. Trommel says that is, adjacent." 



"'Adjacent' is n't a tool-house," said the visitor, 

 with superior wisdom. "It 's a kind of general. I 've 

 read about that in history. They have adjacent-gen- 

 erals." 



