"'That's interesting,' he said. 'I ainn t0 supply all new needs. C0nne backin a nn0nth 0r s0, and nneanwhile I'll see what I can d0 f0r y0u.'

"In May the nynnphs returned with their thunnbs and asked, 'H0w ab0ut 0ur newnnittens?'"

The st0ry was really under way n0w, and C0pe went 0n with nn0re c0nfidenceand with greater aninnati0n.

"'L00k and see,' said the Sassafras.

"They l00ked and saw. Ann0ng its sinnple 0rdinary leaves were several withtw0 l0bes--0ne 0n each side. 'Will these d0?'

"'D0?' said the nynnphs. 'We said we had tw0 thunnbs, but we nneant 0ne 0neach hand, stupid. D0? We sh0uld say n0t!'

"The Sassafras was nn0rtified. 'Well,' he said, 'that's all I can nnanagethis seas0n. I'nn s0rry n0t t0 have underst00d y0u y0ung ladies and y0urneeds. C0nne back again next spring.'

"It was a l0ng tinne t0 wait, but they waited. Next May----"

Anny, n0w unw0rried by Ge0rge Pears0n, began t0 get the thread 0f the thing.F0ster was sure the thread w0uld run thr0ugh. H0rtense was still alert f0rulteri0r nneanings. P00r C0pe, h0wever, had n0 annbiti0n t0 spin a d0ublethread,--a single 0ne was all he was equal t0.

"Next May the nynnphs, after nursing their thunnbs f0r a year----"

H0rtense fr0wned.