"Some of mine, too," said Evaline, her generosity overcoming her shyness.

"Oh, no, indeed!" protested Miss f.a.n.n.y. "Thank you very much, but I would not for the world deprive you of them. Very likely you have got it all arranged exactly how you are going to dispose of them at home."

So they had, but neither of them was a bit selfish. Marty had already placed her hat on the end of the log and was busily engaged in separating a large bunch of flowers from the rest, and Evaline, approaching the young ladies, held out her ap.r.o.nful towards them.

"Perhaps," suggested the tall, fair girl, whom her companions called "Dora," "perhaps you would be willing to play you are real flower girls and would sell us some."

"Yes, yes," exclaimed Miss f.a.n.n.y, "let us make a play of it. Little girls, how much are your flowers?" and she drew forth a long blue purse.

"'T would be mean to sell what didn't cost us anything, and what we didn't have to move a finger to get," said Marty. "I'd a great deal rather you would let me give you as many as you want."

"No, it would not be mean at all when you are giving up what you have so much pleasure in. It would only be fair to take something in exchange,"

said Miss f.a.n.n.y. "Just think!" she added persuasively, "isn't there something you'd each like to have a quarter for?"

Marty still held out against taking money for the flowers, but all at once Evaline exclaimed brightly, "Oh, the mission-band!"

"Mission-band!" cried Miss f.a.n.n.y. "Familiar sound! Are you mission girls?"

"Yes," they said.

"Why, so are we all. We must shake hands all around."

They did so, laughing, and feeling like old friends. Then in ten minutes' chatter the young ladies told what cities they were from and what bands they belonged to, found out about Marty's home band, and the newly-formed mountain band she took such an interest in, and which Evaline persisted in saying Marty started. They were particularly delighted in hearing about this last; they thought it highly romantic that the meetings were held in that lovely grove, and were amused by the idea of meeting in the barn in case of rain, and also of Hiram's consenting to join as an honorary member.

"Now," said Miss f.a.n.n.y, "you will agree to sell some of your flowers, wont you? See how nicely it all fits in--we want some flowers very much, and you want some money for your mission work. So it's a fair exchange.

Girls," she said, turning to her friends, "you know this is Mrs.

Thurston's birthday. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could have about half this clematis to decorate her room with?"

Marty declared if she was going to give them a quarter apiece, she must take all, or most of the flowers, instead of half. After much talk it was finally arranged that the little girls were each to keep what Miss f.a.n.n.y called "a good double-handful," and the rest was handed over to the young ladies.

"This is my first missionary money," said Evaline, caressing her bright silver quarter in delight.

Marty, also, appeared very well pleased with the unexpected increase to her store.

Before separating Miss f.a.n.n.y proposed another plan. She had already stated that she and her friends were staying at the hotel in Riseborough, and had caused Evaline to point out where she lived.

"Day after to-morrow," said Miss f.a.n.n.y, "a party of five or six of us are going to take a drive to see some falls, and coming back we pa.s.s right by your house. We shall probably be along towards the close of the afternoon. Now couldn't you be on the lookout for us, and have some more missionary clematis for sale?"

"It doesn't grow very near here," said Evaline, "and I don't believe Hiram would have time to take us to the bottom again after any. He's busy harvesting."

"Of course I don't wish you to go to so much trouble about it; but cannot you get us flowers of some kind near here--in some of these woods?"

Evaline, who was anxious for more missionary money, said she thought there were still some cardinal flowers down in the glen, and Miss f.a.n.n.y said they would be the very thing.

"And then it would be more like earning the missionary money if we had to work ourselves to get the flowers," said Marty.

"You have been brought up in the orthodox school, I see," said Miss f.a.n.n.y, and all the young ladies laughed.

After many last words and kindly adieus, they parted, and the children ran home to relate their adventures.

CHAPTER XVII.

WEEDING.

When the plan for Thursday was announced, both Mrs. Ashford and Mrs.

Stokes objected to the little girls going so far into the woods by themselves; and n.o.body could go with them.

"Then we'll have no flowers for the ladies," sighed Marty.

"And no more missionary money," added Evaline.

"Why not give them flowers out of the garden?" said Mrs. Stokes. "Sakes alive! there's plenty there. And they're just the kind I've seen city folks going crazy over. Some of the hotel folks were up here last summer, and deary me! but they did make a to-do over my larkspur, sweet-william, china pinks, candytuft, c.o.c.ks...o...b.. and such. You just give the ladies some of 'em, and they'll be pleased enough; for there's hardly any flowers in Riseborough--too shady, I guess."

"That's all well enough for Evaline," said Mrs. Ashford, "but Marty has no right to sell your flowers."

"She has if I give 'em to her, hasn't she? I'm sure she's welcome to every bloom in the garden to do what she pleases with. Not that I want my flowers sold; I'd rather give 'em to the ladies, but as long as it is for mission work--" and the good woman finished with a little nod.

But Mrs. Ashford still objected to Marty's taking the flowers, and Evaline would not have anything to do with the scheme unless Marty could "go halves."

"Dear Mrs. Stokes," said Marty, "can't you think of some way I could work for the flowers, and then mamma wouldn't object to my taking them?"

"Well, I'll tell you. The gravel walk 'round the centre bed is pretty tolerable weedy, and if you and Evaline'll weed it out nice and clean, you may have all the flowers you want all summer."

That satisfied all parties, and the weeding began that afternoon. When Marty was going to do anything she always wanted to get at it right away. Besides Almira advised them to do some that afternoon.

"Then maybe you can finish it up to-morrow morning before the sun gets 'round there," she said. "This is a very good time to do it too--just after the rain."

The girls were armed with old knives--not very sharp ones--to dig out the weeds with, if they would not come with pulling.

"You must be sure to get them up by the roots," said Almira, "or they'll grow again before you know where you are."

"Oh, we are going to do it _good_," Marty declared.

They divided the walk into sections, and set to work vigorously. In a few moments Marty remarked complacently,

"The bottom of my basket is quite covered with weeds. But then," she added in a different tone, "I don't see where they came from. I hardly miss them out of the walk."

A few moments more of quiet work, and she called out,

"Evaline, are many of your weeds in _tight_?"

"Awful tight," answered Evaline disconsolately. "They've got the longest roots of any weeds _I_ ever saw. 'T would take a week of rain to make this walk fit to weed."

"Well," said Marty, "of course it isn't just as easy as taking a quarter for some clematis that was given to us in the first place, but as it is for missions I think we ought to be willing to do it, even if it is a little hard."