CHAPTER IX
ANNE LEWIS had come, and that was a jubilee for her and her Village cousins. She and Patsy and Alice and Ruth wanted to go to every place at once and to tell in one breath everything that had happened since they had parted in the spring.
There was Happy Acres to be visited, and its budding and blossoming beauty to be welcomed. There was the mill, Larkland mill that was loved almost as dearly as the miller, Mr. Giles Spotswood. There were all the cousins at Larkland, Broad Acres, and The Roost. And there was the dear outside host, Tavises and Morrisons and Walthalls, and the old servants and their families, for whom Anne had gifts and greetings. The girls made a round of visits, with their tongues going like bell clappers.
“And haven’t you found out yet where Dick is going—not yet?� Anne asked Patsy, privately. “Oh, I’m so glad! It’ll be so much fun to follow him up!�
“If we can. We’ll certainly do it, if we can,� said Patsy, with less assurance. “Anne, even Dick has never kept a secret like this.�
“I don’t see why you haven’t found out, in all these weeks,� said Anne; “though I’m glad you haven’t, so we can do it together.�
“Dick isn’t so easy to catch up with,� answered Patsy. “And then there are our gardens. The boys won’t stop working for fear we’ll get ahead of them, and we won’t stop for fear they’ll get ahead of us. No one has time—and time it would take!—to follow Dick.�
“You must win out in the gardening; we must certainly beat those boys,� said Anne. “I’m so glad I’m here to help.�
They were on their way now to inspect Camp Feed Friend and Camp Fight Foe, that were thriving wonderfully after being replanted and reworked ten days before. Black Mayo said Jack’s famous beanstalk must surely have grown in the deep, fertile soil of Broad Acres garden; no other place could produce such magic results.
Patsy and Anne found most of the war gardeners already at Broad Acres, at work. Black Mayo had lent them Rosinante, and David was plowing while the others were weeding and hoeing the rows of vegetables. Anne and Patsy set to work, side by side.