"If Green Hill Farm is anything like what Natalie described it to me, after school this afternoon, I would rent some of that woodland in a minute. She said the stream ran through the farm at one corner where the woodland watered ten acres. If Mr. Marvin will rent me enough of that land for a camp for my Girl Scouts it will bring in instant returns, and you will not have cause to regret it.
"By having my girls on the ground, I can rouse the interest of Natalie and her friends (if they visit her this summer), and in that way they will want to join my girls. We now have a Troop in process of organization, with the required eight members-a new Scout has joined since last year. These girls are about the same age as our five schoolmates, so there would be no disparity in years. I have been elected as Captain of the Patrol, but we have not yet chosen a Corporal for this year, as our meetings have been very irregular since school examinations began.
"These Girl Scouts became interested last spring, but not one of them attends my school, so I see little of them excepting when they call on me, or I attend one of their gatherings. Now that we are started on founding a Troop, we shall have weekly meetings and all the rest of the programme."
Miss Mason waited to hear if Mrs. James had anything to say about her suggestion, and the latter asked: "Do you think these seven-or eight-Scouts are on the same social plane as Natalie and her friends?"
"Yes, I do, or I would never have suggested their coming into contact with our five girls. They are not wealthy girls, and each one will have to support herself in a short time, but they are fine,-morally, mentally, and spiritually. A few of them are not perfect physically, and that is why I wish to give them another long summer out in the open. It is the best thing a young girl can do to build up her strength and health."
"That is a great relief-to hear they are good girls. I have been very careful of my girl"s a.s.sociations, you know, and now that her father is not present to protect her, I will have to use more precaution and better judgment than ever. This is one of the main reasons I have for urging her to live out of the city for a time."
"My Girl Scouts can be of great a.s.sistance to Natalie, if she will show a genuine interest in us. For instance, one of the members of my newly-fledged Patrol lived on a farm all her life before she moved to New York two years ago. She knows everything necessary for light gardening and barnyard stock. If you had any idea of planting the vegetable garden, or keeping chickens, Alice Hastings can show you how to do it."
"I had not thought so far as that-gardening and poultry-but there is a splendid lucrative business for a girl, I should say!" declared Mrs.
James.
"Of course!" agreed Miss Mason. "And with a little care and good selection, a garden can be made to keep a houseful of people. Rachel is a good cook, and you are a thorough housekeeper, so what is there to interfere with Natalie having a few good boarders stay at the house during the summer?"
"That was my idea, when I first saw the farm. I told Mr. Marvin that we could ask very good prices and fill the spare-rooms, if Natalie would consent to it. We will need some money for repairs and necessary furniture for the extra chambers, but that is all. We have our housekeeping things, and quant.i.ties of linen for all purposes, besides bedroom furniture for five good rooms. I figure that the amount realized on the sale of the Oriental rugs and draperies, the pictures and antiques, would pay for all extras we may need, and give us capital with which to launch a boarding-house for the summer," explained Mrs. James.
"If you could find a number of girls of Natalie"s own age to spend the summer with you, would you not feel more at ease about the responsibility of the undertaking?"
"Oh, of course! I am perfectly at home with girls, you know. And they would not demand such attention as adult guests, either," said Mrs.
James.
"True! Then why not offer to chaperone a number of paying girls of Natalie"s age for the season? There are so many parents who would like their girls to benefit by a summer in the country, but neither mother nor father can leave home, so the girl has to remain also, because of no suitable guardian to chaperone her!" declared Miss Mason.
"I"m sure your idea is practical. And I will speak to Mr. Marvin about it. If only Natalie would think favorably of the farm plan." Mrs. James sighed as she thought of the protests and tears she had to contend with whenever the subject was broached to Natalie.
"I"ll tell you what I proposed to the girls just before I left them, then I must run along. I invited them to go out and see Green Hill Farm on Sat.u.r.day. I said I would get my brother"s car and motor out, so they could judge of the place,-whether it would make a pleasant home for the season or not."
"How very kind of you, Miss Mason!" exclaimed Mrs. James. "Mr. Marvin"s automobile is too small to carry more than three of us, and then we are squeezed close together. He said he wanted an extra seat added, but everything is so backward this year, the company would not promise to deliver the car at all, if a seat had to be attached. Now this invitation of taking Natalie with her friends is far better than driving her over there alone. It will seem much more desirable to her if her chums praise the farm and house."
"That was my idea! And while they are roaming about the place, you and I might look over the chambers and other rooms indoors, and average up what might be the income from a number of paying girls," added Miss Mason.
