THE CHARM OF GARDENS 



name we got from a man who had given us a dog, and in 

 spite of that we accepted it as fact. I think we once 

 descended so low as to think that the whole thing had no 

 nautical significance, and was a secret sign of some 

 terrible society who met for purposes of revenge. This, 

 of course, was the result of contemporary, reading. 



Then came the great day upon which Walter was 

 definitely asked what the signs and pictures on his arms 

 did mean. 



" Mind out," was all the answer we got, and Walter 

 retired with the wheelbarrow to his citadel — the potting 

 shed. 



It was tried again a little later, and this time met with 

 a little better response, because, I suppose, we had done 

 more than half his day's work for him. 



" I had them done at a fair." 



" And," we asked breathlessly, " what was the ship ? " 



" Two shillin's," he replied, " and I never regretted it. 

 Money well spent." 



" Was she your ship i" 



" Mine ? " said the god. 



" Was she the ship you were in when you were a 

 sailor ? " 



" Me ? " said Walter. " I aint never been a sailor." 



The blow was crushing. We retired hurt, amazed, 

 incredulous. 



One day we tried the remaining arm, the one with 

 S.M., the heart, and the anchor emblazoned on it. 



" What does S.M. mean ? " 



It was a moment of terrific suspense. We had 

 drawn a mental picture of some wonderful creature, 

 half Princess, half like a schoolgirl, we sighed after. 

 The god was tying Carnations to wire spirals, and his 

 expression was limited, since he had a knife in his mouth. 



" S.M. on me arm," he said, removing the knife. 



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