you'll come again?"

"Yes, the first time she shuts me up. And if she doesn't shut me up
pretty soon I'll be so bad she'll have to shut me up."

"I'll always set a place for you at the tea-table after this, Jims.
And when you're not here I'll pretend you are. And when you can't come
here write me a letter and bring it when you do come."

"Good-bye," said Jims. He took her hand and kissed it. He had read of
a young knight doing that and had always thought he would like to try
it if he ever got a chance. But who could dream of kissing Aunt
Augusta's hands?

"You dear, funny thing," said Miss Avery. "Have you thought of how you
are to get back? Can you reach that pine bough from the ground?"

"Maybe I can jump," said Jims dubiously.

"I'm afraid not. I'll give you a stool and you can stand on it. Just
leave it there for future use. Good-bye, Jims. Jims, two hours ago I
didn't know there was such a person in the world as you--and now I
love you--I love you."

Jims' heart filled with a great warm gush of gladness. He had always
wanted to be loved. And no living creature, he felt sure, loved him,
except his gobbler--and a gobbler's love is not very satisfying,
though it is better than nothing. He was blissfully happy as he
carried his stool across the lawn. He climbed his pine and went in at
the window and curled up on the seat in a maze of delight. The blue
room was more shadowy than ever but that did not matter. Over in the
Garden of Spices was friendship and laughter and romance galore. The
whole world was transformed for Jims.

From that time Jims lived a shamelessly double life. Whenever he was
shut in the blue room he escaped to the Garden of Spices--and he was
shut in very often, for, Mr. Burroughs being away, he got into a good
deal of what Aunt Augusta called mischief. Besides, it is a sad truth
that Jims didn't try very hard to be good now. He thought it paid
better to be bad and be shut up. To be sure there was always a fly in
the ointment. He was haunted by a vague fear that Aunt Augusta might
relent and come to the blue room before supper time to let him out.

"And _then_ the fat would be in the fire," said Jims.

But he had a glorious summer and throve so well on his new diet of
love and companionship that one day Uncle Walter, with fewer sick
children to think about than usual, looked at him curiously and said:

"Augusta, that boy seems to be growing much stronger. He has a good
color and his eyes