ou know she won't stay with us," said Alice reproachfully.

"Well, I can't help that," said Christopher.

"Come, Alice," said Peggy, "we must be going now."

She turned and looked at Christopher. "If you are so mean as not to let
my sister have the kitten she wants when Lady Jane is her cat, I shall
never speak to you as long as I live. I think you are a selfish pig. You
can keep all four kittens. There are plenty of kittens in town.
Good-bye, Diana."

"Oh, don't go," said Diana, looking very much worried. "Christopher was
only teasing her."

This was true, but Peggy was not sure of it. She thought Diana wanted to
make peace.

"Peggy doesn't really mean it," Alice said. "Sometimes she gets angry,
but she doesn't stay angry. Please, Christopher,"--and she looked at him
beseechingly,--"I would like Lady Janet."

"She is my kitten," said Christopher, and Alice's face clouded, "but I
will give her to you," he added.

CHAPTER X

THE WILD GARDEN

Meanwhile, as the kittens were growing, the garden was growing, too.
Peggy thought it was strange that small furry things and plants and
vegetables should change so much in a few weeks, while children did not
seem to change at all.

The garden had been a delight from the very first, for they had found it
so interesting to follow old Michael about with the horses, as he
ploughed the field at the back of the house and got it ready for
planting. It was still more exciting to watch their mother and the old
gardener, as they planned where the different crops were to be. Mrs.
Owen had made one of her blue frocks, which she wore, and Peggy had on
one of hers, and Alice felt sorry not to be in uniform, but she made a
nice bit of color in the landscape in a pink frock.

Next came the planting. They helped about this. It was such fun to pat
the earth down after the seed had been put in. There were rows and rows
of peas, and rows and rows of string-beans and shell-beans, and some
corn and turnips and carrots, and, also, a great many tomato plants.
Mrs. Owen was going to put up all the peas and beans and tomatoes that
Mrs. Horton needed, as well as her jams and jellies. And she was going
to put up vegetables, fruit, and berries for Mrs. Carter, also, as she
had been too busy getting settled to have any time to start a garden
this year. May was a joyous month. The planting was all done, and some
bits of green were poking their heads above the ground.

In June Clara came b