some more."

"No, that's enough. Now we will see how your crop grows. See, I just
cover the seed very lightly like mamma covers Freddie when he sleeps in
the summer time."

"Do you cover them more in the winter time too, like mamma does?"
Freddie asked.

"Yes, indeed I do," said the gardener, "for seeds are just like babies,
they must be kept warm to grow."

Freddie stood watching the line he had planted the seed in.

"They ain't growing yet," he said at last. "Why don't they come up,
John?"

"Oh!" laughed the gardener, "they won't come up right away. They have
to wake up first. You will see them above the ground in about a week, I
guess."

This was rather a disappointment to the little fellow, who never
believed in waiting for anything, but he finally consented to let the
seeds grow and come back again later to pick the radishes.

"Look at our garden!" called Nan proudly, from across the path.
"Doesn't it look straight and pretty?"

"You did very well indeed," said John, inspecting the new lettuce
patch. "Now, you'll have to keep it clear of weeds, and if a dry spell
should come you must use the watering can."

"I'll come up and tend to it every morning," Nan declared. "I am going
to see what kind of lettuce I can raise."

Nan had brought with her a beautiful string of pearl beads set in gold,
the gift of one of her aunts. She was very proud of the pearls and
loved to wear them whenever her mother would let her.

One afternoon she came to her mother in bitter tears.

"Oh, mamma!" she sobbed. "The the pearls are gone,"

"Gone! Did you lose them?" questioned Mrs. Bobbsey quickly.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I--I don't know," and now Nan cried harder than ever.

The news soon spread that the string of pearls were lost, and everybody
set to work hunting for them.

"Where do you think you lost 'em?" asked Bert.

"I--I don't know. I was down in the garden, and up the lane, and at the
well, and out in the barn, and over to the apple orchard, and feeding
the chickens, and over in the hayfield,--and lots of places."

"Then it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack," declared
Aunt Sarah.

All the next day the boys and girls hunted for the string of pearls,
and the older folks helped. But the string could not be found. Nan felt
very bad over her loss, and her mother could do little to console her.

"I--I sup--suppose I'll never see them again," sobbed the girl.

"Oh, I guess they'll turn up some t