120 MAEY'S GARDEN AND HOW IT GREW 



mel to show her. It won't be fair for her to be in 

 the exhibition, so there ! " 



The under-gardener's lip quivered. "Mr. Trommel 

 did show me. He is my most intimate friend. But I 

 did all the work myself," she began, rather tremu- 

 lously, "and-" 



"Of course it 's fair ! " broke in the loyal Haddie. 

 "Mary's worked harder in her garden than anybody 

 here, and she 's the littlest, if she is in our class ! 

 Mr. Trommel showed me about my garden, too ; and 

 Mildred's father helped her, and you and Buddy 

 have got a gardener on your place to show you, 

 Eleanor Thomas ; so 's Margaret ! And I don't 

 care, anyway, if Mary gets all the prizes ! " 



"Good for you, Finnan Haddie ! Eleanor need n't 

 be so stingy ! " said Buddy Thomas. 



"I I did n't mean anything, Finnan Haddie ! " 

 protested Eleanor, tearfully. "I I only thought 

 we ought to do our gardens ourselves. But " 



"The meeting will please come to order ! " Don- 

 ald rapped with his jack-knife on the table. 



The meeting subsided. 



"Mr. Chairman," said Miss Bronson, rising hastily, 

 "I move that Mr. Trommel be elected an honorary 

 member ; he can then advise all the club." 



