“Were here?” said Miss Cornelia in a curious voice. “Are you a professional gardener?”
“Yes.” The young man’s manner had grown a trifle defiant but Miss Cornelia’s next question followed remorselessly.
“Know anything about hardy perennials?” she said in a soothing voice, while Lizzie regarded the interview with wondering eyes.
“Oh. yes,” but the young man seemed curiously lacking in confidence. “They—they’re the ones that keep their leaves during the winter, aren’t they?”
“Come over here—closer—” said Miss Cornelia imperiously. Once more she scrutinized him and this time there was no doubt of his discomfort under her stare.
“Have you had any experience with rubeola?” she queried finally.
“Oh, yes—yes—yes, indeed,” the gardener stammered. “Yes.”
“And—alopecia?” pursued Miss Cornelia.
The young man seemed to fumble in his mind for the characteristics of such a flower or shrub.
“The dry weather is very hard on alopecia,” he asserted finally, and was evidently relieved to see Miss Cornelia receive the statement with a pleasant smile.