“Norma said yesterday, how she would love to have a real Japanese water garden similar to those she has seen in magazines. But I told her we could not afford the money for the decorative lanterns, and temples and seats such as a Japanese garden called for.”
“Why, they won’t cost very much extra—only for the cement, you know,” said Mrs. Tompkins.
Norma and Mrs. James gazed in surprise at their visitor and Norma said: “What cement do you mean?”
“Why, the cement for the concrete. And the work is so interesting, too, you ought to try it before you count the cost.”
“You don’t mean that we can make the temples and other objects?” exclaimed Mrs. James.
“Of course! You didn’t mean to hire them made, did you?” was the lady’s retort, as much surprised as her two hostesses.
“I never dreamed of it! I don’t know a thing about concrete,” was Mrs. James’s dismayed answer.
“I’ll show you. As long as you are going to build a dam to back up the pond, you may as well order a few extra bags of cement and build your seats and bridges and other things so they will last.”
“I thought I would try and have some sort of a bridge of rustic wood, but I was pondering how to erect the pillars or posts so they would be firm and strong enough to hold up the span,” said Mrs. James.
By this time the three reached the edge of the area where Ames and Sam were already ditching a narrow outlet used to drain the marsh of the spring water. Mrs. James pointed out where she wanted a bridge to be, and Mrs. Tompkins nodded, then suggested: