Frances lost no time in putting her idea for business into operation, so
she wrote her father that night, asking him to let her have the
automobile at Green Hill Farm for the summer instead of storing it with
some big garage company. She did not say that she wished to start a
service route to earn money, but she did say that there was a fine barn
on the farm where the car could be kept, and it would give them all such
pleasure to be able to drive about the lovely country in Westchester.
No one was shown this letter, but Frances insisted upon walking to the
Corners with it that night, to get it out on the first early morning
mail to New York.
"Let's all walk to the store with Frans," suggested Janet, jumping up to
show her readiness to go.
"That will give me the chance to get some slips that Mrs. Tompkins
promised us the other day," added Natalie.
"And we can introduce Norma, Belle, and Frances to Nancy Sherman and
Hester Tompkins," added Janet.
So the girls hastily arranged their hair and started out, with Mrs.
James to escort them. The country road was very alluring in the
twilight, but there were no gorgeous colors from a flaring sunset that
evening, as the grey overcast sky had continued all day.
They tramped along the foot-path that ran beside the road and Norma said
jokingly: "When we hiked this from the station we never dreamed we would
be retracing our steps so soon."
"It seems almost as if we had been at Green Hill a month, doesn't it?"
said Frances.
Just at this moment Janet gave a sudden gasp. "Oh me, oh my! I must run
right back home, girls!"
"What for? What's happened?" asked four anxious voices.
"Oh, _oh_, oh! It isn't what's happened,--it's what I forgot to do!"
"But what? Can't you confide in us?" urged Natalie.
"I forgot all about those pesky chickens. I never fed them to-night, nor
did I give them fresh water. I've got to do it before it is too late."
Everyone laughed, but Mrs. James said: "You're too late already, Janet.
Chickens go to roost before twilight. You will not get them to eat or
drink to-night."
"Dear me! Then they will grow so thin I'll never be able to enter them
in a County Fair!" said Janet whimsically.
"You never hinted that that was your ambition," laughed Natalie. "You
started out to do a thriving business with eggs and broilers."
"I can do that, too, can't I? But there is nothing to prevent me from
trying for a cash prize in some Poultry Show this fall, either,"
explained Janet.
"If I start a business of any kind, you won't find me neglecting it like
that!" bragged Norma.
"Wait until you start one--then talk!" retorted Janet.
"How are your vegetables growing to-night, Nat?" said Belle teasingly.
"Almost ready to ship to Washington Market?"
"Instead of laughing at Janet, or my investments, why don't you do
something yourselves?" demanded Natalie scornfully.
"We would love to, but what is there left for us to do?" returned Norma.
"Surely you don't think vegetables and stock-raising compose all the
industries in the world, do you?" laughed Mrs. James.
"No, not in a city; but on a farm, what else can one do?" asked Belle.
"Well, I always thought there was a wonderful opportunity for some
ambitious girl to raise flowers and send in bouquets to the city every
morning," suggested Mrs. James.
"Bouquets! Who to?" asked Belle.
The other girls were listening attentively, for they had never thought
of such a possibility before.
"Mr. Marvin said the flowers he cut back of the house, the day he came
up here, brightened his office for many a day. I am convinced that many
hard-working business men downtown would lean back in their swivel
chairs and smile at a handful of homely country flowers on their desks,
if they but had them. Think of the scores of troubled, rushing men in
the financial districts of New York, who would stop a minute in their
mad race for success to think of their boyhood home, should a rose give
forth its perfume on his desk? Think of the peaceful rural picture a few
flowers in a glass on the desk might bring to a jaded man who never
takes time to dream of his old home."
Mrs. James' words created a vision that was most effective with the
girls. After a few moments of silence, Norma said softly: "I'd love to
do just that thing, Mrs. James."
"But you haven't any flowers to start with," said Belle.
"Why can't I start some just as Nat did her vegetables, if I go right at
it now?" demanded Norma.
