CHAPTER XVIII 

 LITTLE Trudy's blue flowers 



It was not because the swamp is far away that 

 Tommy had said nothing about Little Trudy's blue 

 flowers being there in bloom ; but because it is out 

 of his way, and he thought it more full of Cat-tails 

 than anything else. When he goes to a swamp he 

 chooses Secret Valley, and there of course it is 

 too dark and slimy for blue flowers to bloom. Now 

 we have all seen the wonderful ones that Trudy 

 carried home that evening. 



Their name is Larger Blue Flag. They look 

 to me quite as much purple as blue, and they are 

 something like Irises, only not quite so large. 

 What I think most beautiful about them are the 

 fine, golden lines which run along their three larg- 

 est parts. They give the flowers a look that makes 

 me think of kings and queens when they sit on 

 thrones, and their subjects go and kneel before 

 them. Trudy gave me one of her Blue Flags, and 

 I put it in a little vase on the library table. The 

 Blue-eyed Grass which is also there has already 

 closed its blossoms for the day. 



To-day, the old gentleman who is Grand- 

 mother's friend, and a botanist, has come for 

 afternoon tea, but Tommy is not here yet. 



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