CHAPTER XIII--BELLE'S CHOICE OF A PROFESSION
Solomon's Seal Patrol invited the Tenderfoot members to their camp onthe afternoon before the Fourth of July to begin their lessons inscouting. Frances agreed to notify the three Greenville girls of theinvitation and then call for them at the time appointed.
Because of the afternoon to be spent at the camp, Natalie planned togive her entire morning to the garden. There had been enough rainfall atintervals, during the time she had first started her garden, to keep theplants sufficiently moist, but for several days, now, the sun had bakedthe soil and there had been no sign of a cloud in the sky.
At breakfast that Saturday morning Natalie spoke of it. "Jimmy, mygarden is as dry as a lime-kiln. What had I better do about it?"
"You might try sprinkling it with a hose. I see there is a hydrant rightnear the box-hedge--for that very purpose, I guess."
"I never thought of that! But I will need a hose," said Natalie.
"I saw one in the cellar, Nat, when I was nosing about for some oldflower-pots to cover my transplanted flowers," now remarked Norma.
"Then I'll get it out right after breakfast, and see if it will screwonto the hydrant."
Norma went with Natalie as she went down the outside cellar-steps to thepartitioned corner where the hose had been seen. It was wound on an oldwooden rack that could be carried up to the grass-plot and turned tounwind the long piece of rubber.
"Isn't it great to discover this all ready for us?" said Nataliedelightedly.
"With a brass cap on one end to screw it to the hydrant, too," addedNorma.
The other girls gathered around to watch the two gardeners manipulatethe hose, and when it had been carefully unwound Natalie dragged one endover to the hedge to try and screw the cap to the hydrant.
This was soon accomplished, and Norma then straightened out the lengthof rubber to allow the water to flow through it more readily whenNatalie should turn the faucet. As the unexpected advent of a gardenhose was a cause for celebration, the four girls called to Mrs. James tocome out and watch the sprinkler work.
Rachel felt that she must be on the spot also, so she hurried out,wiping her wet hands on her apron as she came.
"All ready, Nat,--turn on the water!" called Norma, as she picked up theend with the sprinkler on it.
Natalie turned the brass faucet and instantly the flow of water swelledthe hose out, but there were many punctures in its length, and oneserious crack, so that the water spurted up through the holes and madegraceful fountains. There was enough force of water, however, to cause afine shower of water to come from the sprinkler, until suddenly, withoutwarning, a sound as of a muffled explosion came, and quite near thesprinkler the rubber burst and shot forth a stream of water.
"Wait a minit, Honey--I'll run an' git a piece of mendin' tape what Ifoun' in my kitchen closet," called Rachel, hurrying up the stoop-stepsand disappearing through the doorway.
The girls tried to stop the undesired spurt of water by placing theirhands over the crack and on other holes in the length of the tube. ThenRachel appeared with the bicycle tape, and was just coming down thesteps when Natalie called to her.
Norma still held the sprinkler in her hand and now turned to see whatRachel had; in so doing, she unconsciously turned the end of the hosealso, so that instantly all the girls trying to stop the leakage werethoroughly sprinkled.
Such a screaming and shouting ensued that Norma instantly turned to seewhat had happened. This time the water drenched Mrs. James, who fledprecipitately for the house.
Rachel was haw-hawing loudly at the funny scene when Norma turned toexplain the accident to the girls. Without warning, the shower now fellupon Rachel, who had approached within its radius.
But the latter was not as docile about being soaked as were the girls.She dashed forward, caught the hose from Norma's hands and threw it uponthe grass.
"Turn dat water off at d' hydran', Natalie Av'rill!" shouted the iratewoman.
Natalie had been laughing immoderately at the outcome of the experimentwith the hose, but she quickly obeyed Rachel's order and turned off thewater.
"You thought it was awfully funny, Rachie, until you got a soakingyourself," called Natalie, still giggling.
"Me! I wa'n't mad, a'tall! I jes' wants to mend dis pipe, an' one cain'tdo nuthin' wid water flyin' through it at such a rate. Now I kin wrapdis tape aroun' it an' fix it, so's you kin water your gardens,"explained Rachel loftily.
