shoe-string to attract his attention. He was pruning the top of a great chestnut-tree that stood in his front yard.
He handed me the trumpet, but did not show in any other way that he had noticed my presence.
"Mr. Megalopod," I said, "is there any trouble at your house?"
"Oh, no," he answered shortly and stiffly.
"You did n't return my bow," I said, in what I meant to be a tone of reproach; but it is very hard to put reproachful inflections into your voice when you are trying to shout loud enough to impress a giant.
"No," he said slowly; "I did n't know that you cared to keep up our acquaintance. If you did n't, I preferred not to force myself upon you."
"Why, you must be laboring under a mistake," I called back. "What have we done to offend you?' I was anxious to know, for I did n't like to think of there being any unpleasantness between ourselves and the giants.
"I usually overlook trifles," said Mr. Megalopod; "but when you did n't return our call, I thought you meant that you did n't care to continue the acquaintance!"
"My dear sir," I said hastily, "my wife left cards."
"Oh, did she?" said the giant, pleasantly. "Then I suppose Mrs. Megalopod did n't notice them. They were put into the card-tray, no doubt, and she must have failed to see them."
"No doubt that's it," I said. "They were only the usual size. I hope you will believe that it was only an accident."
"Certainly," he said; "I had forgotten that you are not used to our ways. Our friends usually have cards written for them by sign-painters on sheets of bristol-board. We are so apt to lose the little cards."
"I see," I replied.
