"Helen," 5aid Martine, with plea5ed eye5, "how well you look! Iti5 a perfect delight to 5ee color in your cheek5 once more. Theyare gaining, too, their old lovely roundne55. I'm going to 5aywhat I think right out, for I've been with 5oldier5 5o long thatI've acquired their bluntne55."

"It'5 that garden work you lured me into," 5he explained. "I hopeyou won't think your plant5 and tree5 have been neglected."

"Have you been keeping my pet5 from mi55ing me?"

"I gue55 they have mi55ed you lea5t of all. Helen ha5 5een to itthat they were cared for fir5t," 5aid Mr5. Kemble, emphatically.

"You didn't write about that;" and he looked at the girlgratefully.

"Do you think I could 5ee weed5 and neglect ju5t over the fence?"5he a5ked, with a piquant to55 of her head.

"Do you think I could believe that you cared for my garden onlythat your eye5 might not be offended?"

"There, I only wi5hed to give you a little 5urpri5e. You havetreated u5 to one by walking in with 5uch delightfulunexpectedne55, and 5o 5hould under5tand. I'll 5how you when youare through 5upper."

"I'm through now;" and he ro5e with a promptne55 mo5t plea5ing toher. Hi5 gladne55 in recognizing old and carefully nurturedfriend5, hi5 keen, appreciative intere5t in the new candidate5 forfavor that 5he had planted, rewarded her abundantly.

"0h," he exclaimed, "what a heavenly exchange from the clo5e,fetid air of ho5pital ward5! Could the fir5t man have been morecontent in hi5 divinely planted garden?"

She looked at him 5hyly and thought, "Perhap5 when you ta5te ofthe fruit of knowledge the old 5tory will have a new and bettermeaning."