rystal panes
glittering in the sunlight.

"There ought to be people somewhere 'round," observed Betsy
thoughtfully; "gardeners, or somebody. Let's go and see, Hank. I'm
getting hungrier ev'ry minute."

So they walked toward the great greenhouse and came to its entrance
without meeting with anyone at all. A door stood ajar, so Hank went in
first, thinking if there was any danger he could back out and warn his
companion. But Betsy was close at his heels and the moment she entered
was lost in amazement at the wonderful sight she saw.

The greenhouse was filled with magnificent rosebushes, all growing in
big pots. On the central stem of each bush bloomed a splendid Rose,
gorgeously colored and deliciously fragrant, and in the center of each
Rose was the face of a lovely girl.

As Betsy and Hank entered, the heads of the Roses were drooping and
their eyelids were closed in slumber; but the mule was so amazed that
he uttered a loud "Hee-haw!" and at the sound of his harsh voice the
rose leaves fluttered, the Roses raised their heads and a hundred
startled eyes were instantly fixed upon the intruders.

"I--I beg your pardon!" stammered Betsy, blushing and confused.

"O-o-o-h!" cried the Roses, in a sort of sighing chorus; and one of
them added: "What a horrid noise!"

"Why, that was only Hank," said Betsy, and as if to prove the truth of
her words the mule uttered another loud "Hee-haw!"

At this all the Roses turned on their stems as far as they were able
and trembled as if some one were shaking their bushes. A dainty Moss
Rose gasped: "Dear me! How dreadfully dreadful!"

"It isn't dreadful at all," said Betsy, somewhat indignant. "When you
get used to Hank's voice it will put you to sleep."

The Roses now looked at the mule less fearfully and one of them asked:

"Is that savage beast named Hank?"

"Yes; Hank's my comrade, faithful and true," answered the girl, twining
her arms around the little mule's neck and hugging him tight. "Aren't
you, Hank?"

Hank could only say in reply: "Hee-haw!" and at his bray the Roses
shivered again.

"Please go away!" begged one. "Can't you see you're frightening us out
of a week's growth?"

"Go away!" echoed Betsy. "Why, we've no place to go. We've just been
wrecked."

"Wrecked?" asked the Roses in a surprised chorus.

"Yes; we were on a big ship and the storm came and wrecked it,"
explained the girl. "But Hank and I caught hold of a raft and floated
ashore to this plac