After this incident the hose was mended and Natalie soon had her youngvegetables well watered and left to the mercy of the sun that day. Noone at Green Hill Farm knew enough to advise her not to water the plantswhile the sun was shining upon them, and Natalie fondly fancied she haddone a good thing.
Norma sprinkled her flowers well when Natalie had done with the hose,but the flower beds were sheltered from the noonday sun, so they did notfare as badly as did the vegetables.
Sam was in the barnyard helping Janet construct a new shed for the calfwhich she wanted to buy the next week, and he was not so well versed infarm-lore, so Natalie never understood why all her tender seedlingsshould wilt so quickly and seem to dry away before the afternoon heat.
The tomato plants, that had been transplanted from Mr. Ames's farm, hadgrown wonderfully well, and were large enough to warrant Natalie'sstarting the frames which would be needed when the red fruit appeared onthe vines. So she planned how to make the best kind of square frame forthem, as she loosened the soil about the potato plants that morning.
Her thoughts were so filled with the vision of the lath frames that shefailed to see something crawling on a tiny leaf of the potato vine whereshe was hoeing. When her eye was attracted to the movement, she gave aslight shudder and screamed.
"Wat's d' matter now?" called Rachel from the kitchen steps.
"Ooh! A horrid bug on one of my dear little potato vines!" criedNatalie, standing still to watch the crawling beetle.
Rachel hurried over to the garden. "Da's onny a tater-bug, Honey. Ain'tchew ever hear tell of tater-bugs? Ef you'se let 'em go, dey will eat upall your taters in no time."
As she explained, Rachel took the Colorado beetle between her fat thumband forefinger and soon crushed it. Natalie shivered as she watched theremains flung away, but Rachel meant business and had no time for daintyshudderings.
In a few minutes she had turned over other tiny leaves and revealed manybugs eating away at the juicy food. These were quickly caught andkilled, but a few of them managed to get away by flying up out ofRachel's reach.
Natalie stood by and watched, and when Rachel said: "Now you'se kin goon wid dis job. Ebery vine has to be hunted on and dem tater-bugs killedoff."
"Rachie, I just can't crush them the way you do!" complained Natalie.
Rachel looked at the girl for a moment, then said: "Neber mind dis way,Honey. I'll git Sam to fix you up a tin can on a stick. You kin havesome kerosene in it and brush dese pests into t' can by using a shortstick. Dey can't fly away, when once dey fall in dat kerosene."
"But Rachel, isn't there a way to keep the horrid pests away from mygarden?" asked Natalie anxiously.
"Yeh--we'se will have to squirt Paris Green or hellebore on the leaves,I rickon," returned Rachel thoughtfully.
"Then tell Frances to buy some next time she drives past Si Tompkins'store," said Natalie, turning her back on the potato-beds and startingwork on the bean-plants.
The weeding had all been finished, and most of the potato-vines had beencleaned of the beetles, before the noonday meal was announced to thebusy workers. They were half famished, as was usual nowadays, andhastened to the house to wash and clean up before appearing in thedining-room.
Frances drove to the Corners and not only got the powder for Natalie'splants, but also got the two girls who were to attend the Scout meetingthat day. Having left them at the house, she drove on to Ames's farm forDorothy.
Mr. Ames came out of the corn-house when he saw the car and walked overto speak to Frances. Dorothy was al
most ready, so while there were a fewminutes to fill, Frances told the farmer about Natalie's potato-bugs andthe powder she bought.
"Tell her to use it when the leaves are damp with dew in the mornin'--ithas better results that time. Ef she squirts it on dry, an' the leavesare dry, too, the eggs won't die. It is the wet paste made on the leaveswhen the powder melts in the dew that chokes off the young so they can'tbreathe."
"I'll tell her what you say," replied Frances thankfully.
"An' warn her to keep an eye open fer cutworms, too, 'cause they willappear about these times, when beans an' young vines are becomin'hearty. I've hed many a fine plant of cabbitch chopped down through thestem, jus' as it was goin' to head."
Natalie was given these advices and felt that she was being well lookedafter, with two interested farmers at hand to keep her right.
