then the girl saw it was really a man. He held an
apple in his hand, which he had evidently been
eating when he fell, and so little was he jarred
or flustered by the accident that he continued to
munch this apple as he calmly looked around him.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Betsy, approaching
him. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Shaggy Man," said he, taking
another bite of the apple. "Just dropped in for a
short call. Excuse my seeming haste."

"Why, I s'pose you couldn't help the haste,"
said Betsy.

"No. I climbed an apple tree, outside; branch
gave way and--here I am."

As he spoke the Shaggy Man finished his apple,
gave the core to Hank--who ate it greedily --and
then stood up to bow politely to Betsy and the
Roses.

The Royal Gardener had been frightened nearly
into fits by the crash of glass and the fall of
the shaggy stranger into the bower of Roses, but
now he peeped out from behind a bush and cried in
his squeaky voice: