lightfully
sweet voice: "I thank you."

But at the sound of these words the Gardener and the Roses turned and
discovered that the Princess had been picked, and was now alive. Over
every face flashed an expression of resentment and anger, and one of
the Roses cried aloud.

"Audacious mortals! What have you done?"

"Picked a Princess for you, that's all," replied Betsy, cheerfully.

"But we won't have her! We want a King!" exclaimed a Jacque Rose, and
another added with a voice of scorn: "No girl shall rule over us!"

The newly-picked Princess looked from one to another of her rebellious
subjects in astonishment. A grieved look came over her exquisite
features.

"Have I no welcome here, pretty subjects?" she asked gently. "Have I
not come from my Royal Bush to be your Ruler?"

"You were picked by mortals, without our consent," replied the Moss
Rose, coldly; "so we refuse to allow you to rule us."

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" cried the Tea Rose.

"Just a second, please!" called Shaggy, taking the Love Magnet from his
pocket. "I guess this will win their love, Princess. Here--take it in
your hand and let the roses see it."

Princess Ozga took the Magnet and held it poised before the eyes of her
subjects; but the Roses regarded it with calm disdain.

"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Shaggy in surprise. "The Magnet
never failed to work before!"

"I know," said Betsy, nodding her head wisely. "These Roses have no
hearts."

"That's it," agreed the Gardener. "They're pretty, and sweet, and
alive; but still they are Roses. Their stems have thorns, but no
hearts."

The Princess sighed and handed the Magnet to the Shaggy Man.

"What shall I do?" she asked sorrowfully.

"Turn her out, Gardener, with the others!" commanded the Roses. "We
will have no Ruler until a man-rose--a King--is ripe enough to pick."

"Very well," said the Gardener meekly. "You must excuse me, my dear
Shaggy, for opposing your wishes, but you and the others, including
Ozga, must get out of Rose Kingdom immediately, if not before."

"Don't you love me, Gardy?" asked Shaggy, carelessly displaying the
Magnet.

"I do. I dote on thee!" answered the Gardener earnestly; "but no true
man will neglect his duty for the sake of love. My duty is to drive you
out, so--out you go!"

With this he seized a garden fork and began jabbing it at the
strangers, in order to force them to leave. Hank the mule was not
afraid of the fork and