"What a fairy-G.o.dmother you are, Miss Mason!" declared the elder woman.
"Natalie always said you were a dear, but I find you a most valuable adviser, too."
"Mrs. James, who would not move heaven and earth to help a poor little child like Natalie, in her loss and forlorn state? Were it not for you being with her, I think she would have followed her father from sheer lack of interest in life. That is often the case, you know."
"Yes, I know; but I am sure we have pa.s.sed the worst phase in her sad experience, and will now turn our backs on the morbid sorrow and face the gladsome light," said Mrs. James.
"That is one reason she ought to be in the country-where she is free from all memories and can find a new interest in life. But young companions are necessary, too, to suggest daily fun and work to each other."
"Did the girls seem pleased with your proposal to take them to the farm on Sat.u.r.day?" asked Mrs. James, anxiously.
"Oh yes, indeed! They were all delighted, so I left them with a date for ten o"clock in the morning. The girls can a.s.semble here and I will call promptly with the car. Now I must really be going." Miss Mason rose as she spoke, and held out her hand to her hostess.
"All I can say is, you"ll be laying up treasures in heaven for yourself if you give your summer vacation to girls who need the outing. Their grat.i.tude and love will be a crown in the future, that you may well be proud of."
"I will enjoy myself, too, never fear!" laughed the teacher.
"I wish there were more like you, then!"
"Perhaps we had best not speak to Natalie of our talk this afternoon,"
ventured Miss Mason.
"No, I won"t mention your call. And we will let all other things work out naturally,-even the plan of taking girls to board this summer. We will wait and see if Natalie has any plans of her own," returned Mrs.
James.
So the teacher said good-by and left. Both women felt happy and confident that Natalie"s problems were being solved after this confidential chat. And when Natalie came home late that evening she was gayer than she had been for many weeks.
"What do you think, Jimmy!" cried she, as she ran in to kiss Mrs. James.
"I"m thinking it is something good, Honey," returned the lady.
"Why, Helene"s and Janet"s mother said to-night that if I went to Green Hill Farm to stay this summer she would like to send them with me to _board_! Isn"t that interesting-to get an income out of my friends that way, while they feel that it will be a great favor on your part if the girls can come!"
"I should be very glad to take care of them, Natalie, if you think you would like to have them live with us this season," replied Mrs. James, wisely refraining from mentioning a word about her talk with Miss Mason.
"And the moment Frances heard of the idea, she said she would coax and _coax_ until her mother said she could come, too! That started Norma, naturally! And Belle declared that she would never stay home alone in New York if we all were having fun on the farm. In the end, Jimmy, all five girls were ready to leave home to-night, and start for the farm!"
Natalie laughed merrily at remembrance of the eagerness of her friends to go and live on the farm. And Mrs. James was made happy at hearing that care-free laugh,-the first one the girl had given since her father was taken away.
"When Mrs. Wardell heard that I didn"t want to go to the farm, she said I was "cutting off my nose to spite my face." And she said I wouldn"t act so set against it if I would use a little wisdom and common sense in my thinking over the whole affair. Then Mr. Wardell told me what wonderful times every one has in the summer on a good farm. He said that any Westchester farm in that locality was most desirable. So I need not feel that I was going to live on a poverty-stricken patch of land, because I would be, most likely, within arm"s reach (metaphorically speaking, he said) of plenty of millionaires who loved quiet country life, and found it in the Westchester Hills. So now I am as curious to see my only home as you could want me to be."
"I"m thankful for it," sighed Mrs. James. "And I"m thankful to the Wardells for changing your opinions about Green Hill."
CHAPTER III-GREEN HILL FARM
Sat.u.r.day morning Miss Mason drove her brother"s car up to the curb before the elegant apartment house where Natalie lived, and motioned the door-man to come out.
"Please telephone to the Averills" apartment and say Miss Mason is waiting in the car. Let me know if they are ready."
The uniformed attendant bowed politely and hurried in to obey the order.
In a few moments Miss Mason heard a happy voice calling from the window in one of the upper apartments. She leaned out and tried to look up, but all she could see was a fluttering of several handkerchiefs waved from several hands.
Then the porter came out and smilingly said: "Mrs. James says they will be right down, Miss."
"Thank you," was Miss Mason"s reply, and she sat back to wait. But she had not very long for that, as a bevy of merry girls hurried out of the front door and ran across the walk.
"Oh, Miss Mason! Isn"t it a glorious day?" called Janet.
"Couldn"t be finer if we had ordered it for our trip!" added Belle joyously.