"You may give money, but you can't vote," Marty instructed him.

Hiram thought over it a good while, and then said very gravely, though his eyes twinkled, "Well, I guess giving money's the main thing after all, isn't it? I reckon I'll join if you'll let me."

"We'll be ever so glad to have you," said Marty warmly. She felt as if it was partly her band, and was interested in seeing it growing and flourishing.

They were nearly back to the house when Evaline suddenly stopped, exclaiming,

"You never told him he might come to the meetings!"

"Neither I did! How came I to forget that! We must go right back and tell him."

When they reached the barn again, they saw Hiram at the foot of the hill, just entering the next field; but hearing the girls shouting, "Hiram! Hiram!" and seeing them running to overtake him, he strode back across the fence, and seated himself on the top rail to wait for them.

"I forgot a most important thing," said Marty, panting for breath.

"Mamma says honorary members may attend the meetings."

"Maybe I hadn't better attend them," said Hiram with a quizzical look.

"I might want to vote."

"Oh, do you think you should?" asked Marty anxiously.

Hiram bit off a piece of straw and chewed it, slowly moving his head from side to side, appearing to meditate profoundly, while the little girls waited in suspense.

"Well," he said, after he had apparently thought the matter over, "I suppose I can hold up from voting; and I reckon you can count on me to come."

And come he did, the very next Sunday, appearing to take great interest in the proceedings.

CHAPTER XVI.

A FLOWER SALE.

"Oh, look! Look over there!" exclaimed Marty. "What are those lovely white flowers?"

"Wild clematis," replied Evaline.

"O Hiram, wont you please stop and let us get some?" pleaded Marty. "I'd like so much to take some to mamma."

Hiram was obliged to go to Black's Mills on an errand that morning, and Marty and Evaline had been allowed to go with him for the ride.

Returning he had driven around by another road, as he said one of the horses had lost a shoe, and this road, though longer, was less stony, and therefore easier for the horse than the other. Besides it would take them by McKay's blacksmith-shop, where he could get the horse shod.

It was when going through a valley, which the country folks called "the bottom," that they saw the clematis. It was growing in the greatest profusion in the meadows and the woods on both sides of the road, rambling over bushes, rocks, fences, everything, with its great starry cl.u.s.ters of white blossoms.

"I don't think you had better go after any," said Hiram in reply to Marty's request. "Them low places are muddy after the rain yesterday, and your ma might be angry if you was to go home with your shoes all muddied. Besides, there _may_ be snakes under them bushes."

"Snakes! Oh, dear!" said Marty with a shudder. "But I should like some of those flowers for mamma."

"Well," said Hiram, reining in the horses, "if you promise to sit still in the wagon and not be up to any of your tricks of climbing in and out, I'll get you some."

"Oh, thank you ever so much! I'll sit as still as a mouse. But then I shouldn't like the snakes to bite you."

"I reckon they wont bite me," said Hiram, as he leaped over the fence, and taking out his knife proceeded to cut great cl.u.s.ters of flowers.

"Oh, just see the loads he is getting!" cried Marty.

Then as Hiram returned with a huge armful which he carefully laid in the back of the wagon, she said, "Thank you many times, Hiram. You are very kind. How pleased mamma will be! But half these are yours, Evaline."

After this they had what was to Marty the pleasure of fording a small stream, where the horses were allowed to stop and drink. Presently they had a distant view of a cascade, called b.u.t.termilk Falls. As the road did not approach very near, only a glimpse could be caught of the creamy foam; but Hiram said that some day, if Mr. Stokes could spare him, he would drive them all down to that point, and they could walk from there to the falls.

"I reckon Mrs. Ashford would like to see 'em," he said.

"Indeed she would," said Marty.

Altogether the drive was what Marty considered "just perfectly lovely."

And she was delighted also to be able to go home with such quant.i.ties of pretty flowers. She was already planning with Evaline what vases and pitchers they should put them in. "How surprised the folks will be when they see us coming in with our arms full!" she said.

When they reached a little wood back of Mr. Stokes' barn, Hiram stopped the horses, saying,

"Now, I've got to go 'round to McKay's, and may have to wait there a considerable spell, so you'd better just hop out here and go home through the woods."

He helped them out, gave them the flowers, and drove on. The girls sat down under a tree and divided the spoils. Marty contrived to make a basket of her broad-brimmed brown straw hat, in which she carefully placed her flowers. Evaline's basket was her gingham ap.r.o.n held up by the corners.

When they came within sight of the grove where their missionary meetings had been held, Evaline whispered,

"Look, Marty! there are some ladies sitting on our log."

Sure enough, there were three young ladies, evidently resting after a mountain climb, for their alpenstocks were lying beside them, and one, a bright, black-eyed girl wearing a stylish red jacket, was fanning herself with her broad hat. As Marty and Evaline drew near this young lady called out gaily,

"Well, little flower girls, where did you come from?"

"We've been to Black's Mills in the wagon with Hiram, and when we were coming through the bottom he got this clematis for us," explained Marty, who always had to be spokesman.

"And it is beautiful!" exclaimed the young lady. "What wouldn't I give for some like it! Did Hiram leave any or did he gather all for you?"

"Oh, there's plenty left!"

"Then I must have some," said the young lady, jumping up. "Come, girls, follow your leader to this bottom, wherever it is, and let us gather clematis while we may."

"f.a.n.n.y, f.a.n.n.y, you crazy thing! Sit down and behave yourself," cried one of her friends, laughing. "You have no idea where the place is, and we have been walking for three or four hours already."

"Oh, you can't go," said Marty earnestly to Miss f.a.n.n.y. "It's miles and miles away; down steep hills and across the ford. Besides, Hiram says there may be snakes among the bushes."

"Well, that settles it," said Miss f.a.n.n.y, reseating herself on the log, while the others laughed heartily.

Then Marty said with pretty hesitation, "Wont you have some of my flowers? I'd like to give you some."