“Let me dig,” Jane demanded, after the first bulb had been planted and covered with soil. “It takes you too long, Vevi.” “I’ll hand you the bulbs,” Vevi offered, willing enough to turn the harder job over to her friend. Jane dug a series of small holes all around the circular bed. She worked fast and spaced them evenly. “Now hand me the bulbs one at a time,” she instructed. Vevi dumped them all out of the bag. From the very bottom of the canvas sack out tumbled a handful of small gray, greasy appearing pellets. “What are those?” Connie demanded curiously. Picking up one of the hard, round pieces, she rubbed it between her fingers. “It must be fertilizer,” Vevi declared. “Put one in with each tulip bulb.” Jane followed instructions, carefully pressing a pellet at the base of each bulb. There were not enough of them to finish the task. The last of the bulbs had to be planted without the “fertilizer.” “There! That’s done,” Jane said in relief when the last bulb had been firmly covered with earth. “I’m tired too! My legs feel as if they will drop off.” “Your neck is all red,” Connie informed her. “I think you are sunburned.” Jane gingerly rubbed her neck which smarted and felt uncomfortable. “I hurt all over,” she complained. “Tulips are too much work.” “I don’t think they are,” declared Vevi, who had dug only one hole. “Anyway, it is worth while. The Brownies will have one of the nicest flower beds in Rosedale.” “I just hope the other Brownies ’preciate all the work we’ve done,” Jane muttered. “It’s late and I’m going home.” She began to gather up the tools. Her Brownie uniform was smudged with dirt and so were her sox. Vevi and Connie walked along with Jane, helping her carry the tools. Vevi had picked up the empty canvas bag too, not wanting to leave it on the library lawn. Before the girls had walked three blocks, Jane noticed someone coming toward them. “See who is heading our way!” she directed the attention of her companions. A woman was coming down the street. As she saw the three girls, she began to walk faster. “It’s Mrs. Gabriel,” Vevi recognized her. “She looks cross too.” Mrs. Gabriel’s high heels were clicking like knitting needles by the time she came face to face with the trio. “Well!” she exclaimed, glaring at Vevi. “At last I’ve found you!” “I haven’t been anywhere,” Vevi answered innocently. “I want my bag of tulip bulbs,” Mrs. Gabriel announced. “_Your_ bag,” said Vevi. “Do you mean my sack of culls that Hanny gave me?” “Don’t try to pretend. When you rode in my car, you were carrying a bag of bulbs. Either by accident, or on purpose, you left yours behind and took one of mine. I want it back--now.” “I took a bag of tulip bulbs. But I thought it was mine--” “You’re carrying the empty sack now,” Mrs. Gabriel fairly screamed. “Give it to me.” She snatched the bag from Vevi’s hand, excitedly examining the numerals. “This is the sack!” she cried. “Now where are the contents?”