u mustn't forget the Love
Magnet."

"What about it?" she asked.

"When the fierce Metal Monarch sees the Love Magnet, he will love me
dearly and do anything I ask."

"It must be wonderful," said Betsy, with awe.

"It is," the man assured her. "Shall I show it to you?"

"Oh, do!" she cried; so Shaggy searched in his shaggy pocket and drew
out a small silver magnet, shaped like a horseshoe.

The moment Betsy saw it she began to like the Shaggy Man better than
before. Hank also saw the Magnet and crept up to Shaggy to rub his head
lovingly against the man's knee.

But they were interrupted by the Royal Gardener, who stuck his head
into the greenhouse and shouted angrily:

"You are all condemned to death! Your only chance to escape is to leave
here instantly."

This startled little Betsy, but the Shaggy Man merely waved the Magnet
toward the Gardener, who, seeing it, rushed forward and threw himself
at Shaggy's feet, murmuring in honeyed words:

"Oh, you lovely, lovely man! How fond I am of you! Every shag and
bobtail that decorates you is dear to me--all I have is yours! But for
goodness' sake get out of here before you die the death."

"I'm not going to die," declared Shaggy Man.

"You must. It's the Law," exclaimed the Gardener, beginning to weep
real tears. "It breaks my heart to tell you this bad news, but the Law
says that all strangers must be condemned by the Ruler to die the
death."

"No Ruler has condemned us yet," said Betsy.

"Of course not," added Shaggy. "We haven't even seen the Ruler of the
Rose Kingdom."

"Well, to tell the truth," said the Gardener, in a perplexed tone of
voice, "we haven't any real Ruler, just now. You see, all our Rulers
grow on bushes in the Royal Gardens, and the last one we had got
mildewed and withered before his time. So we had to plant him, and at
this time there is no one growing on the Royal Bushes who is ripe
enough to pick."

"How do you know?" asked Betsy.

"Why, I'm the Royal Gardener. Plenty of royalties are growing, I admit;
but just now they are all green. Until one ripens, I am supposed to
rule the Rose Kingdom myself, and see that its Laws are obeyed.
Therefore, much as I love you, Shaggy, I must put you to death."

"Wait a minute," pleaded Betsy. "I'd like to see those Royal Gardens
before I die."

"So would I," added Shaggy Man. "Take us there, Gardener."

"Oh, I can't do that," objected the Gardener. But Shaggy again showed
him the Love Mag