The afternoon at Solomon's Seal Patrol Camp was spent in interestingways. Miss Mason first read the principles of the Girl Scouts, thenrepeated the motto. Most of the girls knew the slogan, which they gavein unison, and then said the pledge aloud.
Miss Mason then read the letter from National Headquarters which was areply to her application for a Troop registration. The members of thefirst Patrol had heard its news--that they might begin their ceremoniesas a Troop, because the application had been filed and accepted, and theregistration would soon reach them.
The new Patrol heard this with delight, and the fact that they weregoing to be actual members of a Troop made them feel that they hadbecome more important to the public than ever, in the last few minutes.
The new Scouts were put through several tests that afternoon, and werethen permitted to watch the Scouts of Patrol No. 1 do many thrillingFirst Aid demonstrations. The afternoon ended with refreshments, allprepared and served by the girls. The cakes, wild berries and lemonadetasted delicious as the girls sat under the great oak tree and chatted.
On the homeward walk, Nancy Sherman said to Natalie: "There are a fewmore girls at the Corners who are crazy to join the Scouts this summer.But I told them I thought our Patrol was full. Was that right?"
"Who are the girls--and how old are they, Nancy?"
"Oh, most of them are about thirteen or fourteen, but one girl is pastfifteen. There are six, in all, and they say that they know some moregirls who will join when they hear of it."
"Why can't they start Patrol No. 3, and belong to this same Troop,"suggested Janet.
"That's just what I was thinking," said Natalie.
Then Mrs. James spoke. "Nancy, you invite all these girls to our farmsome day and we will entertain them. After we have shown them what wecan do in Scout work we will accept them as candidates, if they consentto become _our_ Tenderfoot Scouts. In this way, girls, you all can winthe needed test to enroll as a First Class Scout when the time is athand."
This was an excellent idea, and the girls felt greatly encouraged at thehope of being able to take the examinations as First Class Scouts, ofPatrol No. 2, of Solomon's Seal Troop.
Nancy was entrusted with the invitation to the girls, and warned to keepsecrecy about the plan to secure the approval as First Class Scouts ontheir Tenderfoot training.
Sam and the car were nowhere in sight when the girls reached the house,but Rachel came out and explained.
"A telerphone call come f'om Noo York f'om dat antique woman, sayin' ferBelle t' git dat ol' chest of drawers oveh by Tarrytown road, right now.It war to be expressed at onct to her shop in Noo York, what Belle hadan address of, so I had Sam go along to git it an' fetch it back so's wecoul' pack an' ship it right off."
"Oh, Rachel! He need not have done that! I made all arrangements with aman near there to get the chest to the railroad station and express itto the city. I was only awaiting orders," exclaimed Belle, annoyed atthe way her well-laid plans were upset.
"I wuz thinkin', Honey, dat mebbe dat man would cost somethin' to do t'wuk, an' Sam ain't doin' nuthin' whiles he's waitin' fer orders. So yuhoughta get dat money foh yo'se'f."
Belle had not thought of this, and now she saw that Sam and Rachel wereplanning for her benefit. But Frances said: "How is he ever going tocarry the chest if it is a big affair?"
"It isn't, Frans," said Belle. "It is a low-boy that will easily go inthe tonneau, and no harm come to the car."
"Then I think Sam's plan was good. It saved you time and expense," saidMrs. James.
"Yes, and I must share the charges the man would have asked me, withSam," said Belle.
This pleased Rachel immensely,--that her kin should be commended andgiven a share in the profits. She felt amply repaid for all thesolicitude she had felt about the order.
The Solomon's Seal Tenderfoot Scouts had to walk home that day to theCorners, as Sam was not expected back in time to drive them home. TheGreen Hill girls accompanied their fellow-members to the gate andwatched them depart.
That evening Sam told Belle that he would build her a strong crate fromsome old wood found in the barn, and the chest could be taken to WhitePlains station early Monday. This plan would save time, and also thecost of crating and expressage if done at Tarrytown. So the chauffeurwas highly commended for the suggestion and told to do it as soon as hecould.
