THE girls were in Mary Frances’ mother’s room whispering to her the story of their experience with Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Bouncing Bet.
“Wasn’t it wonderful?” Eleanor clapped her hands softly. “Oh, I am so glad I could share Mary Frances’ pleasure!”
“I am as glad as Eleanor,” Mary Frances said. “I wish every girl and boy, too, could have seen and heard what we did!”
“So do I, dear,” said her mother. “Shall you ask Billy to help you plant the seeds of the wild flowers?” she asked.
“If you think, Mother dear, it wouldn’t be a wrong story to simply tell him that we got the seeds in the woods?”
“I think that would be all right,” replied her mother.
“What about Eleanor’s package?” asked MaryFrances. “Shall she keep it until she goes home to plant in her own garden?”
Her mother hesitated. “I may as well tell you, girls. I have a wonderful surprise for you, myself.”
“Oh, do tell us!” they cried.
“Sit down, then,” she said, and they took their low chairs to her knee.
“This is my secret. Our dear old friend, Eleanor’s father, has to go away on business—maybe he will be gone a year—and Eleanor is to come live with us.”
“Oh, how lovely!” cried Mary Frances, throwing her arms about her friend’s neck and kissing her.
Tears came into Eleanor’s eyes.
“I’m so glad,” she said. “I shall miss Father terribly, but if you and Mary Frances’ father just adopt me for a while, it will be something like having my own dear father and mother. What about Bob? Do you know where he is to be?”
“Yes, dear child,” smiled Mary Frances’ mother; “that is another pleasant surprise. Bob is to go away to school with Billy.”
“Oh, will he study gardening?” cried Eleanor.
“He will, if he wishes, your father said.”
“Isn’t that grand!” Eleanor was enthusiastic—then her face suddenly clouded.
“When will Father go?” she asked.
“Not until the middle of September, Eleanor. He and Bob are to come visit us the first of the month, and you are to be with us from now on.”
“You’re to be my sister!” Mary Frances laughed.
“And you may call me Mother, if you wish, dear,” added Mary Frances’ mother.
“Oh, it seems so cozy and lovely!” sighed the little girl.
“Well, now, my girlies, since the secrets are told, why not get Billy to help you plant the wild flower seeds?”
“All right!” they cried, jumping up and kissing her before they ran away.
“Oh, Billy! Billy!” they shouted as they saw him in the garden.
“Here come ‘our twins’,” laughed Billy, turning toward his father. “I wonder what’s up.”
“Hello, girls,” he answered as they came near. “What can we do for you?”
“Oh, Billy, and Father, have you heard the news?Of course you have! Eleanor is to be my sister, and yours, Billy, and she’s to call Father, Father; and Mother, Mother; aren’t you, dear?” said Mary Frances, kissing Eleanor, who smiled shyly.
“Whew!” exclaimed Billy. “Stop for breath, Mary Frances, can’t you? If Nell were as bad as you——”
“Oh, Billy!” chided Eleanor.
“I guess all that Billy means to say,” interposed his father, “is that we’re all glad that such a good little girl is to come live with us.”
“You’ll have to live up to that reputation, young lady,” laughed Billy.
“And now,” Mary Frances produced the packages of wild flower seeds, “we want our brother to help us plant seeds.”
“What kind of seeds are they?” questioned her father.
“Where did you get them?” asked Billy.
“We got them in the woods where we gathered the wild flowers,” answered Mary Frances.
“No wonder I couldn’t find you,” Billy commented. “Where do you think they’d better be planted, Father?”
“Not near a garden of cultivated flowers,” said his father.
“No,” Billy remarked, “for we learned that the cross-fertilization or a mixture of pollen might bring very poor flowers in the garden if wild ones were planted too near, and might also fill it up with weeds.”
“Down in this corner would be a good place, it seems to me,” said their father, leading the way.
“I’ll be with you as soon as I get my spade and fork,” called Billy.
Everybody helped, and the bed was soon planted.
“I know they’ll all grow for Jack——” Eleanor began.
Mary Frances pinched her arm, and Eleanor just caught herself in time.
“For Jack Frost will not get here soon enough to harm them,” finished Eleanor.
“He’ll not be here in time to harm the perennial kind,” Billy said.
“No,” his father took up the thought, “August is an ideal time to plant the seeds of perennials.”
“We have a number of seeds ready for planting.”Billy turned to Mary Frances. “Where are they, sister?”
“In the play house,” replied Mary Frances. “Shall we get them?”
“Yes,” said her father, “I have plenty of time now, and I will help Billy, if he will act as ‘master of ceremonies.’”
“Father, I don’t know such a heap.” Billy’s face colored.
“Well, son,” said his father, “we’ll all appreciate your telling us all you can of what you learned. I know a little theory on the subject myself. I only wish I could have had training and experience in gardening when I was a boy.”
“It’s the most interesting subject in the world, I believe,“ Billy said earnestly.
“Here are the seeds,” cried Mary Frances, as she and Eleanor came with a number of packages.