asn't here
then and you can't come 'way from my house in one day unless you ride
on a train--it's too far."

"That's good thinking for Miss Five-year-old," said Grandfather
proudly, "so I guess I'll have to explain. You see, I wrote to your
mother and asked her how your garden was at home. And she told me,
exactly; she even drew a little picture so I would know just how things
were planted. After I got that letter, it was easy to take nasturtiums
and marigolds and lettuce from your grandmother's garden and make one
for you. She was glad to give you some."

"So that's the reason you wouldn't read Mother's letter yesterday,"
said Mary Jane.

"That's it," agreed Grandfather.

"And that's the reason you were so tired last night," continued Mary
Jane. "You'd been working so hard to 'sprise me."

"Well," admitted Grandfather, "that may have had something to do with
it."

"I think I've got the _bestest_ grandfather!" exclaimed Mary Jane
suddenly, and she threw her arms around him so hard, oh, ever so hard.
"And now do we work here?"

"Not to-day," said Grandfather, "because you couldn't work with my big
tools. Tomorrow morning I'll drive into the village and get you a
little set of tools just your size like you have at home. This
afternoon we'll look around and see if everything's all right in my
garden. Then to-morrow we can go to work, as soon as we come home."

Mary Jane took hold of his hand and together they went back into his
nice big garden.

"Um-m-m," said Grandfather suddenly as he bent over his carrot bed. "I
was afraid so, I was afraid so!"

"What's the matter?" asked Mary Jane who couldn't see that much was
wrong.

"See those nibbled off carrots?" asked Grandfather.

Mary Jane looked closely and saw the broken tips.

"We'll have to catch that thief," said Grandfather. "I guess we need
Bob after all." Grandfather stuck his finger to his mouth and made a
loud whistle. Then he called, "Here Bob! Here Bob! Here Bob!"

Bob came bounding down the garden path, wagging his tail and eager to
be of use.

"See that?" demanded Grandfather, pointing to the broken tips.

Bob sniffed and sniffed. He twisted his ears backward and forward and
sniffed again. Then he started briskly over to the back of the garden.

"We'll find him!" exclaimed Grandfather. "Come on, Mary Jane! Bob's
not much of a hunter but I'll guess that he'll find him and we'll scare
him off!"

Mary Jane, who didn't in the