“Well,” laughed Billy, “I don’t mind at all, so you needn’t feel bad, but I’ll tell you. Chiefly rhubarb and asparagus; and they are both plants which need two years, or three, before they may be disturbed, so you see why I’m so generous with my offer.” “I understand now, Billy,” smiled Mary Frances. “My, won’t you be rich when the rhubarb and asparagus are ready to sell!” “I do expect to make some money,” said Billy. “Father said he would pay me something for what is used by the family. It cost quite a sum to buy the little plants I set out—all I spent of the prize money was for them.” “Well, I certainly am glad you will help me, Billy,” said Mary Frances, falling to work. “All right; then it is settled,” Billy said. “It won’t be long before that lettuce and those radishes will be some size.” “But the parsley bed has shown only the tiniest little green leaves here and there! I wonder if it’s never going to come up!” exclaimed Mary Frances. “It often takes six weeks for parsley to germinate,” explained Billy. “Germinate?” inquired Mary Frances. “Yes,” answered Billy, “for the seeds to grow—start up, you know—wake up from their sleep.” “Oh,” said Mary Frances, “I understand.” Then suddenly, “Oh, Billy, I can scarcely wait until we can begin to sell things! I believe, I really believe I can cut some flowers to sell!” “Certainly you can if they are beautiful enough!” said Billy. “Well, I must make a start or else I’ll never get over to the camp, and the fellows are down on me now for being away so much. So long—get all that hoeing done.” “Good-bye, Billy; it will all be done when you reach home,” called Mary Frances. CHAPTER XXIII MR. HOP TOAD HOPS IN SHE worked away very hard for half an hour. “My,” she thought, “this is such warm work I guess I’ll take a little rest,” and she sat down under the tree nearby. She was just going to sleep when she thought she heard someone speak. Yes, it was Feather Flop, and he seemed to be arguing with someone. “He wouldn’t talk to a stranger,” thought Mary Frances, “I wonder who it is. I don’t dare peep, for fear they’ll stop talking if they see me.” Pretty soon the voices came nearer. “I tell you,” Feather Flop was saying in a boastful tone, “I tell you I am of the greatest benefit to the garden.” “If so, why so?” The question was asked in a funny, croaking voice. “If so, why so?” mimicked Feather Flop. “Because it is so. So there!” “Yes, certainly, if saying so makes it so,” replied the voice. “But it is not so in my opinion. For instance—pardon me till I catch that fly—how many snails do you imagine I have eaten to-day?” “Oh, I don’t know,” said Feather Flop; “but I do know this. I know I am the biggest benefit to the garden.” “I beg pardon, sir,” answered the other; “I think I can easily prove I am the biggest benefit to the garden.” “Cluck! Caw!” exclaimed Feather Flop. “You mean you are the biggest toad in the puddle, Hoppy, you poor old toad!”