The experiences of Belle that summer in hunting antiques in theWestchester Hill farms were most interesting, but no room can be sparedin this book for the telling of her adventures. So that must wait for avolume on her exploits.
As the next day was Sunday, Natalie did not do any garden work, butJanet had to attend to her farmyard stock the same as on week-days. Shegrumbled a great deal over the cares and endless work of a stock-farmer,but the girls noticed that she was daily planning to add to her troublesby buying additions.
The girls were seated under the large sugar maple on the side lawn,waiting for Janet to finish her feeding of the pigs and chickens, when asiren was heard. Natalie jumped up and saw a car approaching along theroad. A party of ladies were with the man who drove the machine.
"Oh, I do believe it is Mr. Marvin, girls!" called Natalie.
"What!" cried Mrs. James in consternation. "Just look at us all--in ourold clothes!"
But the automobile was already at the gate, and the girls found to theirdelight that he had brought out their mothers.
It seemed like ages since they had seen each other. The girls talkedeagerly of all that had happened since they came to Green Hill. Normashowed her flower beds, which really were looking good. And Belle toldabout her antique collecting. Frances displayed with pride the sum ofmoney already earned with her private jitney, and Janet took thegreatest satisfaction in escorting her younger sister Helene and theladies to the barnyard to see her stock. Natalie, last of all, showedher gardens, which looked as neat as a row of pins.
Mr. Marvin complimented the girls on all their work, and then spoke ofthe roses in Natalie's cheeks and the difference in her general physicallooks.
"I suppose you are going to stay to dinner, aren't you?" venturedNatalie cautiously.
"No; we are invited to dine with some friends quite near Green HillFarm, but we thought we ought to stop in and see you before we go on toour hostess's place," said Mr. Marvin.
"I never knew you people were acquainted with anyone around here," saidJanet, wonderingly, to her mother.
"We are, however. A young lady we know well in the city is summering inGreenville, and we came to visit her and her family."
Neither of the girls dreamed that Mrs. Wardell was referring to MissMason and her Troop, so they kept guessing who the acquaintance mightbe. Finally Mr. Marvin laughed and told the secret.
Natalie laughed, too, and said: "Well, we certainly were thick-wittedthat time. We might have known it was Miss Mason's camp."
Mr. Marvin could not take his eyes from Natalie, she was so differentfrom the girl he had always known in the city. As she told of theadventures she and the girls had with their "professions" and the funnyexperiences with the old garden hose, her face was so alive with healthyinterest and her eyes sparkled with such fun, tha
t everyone saw thebenefit the country life had been to her.
Later, as they all started for Solomon's Seal Camp, Mr. Marvin confidedto Mrs. James: "She is so changed that I do not dread her return to thecity again. She hasn't spoken one morbid word, nor seemed pessimisticonce, since I've been here."
"She isn't, either," admitted Mrs. James. "Ever since she started workon that garden she has mentioned nothing that has happened in the pastto cause her sorrow. I sometimes wonder if she has forgotten it all."
"Let's hope so. These mournful remembrances never do anyone theslightest good. Don't revive them in her memory."
CHAPTER XIV--VISITORS AND WELCOME ORDERS
That afternoon at the Scout Camp taught the city visitors many thingsabout the outdoor life that now interested their girls. Then when it wastime for Mr. Marvin to drive home, he suddenly remembered something mostimportant.
"How could it have slipped my mind?" said he, as he took several foldedpapers from his breast pocket.
He adjusted his glasses and read: "Miss Norma Evaston, Floriculturist,Green Hill, Greenville, New York."
This long paper was handed to Norma who opened it with much curiosity.She glanced at it and then exclaimed in surprise,
"Oh, splendid! What does it mean?"
"Well, I'll tell you. I told a few friends of your idea of keeping theiroffice desks refreshed with old-fashioned flowers during the summer, andeach one signified a desire to be placed on your customer list. So, yousee, when the plants blossom, many of us will expect bouquets."
And then Mr. Marvin handed Belle a paper. She almost forgot her dignityin her joy.