"Norma, Mrs. Tompkins promised me some petunia plants, and asters, and
sweet-peas, and other slips, if I wanted to use them in the flower
gardens. I really didn't want them but I hated to refuse her, as she is
so fond of flowers she thinks everyone else must be, also. Now, this is
your opportunity!" said Mrs. James.
"You take the plants and slips she offers, and by judicious praise you
will urge her to talk about her gardens. In this way, you can find out
more about raising flowers than if you had a book on the subject. I
never saw such gorgeous blossoms as she has," said Natalie eagerly.
"When she finds she has a really interested florist who intends doing
the work properly, she may give Norma more slips than Natalie could draw
from her," suggested Frances.
"At any rate, we need plenty of flowers around the place to make it look
attractive, and Norma's plan will beautify the grounds as well as give
her her profession," said Mrs. James.
When they arrived at the Corners Frances mailed her letter; and Norma,
with Mrs. James, stopped in to see Mrs. Tompkins and her flower gardens;
but the other girls went to Nancy Sherman's house to plan about the
Patrol meetings.
Mrs. Tompkins was delighted to have visitors who were interested in
flowers, and when Norma was ready to join the girls to go home, she
carried a huge market basket filled with all sorts of plants,--from a
delicate lily to a briar-rose.
As they trudged along the dark road, Norma said: "I suppose it will be
too dark when we get home to plant the flowers to-night, Mrs. James?"
"Oh yes; but you can get up before the sun in the morning and have the
planting done before the heat of the day," said Mrs. James.
"Mrs. Tompkins told me to place inverted flower-pots over all the young
plants during the middle of the day, until they began to perk up their
heads. That would show they had taken new root in the soil to which they
had been transplanted. But the rose-bush and lily I must plant in a
sheltered spot and shade them with a screen for a week or more. They
would always freshen up at night but would droop during the day unless I
did this," explained Norma.
"I wonder how long it will be before those little things have flowers?"
said Belle.
"Mrs. Tompkins told me that they would bud in two weeks at least. I
mean, the portulaca and heliotrope and other old-fashioned plants she
dug up for me. You see, they were already started in her garden, and
this transplanting will only set them back a few days, she said."
"Then you can begin to figure on an income in a month's time, at the
very latest," teased Belle.
Norma made no reply to this laughing remark, but she was determined to
show Belle that perseverance and persistence were great things that made
for success.
It was past nine when the girls reached Green Hill Farm. As they entered
the side gate they heard strange sounds coming from the barnyard.
Everyone glanced at Janet to inquire the cause of the sounds.
"It sounds just like those piggies. What can they be squealing for at
this hour?" said Mrs. James.
Janet looked guilty, but she said nothing. However, as soon as they
reached the side piazza, she hurried on past the kitchen door and made
for the barn.
Rachel heard the arrival and came out on the piazza. "Mis' James, dem
pigs ain't kep' still all night. I guv 'em some hot mush at six o'clock
'cause Janet fergot to feed 'em. But I ain't goin' to be no nuss-gal to
any porkers when I'se got my house-wuk to look affer. Ef I wuz goin' to
raise hogs, I'd raise 'em, but I ain't goin' to do it fer no one else,
nohow."
Everyone laughed appreciatively, and Mrs. James added: "Janet told us
she had forgotten the chickens to-night. But I told her there was no use
in her returning home, then, as fowl went to roost with the sun, and
would not want to be bothered again. I was not aware the pigs had been
forgotten, too."
"Wall, I kin tell her what ails 'em, but I jes' thought I'd let her try
to fin' it out herself. Mebbe she'll take a little interest in her
business if she is left to do the wuk!" declared Rachel.
"What makes them squeal, Rachel? You can tell us, can't you?" coaxed
Natalie.
"Well den, dey ain't got no beddin' to sleep on, an' t' dish wid water
is be'n upsot all evenin', so dey ain't got no drinkin' water. Young
pigs drink an orful lot of water an' dey has to have good beddin' to
sleep on, or dey'll squeal."
