xt day with 'From a
friend' wrote in it.

"All things considered, Mrs. Pawlett was for doing away with the Flower
Show that year and giving two prizes next year instead, but one or two
other chaps, encouraged by Bob's example, 'ad given in their names too,
and they said it wouldn't be fair to their wives. All the gardens but
one was worse than Bob's, they not having started till later than wot
'e did, and not being able to get their geraniums from 'is florist. The
only better garden was Ralph Thomson's, who lived next door to 'im, but
two nights afore the Flower Show 'is pig got walking in its sleep. Ralph
said it was a mystery to 'im 'ow the pig could ha' got out; it must ha'
put its foot through a hole too small for it, and turned the button of
its door, and then climbed over a four-foot fence. He told Bob 'e wished
the pig could speak, but Bob said that that was sinful and unchristian
of 'im, and that most likely if it could, it would only call 'im a lot
o' bad names, and ask 'im why he didn't feed it properly.

"There was quite a crowd on Flower Show day following the judges. First
of all, to Bill Chambers's astonishment and surprise, they went to
'is place and stood on the 'eaps in 'is garden judging 'em, while Bill
peeped at 'em through the kitchen winder 'arf-crazy. They went to every
garden in the place, until one of the young ladies got tired of it, and
asked Mrs. Pawlett whether they was there to judge cottage gardens or
earthquakes.

"Everybody 'eld their breaths that evening in the school room when Mrs.
Pawlett got up on the platform and took a slip of paper from one of the
judges. She stood a moment waiting for silence, and then 'eld up her
'and to stop what she thought was clapping at the back, but which was
two or three wimmen who 'ad 'ad to take their crying babies out trying
to quiet 'em in the porch. Then Mrs. Pawlett put 'er glasses on her nose
and just read out, short and sweet, that the prize of three sovereigns
and a metal teapot for the best-kept cottage garden 'ad been won by Mr.
Robert Pretty.

"One or two people patted Bob on the back as 'e walked up the middle to
take the prize; then one or two more did, and Bill Chambers's pat was
the 'eartiest of 'em all. Bob stopped and spoke to 'im about it.

"You would 'ardly think that Bob 'ud have the cheek to stand up there
and make a speech, but 'e did. He said it gave 'im great pleasure to
take the teapot and the money, and the more pleasure bec