Bessie 's Doll Tommy Puffer , sauntering up the street , stopped to look at Miss Octavia 's geraniums . Tommy never could help stopping to look at Miss Octavia 's flowers , much as he hated Miss Octavia . Today they were certainly worth looking at . Miss Octavia had set them all out on her verandah -- rows upon rows of them , overflowing down the steps in waves of blossom and colour . Miss Octavia 's geraniums were famous in Arundel , and she was very proud of them . But it was her garden which was really the delight of her heart . Miss Octavia always had the prettiest garden in Arundel , especially as far as annuals were concerned . Just now it was like faith -- the substance of things hoped for . The poppies and nasturtiums and balsams and morning glories and sweet peas had been sown in the brown beds on the lawn , but they had not yet begun to come up . Tommy was still feasting his eyes on the geraniums when Miss Octavia herself came around the corner of the house . Her face darkened the minute she saw Tommy . Most people 's did . Tommy had the reputation of being a very bad , mischievous boy ; he was certainly very poor and ragged , and Miss Octavia disapproved of poverty and rags on principle . Nobody , she argued , not even a boy of twelve , need be poor and ragged if he is willing to work . `` Here , you , get away out of this , '' she said sharply . `` I 'm not going to have you hanging over my palings . '' `` I ai n't hurting your old palings , '' retorted Tommy sullenly . `` I was jist a-looking at the flowers . '' `` Yes , and picking out the next one to throw a stone at , '' said Miss Octavia sarcastically . `` It was you who threw that stone and broke my big scarlet geranium clear off the other day . ''
`` It was n't -- I never chucked a stone XXXXX your flowers , '' said Tommy .
around as at if like of off on over to