"Mr. Marvin authorizes me to find him an old Colonial secretaire withdiamond-paned glass in the upper doors, and the old urn and ballscrowning the top. I'm sure I know just where to get such an one!"
"I want a mahogany one, Belle, and I am not particular about the cost,either. The condition of it will govern the price," explained thelawyer.
Janet frowned over the paper which Mr. Marvin now gave her. "What's thematter with your order, Janet?" asked Helene.
"Why, here I have orders for fresh eggs and broilers every week, and thehorrid old hens won't lay a single egg. Three of them insist uponsetting, and I can't keep them away from the nests that have China decoyeggs in them. The silly old things just set on them and chuckle withsatisfaction. If I shoo them away, they make the _most_ fuss!"
Everyone laughed at Janet's trials, but Mr. Marvin said, "That orderstands good for all season, Janet. When your hens do begin to lay,you'll have to ship the eggs by the car-load."
"How about an order for me?" called Natalie, seeing a paper in Mr.Marvin's hand.
"'Last but not least,'" laughed he. "We have all voted to turnvegetarians after this, just to order your crops, Natalie. Here is anorder for our winter potatoes, all the sweet corn you have left to sell,and other fresh things."
Natalie laughed and opened her paper. She laughed still louder as sheread the orders given her to fill at some future date.
Then the city visitors said good-by. As Mr. Marvin started the engine,he called back over his shoulder: "A month from to-day I am coming outwith a truck for deliveries."
The girls laughed and waved their hands at him, and soon the car was outof sight. Then they sat down to discuss the marvellous opportunity giventhem by Mr. Marvin.
After a time, Sam sauntered up to the side piazza and waited for anopportunity to speak to Mrs. James. Seeing him anxiously awaiting hischance, she smiled.
"What rests so heavily on your conscience, Sam?"
"I jus' walked down Miss Natalie's garden path to have a look at herwegetables, an' I see dem brush peas is 'way up. She oughta get herbrush to-morrer, sure, er she'll have trouble makin' t' vines cling. Efshe says t' word, I'll go an' cut down some good brush in t' woodlandafore she gets up in t' mornin' an' have it ready to use when she comesout."
"Oh, Sam! Will you, please? I didn't know those peas needed anything tohold to. I wasn't sure whether I planted the dwarf peas first, or theclimbing variety," exclaimed Natalie.
"That ain't all, either, Miss Nat," added Sam seriously. "I saw you gotlima beans planted in one bed, an' no poles on hand fer 'em. Did youorder any bean poles f'om Ames?"
"Bean poles! Why, no!" returned Natalie.
The girls laughed at her surprise, but Sam continued:
"How did you 'speckt the vines to clim'?"
"I never knew they did climb! I thought they just naturally grew andbranched out and bore beans," explained Natalie, to the great amusementof Mrs. James and the girls.
"Well, den, I'd better hunt up some decent poles, too, in t' woods, eh?"asked Sam.
"Would you have to cut down any good trees?"
"I'd choose any what looked sickly, er maybe some dead young trees.Don't worry 'bout me choppin' down any fine ones."
"Say, Nat, I think it will be fun for us all to go with Sam in themorning before breakfast, and help cut the brush and bean poles,"suggested Janet.
"I'm willin'," said Sam, smiling at the girls.
So the five girls went with Sam at sunrise the next morning, and bybreakfast-time, Natalie had sufficient poles and brush at her gardenbeds to help all the peas and beans she could find room for that year.
The stock-grower and florist, and even the antiquarian, took such aninterest in sticking the brush into the garden for the peas and helpingthe tendrils cling to their new support, that they left their own tasksundone.
Sam had driven Frances in the car to the store after breakfast, so hewas not around when the girls planted the bean poles. He had not pointedout the particular bed where the limas were growing, as he thought, ofcourse, that Natalie knew. But she had not followed Mrs. James' advicegiven a few weeks before, when the seed was sown--to register each bedwith the ticket of the vegetable that was planted there. Now she had todepend on her own memory to determine which of the different plants werebeans.
The three other girls carried the poles where she directed, andcarefully walked on the boards Natalie laid down for their feet, to keepthe beds from being trodden while they dug holes and firmly placed aseven-foot pole in each hill of beans.