After this explanation, the other girls were eager to go to the pig-pen
and see what Janet was doing for the comfort of her investment. Natalie
ran indoors and got an electric flashlight, and they all started for the
barnyard, Rachel bringing up the rear.
Poor Janet was ready to scream, when they found her trying to hush the
pigs. She would try to catch first one, then another to see if anything
had happened to them, but they kept her jumping around the pen without
her fingers ever touching their little pink hides.
After Mrs. James explained the cause of their rioting, Janet crawled
over the closely-fitted laths that fenced them in; and all the girls
started for the barn to find some fresh straw for a bed. Water had been
given them, and the avidity with which they drank it showed how thirsty
they had been.
When the bed was made up in the little house, the three weary little
fellows ran in and were soon curled up to sleep. Then the girls followed
Rachel back to the house, Janet listening very humbly to her discourse
on "Cruelty to Domestic Animals."
Early in the morning Norma was up, and without disturbing anyone,
slipped down-stairs and started to work on the flower beds. She had
listened so earnestly to Mrs. Tompkins' advice about digging and
fertilizing the soil, that she had finished the narrow beds that edged
the house before the other girls came down.
"Why, Norma, you certainly are industrious," said Mrs. James, when she
saw all that had been accomplished.
"Isn't it fun, Mrs. James! I never dreamed how nice it is to be a
farmer. But I never want to be anything else, now."
Belle laughed, for she was too dignified and superior to ever think of
farm-work. Natalie watched Norma rake over the roundel that was the
center of the turn-around in the drive from the road, and then remarked:
"Where did you find the compost, Norma?"
Norma looked up and smiled. "Mrs. Tompkins told me how to mix the
fertilizer found in a barnyard, and so I did. But I found some in a box
over there by the vegetable gardens and I used some of that, too."
"If I didn't have to go and look after my vegetable gardens, Norma, I'd
help you plant the flowers," said Natalie. "But duty calls me, so I must
obey."
"I'll help Norma plant the slips," offered Janet.
"Your duty is calling you with a louder voice than Natalie's ever
could," laughed Belle, holding up a finger to attract attention to the
pig-pen.
The girls laughed, and Janet sighed. "I suppose it will be pigs, pigs,
pigs all summer, whenever I have anything else I wish to do. Even that
old hen misbehaves, and gets off the nest every time I examine the eggs
to see if they are being pecked."
Natalie had started for her garden by this time, but when she reached
the low dividing fence at the end of the grass plat back of the kitchen,
she screamed furiously and ran for her precious vegetables.
The other girls turned and ran over to see what had happened. Natalie
was shooing the young chicks away from her tender green sprouts, but she
dared not tramp upon her beds, so the broilers ran a few feet away and
then stood eyeing her. They, seemingly, were but waiting for her to go
away so they could resume their breakfast.
"That's because Janet forgot to feed them last night for supper. Now all
my young beets are eaten off the top! How can we ever raise anything to
eat or sell, if her old pesky chickens keep this up!" wailed Natalie,
examining the beets.
"They only managed to get a few of them, Nat! Thank your stars you got
here when you did," remarked Belle.
"I just bet it was those same horrid birds that destroyed my garden
before! I never saw a crow after that, and I thought I had frightened
them away with the scarecrow. But now, I'm sure it was the broilers!"
declared Natalie.
"What a lot of satisfaction it will be to pick their bones," suggested
Frances. That made them all laugh and put Natalie in a better humor.
Janet was wise enough to remain at her work with the pigs and chickens,
and not venture near Natalie that morning.
At breakfast Natalie opened the subject. "Janet, you've got to keep
those chickens in a yard. If they get into my garden again, I'm going to
wring their necks and stew them for dinner!"
"Wait until they have a little more to them than skin and bone," laughed
Janet.
"They'll make soup--if nothing more," snapped Natalie.
"I was about to say, Janet, that you might get some wire-netting at the
Corners, such as is used for runways for chickens," suggested Mrs.
James.
"How much will it cost? I can't spend more than my allowance, you know,"
answered Janet.
