"Hullo! Buying sweet-peas?"
"Yes. Have you ever raised any?"
"Tried to. One year they didn't come up at all, and another year the cut-worms got 'em, and another they just sort of sickened and died. But I didn't mulch 'em—that was the trouble."
"Well, why didn't you mulch 'em?"
"Why, I would have, but—George! that's my car! Good-night!"
And he rushed out.
I did not like to display my ignorance before the dealer, so I merely took the peas and started up the street with them. Inside of two minutes I met Miss Abernathy. She has a marvelous flower-garden. I stopped her and told her of my purchase.
"Oh, you're going to have sweet-peas! I envy you. I've never been very successful with them."
"What happened to them?"
"I don't know. They seemed to get disappointed—they need very rich soil."