"There now, don't they look business-like?" exulted Natalie, as shesurveyed with pride the rows of bean poles.
Sam stopped the automobile near the side porch just after Natalie madethis remark, and seeing the girls still at the garden, he hurried thereto see if he could help them in any way.
"All done, Sam! Aren't the poles nice?" exclaimed Natalie.
"Yeh, Miss Natalie, the poles is nice enough, but you ain't got 'emplanted in the lima-bean garden," said Sam slowly, so as to break thenews gently.
"What?" cried three girls in one voice.
"Nah. Them green plants is dwarf string-beans, and t' lima beans is onthe other side."
"Oh goodness' sake!" wailed Natalie, sitting down plump on the radishbed. "All that work done for nothing?"
Norma and Belle frowned at the poles, but Janet laughed. "If this isn'tthe funniest thing, yet!" she exclaimed.
The greater part of the morning had passed before the error made in thegarden had been corrected. Natalie was so tired by the time she reachedthe house that she dropped wearily upon the steps and sighed.
Mrs. James came out upon the piazza when she saw her approaching thehouse, and at the sigh she said: "What's wrong?"
"Oh, that horrid old garden is _such_ a care! I wish to goodness I hadchosen stock-raising instead. Then I could have had the pleasure ofwatching the little things run about and show their gratitude when onefeeds them. But lifeless old seeds and expressionless vegetables aresuch uninteresting things to work for!"
Mrs. James understood that something had gone awry, so she wiselyremarked: "Oh, I don't know! Janet seems to have as much trouble withher stock as anyone has with other work."
"Well, she doesn't have to dig holes and plant bean poles for her pigsto climb up on!"
Mrs. James barely kept from laughing outright at the funny excuse
given.But she replied: "Janet had a dreadful time just now, trying to catchtwo of the little pigs that escaped and started to run down the road."
"No,--really!" exclaimed Natalie, sitting up with great animation."Where is she now?"
"Trying to repair the fence that they broke down. They are growing sobig and strong that the rickety enclosure she made at first will neverkeep them in, now."
"I just hope they get away and give her a chase all the way to theCorners!" cried Natalie.
"Why should you wish such hard luck for poor Janet?" asked Mrs. James,laughingly.
"Because she laughed at my bean poles and refused to help us dig them upagain."
"Dig them up again! Did you bury them?"
Then Natalie found she had made an admission that would have to beexplained.
"No, not buried them, but we mistook the plants. It was such an easything to do--to believe the string-beans were limas, you know."
"Oh! Then you never followed my advice about tagging the differentbeds."
But Natalie did not reply.
The following morning, Janet asked Frances to inquire if there was apackage for her at the post-office, as it should have arrived severaldays before.
"Is it a big package?" asked Frances.
"No, it's a book that I ordered from the city. It's all about raisingthings. Not that I need to find out about chickens and pigs, but Iexpect to buy that calf from Mr. Ames, and Belle saw some sheep in apasture up in the Hills the other day, when she was hunting forantiques. I am wondering if they are difficult to raise. That is why Iwant the book."
The book arrived that morning, and Janet straightway applied herself tostudying its pages, in order to learn what other farmyard animals shecould keep that would not give her too much trouble, and repay her forthe expense incurred.
The result of that reading was to rouse Janet's growing ambition tofever-heat. She determined upon a plan by which she could borrow thecapital from her father and buy her stock without further loss of time.But her experiences are told in the volume following this one, called"Janet: a Stock-Farm Scout."
Natalie's garden beds began to look most flourishing, for every seed hadsprouted and the transplanted greens were growing like wildfire. Shebegan to figure ahead to find how soon she might gather crops, but shekept this vision a secret, as she knew the girls would tease if theyheard of it.
The very impressive paper that conveyed the rights of Solomon's SealTroop to take its place in the Girl Scout Organization arrived thatweek, also, so that Natalie realized that great things were alreadygrowing out of her coming to Green Hill Farm that summer. But how theymultiplied and developed thrilling experiences will be narrated in thesecond volume of this Girl Scout Country Life Series.
THE END
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