“Oh, you greedy!� said David. “That would be taking nearly all of Cousin Agnes’s garden, these two big squares.�
“Make the boys divide their square with us, Cousin Agnes,� suggested Patsy.
“No! no! no!� the boys objected loudly.
“Who’s greedy now?� Patsy inquired scornfully.
“G-g-give us that s-southwest square, mother,� urged Ruth. “You and I don’t need such a big garden. Let’s l-l-let the Belgians have it.�
“Well,� Mrs. Wilson agreed. She and Ruth did need the garden; it was their main support; but in this time of world need, they must give not only all they were able, but more and still more. She and Ruth would get on, somehow. “You girls may have the square next to the boys,� she said.
There were groans and cheers.
“We’ll see which do the best work. To-morrow morning let’s meet here and start the planting. Bring hoes and rakes. I,� she added, “will supply seeds.�
That meant another sacrifice. She and Ruth would stint themselves to give for seed the peas and beans and potatoes they had stored for food.
On the way home, Dick and some of the others stopped at the post office. It occupied a corner of Mr. Blair’s general merchandise shop and it was, Black Mayo said, the Village club where young and old gathered in the afternoons for mail and gossip.