"I have a letter here, in reply to one I wrote Mr. Marvin, saying I was
to use my own good judgment about the out-buildings. I wrote him that we
ought to repair the coops and pens, as well as the barns, as soon as
possible. And he says we can get whatever material we need for slight
repairs at the Corners. He opened an account for us with Si Tompkins and
this wire can be charged to that."
"But I don't see why you should pay for my chicken run, Mrs. James?"
said Janet.
"We are going to repair it, anyway, whether you keep chickens in it, or
someone else does it. If you are willing to help with the work to be
done on it, we will consider it squared on the cost of the wire-netting
and nails," explained Mrs. James.
"I'll go to the Corners right after breakfast and get the wire. Maybe I
can find someone to drive me home again, so I won't have to carry the
awkward roll," said Janet eagerly.
Norma was too busy with her flowers to join the other girls after
breakfast, and Natalie said she saw some weeds growing up in her garden
beds so she would have to get after them. Janet and Belle and Frances,
therefore, started for the store, planning to help carry the roll of
wire back home.
Mrs. James assisted Rachel with the housework as it was cleaning-day,
and so everyone was engaged when an automobile stopped in front of the
house.
Norma Evaston was carefully patting down the soil about a geranium plant
when a shadow fell across it. She glanced up, and started in surprise
when she saw Mr. Lowden smiling down at her.
"Good-morning, Norma. I thought to find Frances here, too, so I crept up
the walk to surprise her," said he.
"Oh, how did you get here? There isn't a train until eleven," returned
Norma wonderingly.
"We came in the machine. Mrs. Lowden and I are going to leave it here
for you to use this summer, so we thought it best to drive out and go
back later by the train."
"Why, Mr. Lowden! Frans only mailed that letter last night! How could
you have received it already and driven here?" Norma puckered her brow
as she tried to figure out what time the letter could have arrived in
the city that morning, if it left Greenville at six o'clock.
"What letter?" It was now Mr. Lowden's turn to be surprised.
"Oh, didn't you know Frances wanted the car to use all summer as an
investment?" asked Norma innocently.
"As an investment! What do you mean?"
"Yes, and we think it will be great fun, too," returned Norma eagerly.
"You see, I am going in for flowers to sell to tired homesick financiers
downtown in New York. One sniff of a sprig of heliotrope or the cheerful
nod of a pink standing in a glass of water on his desk will refresh one
so that he will start out like a new man!
"Nat is raising vegetables. She has all the greens up above the ground
already, but those hungry chickens ate off a number of her best ones, so
that makes them look a bit messy just now. However, they will soon
recover and grow as good as ever. The household will buy all its
vegetables from her, and Solomon's Seal Patrol expect to buy theirs from
her, too.
"Janet went in for stock-farming. She only has a few pigs and the
chickens as yet, but there are plenty of other things to get, as her
allowance comes due. She is now planning to buy some guinea-hens, a
flock of geese, some bees for honey, a few pigeons so we can have
squabs, and other stock as time rolls by.
"But Frances chose to go into the service business. She is going to run
an auto-bus from the station to the different destinations, and when we
girls wish to take a pleasure-ride in the country, we all expect to pay
a just price for the use of the car. By fall, Frans ought to have saved
quite a sum of money, don't you think so?"
Norma had talked so fast that Mr. Lowden could not have said a word had
he wanted to; but he listened with face growing redder and redder, and
when Norma concluded her amazing explanation he burst out laughing loud
and long. His wife heard the mirth as she sat in the car waiting to
learn if he had found the right place. Now she jumped out of the tonneau
and ran over.
Norma sat back on her feet gazing up at the breathless man, when Mrs.
Lowden joined the two. He tried to sober down enough to explain, but he
spoke in gasps.
"Natalie raises vegetables for Solomon; Janet has turned
stock-broker--her stock breaks down all of Natalie's greens. Norma here
is the philanthropist of the crowd,--she is about to raise flowers for
heart-sick financiers. But our Frances is the Shylock of the party. She
is going to charge fees for the use of an automobile that costs her
nothing! What do you think of your daughter, now, Mabel?" And he laughed
again, so heartily that Rachel came out to see who was with Norma.
