Natalie: A Garden Scout Part 23

"Well then, Jan, if you can bear up under the arduous duties of a Patrol Leader, I reckon I can survive the work of acting as your Corporal,"

retorted Natalie.

"All right. Then we'll enroll our Tenderfoot Scouts in a Patrol before the next official meeting here, and begin training them in the path that they should follow," agreed irrepressible Janet.

After this, many subjects that interest Girl Scouts were taken up and discussed, and the girls from Green Hill Farmhouse were more deeply impressed with the wonders of scouting than they had dreamed possible.

Each girl determined to do everything possible to learn as much that summer as those Girl Scouts of Solomon's Seal knew.

CHAPTER XI-NORMA AND FRANCES LAUNCH THEMSELVES

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 s.h.i.+p to Was.h.i.+ngton 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, rus.h.i.+ng 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 gla.s.s 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?"