She knew what she should see when she got to her own -- the dahlia stalks drooping and black and limp , the nasturtiums and balsams and poppies and pansies all withered and ruined . But she did n't . Instead she saw every dahlia carefully tied up in a newspaper , and over all the beds newspapers spread out and held neatly in place with pebbles . Miss Octavia flew into her garden with a radiant face . Everything was safe -- nothing was spoiled . But who could have done it ? Miss Octavia was puzzled . On one side of her lived Mrs. Kennedy , who had just moved in and , being a total stranger , would not be likely to think of Miss Octavia 's flowers . On the other lived Miss Matheson , who was a `` shut-in '' and spent all her time on the sofa . But to Miss Matheson Miss Octavia went . `` Rachel , do you know who covered my plants up last night ? '' Miss Matheson nodded . `` Yes , it was Tommy Puffer . I saw him working away there with papers and twine . I thought you 'd told him to do it . '' `` For the land 's sake ! '' ejaculated Miss Octavia . `` Tommy Puffer ! Well , wonders will never cease . '' Miss Octavia went back to her house feeling rather ashamed of herself when she remembered how she had always treated Tommy Puffer .
`` But there must be some good XXXXX the child , or he would n't have done this , '' she said to herself .
For On Puffer in into night of over to with