Mrs. James soon followed Rachel, and the Lowdens were welcomed by the
hostess. Norma could not stop her work long enough to sit down on the
piazza and visit, but she sent this advice after Mr. Lowden as he was
about to mount the porch-steps:
"Janet went to the Corners for chicken-wire and you can do the girls a
great favor by going for them with the car. Belle and Frances went with
Jan, to take turns carrying the roll. But I guess it is going to be
awfully heavy for them!"
Mr. Lowden then excused himself for a time, and left his wife with Mrs.
James. He soon had the car speeding along the road that went to the
Corners, and Norma felt she had done her friends a good turn. But she
never dreamed that Frances had not mentioned the automobile as a
money-maker for that summer.
When the machine came back with the girls and their roll of
wire-netting, Frances looked disconsolate. Norma was wondering whether
her father had refused her the car for business purposes, and so she
stopped planting long enough to join the party on the piazza.
"What do you think, Norma? Dad says I have to be sixteen before I can
have a license to drive a jitney. If I drive without one, that old lazy
Amity Parsons will arrest me. And if I use someone else's license, I can
be heavily fined. That explodes all my ambition!" exclaimed Frances
woefully.
But Janet came to the rescue, as usual. "Say, Mr. Lowden, Frans can
drive the car without a license if she has someone in the seat beside
her who _does_ have a regular license."
"Who can I have?" demanded Frances.
"Well, I don't know! I haven't thought of that, yet!" admitted Janet.
"I can drive a car, so there is no excuse why I should not be able to
secure one," said Mrs. James thoughtfully.
"The main point is--we've got the car here to use for the summer, and
the other points can be covered as we reach them," remarked Janet.
Mr. Lowden laughed again, for all this business ambition was highly
amusing to him. But he had no objections to the automobile remaining at
Green Hill Farm during his absence in the west, and the girls all
breathed easier when they heard his verdict.
"Well, you can argue out the question about a jitney license, but I must
go back to my flowers," said Norma, getting up from the steps and
starting for the roundel.
"And I must start work on that chicken-fencing. If it is to be done
before nightfall, I must ask help, too," said Janet, beckoning Belle to
help her carry the roll of wire.
Mr. and Mrs. Lowden were invited to stay to dinner but they declined
with regrets, as they were to be back in New York soon after noon. Then
Frances said: "I'll have to drive you to the station to catch the only
train that stops at Greenville this afternoon, and how will I get back
if I haven't a license?"
"I'll accompany you, Frances, and later we will have to plan a way out
of the difficulty," said Mrs. James.
Good-bys were said, and the girls stood on the piazza waiting to see the
car start off, when Rachel came out. "Hey, Mis' James! I got it! Jes'
hol' up a minit, will yuh?"
She hurried down the walk and ran out of the gate to lay her plan before
the owners of the automobile.
"Yuh all knows my nephew Sam in Noo York? Well, he got a shover's
license las' spring cuz he figgered on drivin' somebody's car this
summer in the country. But we all know what a easy-goin' darky he is,
too!
"He diden have ambichun enough to hunt out a place, so he jes' waited
fer a plum to drap in his mout'. Ef he is in Noo York, he'll be at dis
address, sure! Ef I tells him to come out heah, widdout fail, to run dat
car, he'll come quick as lightnin'. Ef us gives him room an' board, he
oughter be glad fer the chants. Den no one kin pester Mis' Francie 'bout
license, er nuttin. An' Sam kin make hisself useful to me by bringin' in
coal an' wood fer t' kitchen fire, an' doin' odd jobs about t' place."
This information seemed to suit Mr. Lowden exactly, and he turned to
Rachel to say: "I'll find him, Rachel, never fear--if he is to be found
in the city. Look for him in the next day or two."
Then saying good-by again, they drove away.