Mary Lee, not a bit less excited, turned to see where they could sit down.
"Let's sit down here," she directed and the three girls seated themselves on the steps of Letty's house. Mary Lee then immediately turned to the letter.
It was of considerable length. It told the girls that the help they could give at the time was threefold. While some of it might not at first thought be the Red Cross work, as they probably had associated their idea of it, it was, as they would realize after a little thought, the best kind of Red Cross help. The letter closed very nicely, after outlining the things they could do, with an appreciation of their offer which was so opportune and the assurance that their help was greatly needed.
"My," said Mary Lee, "it's like ready made plans for our committee. Let's hurry and show it to Miss James. We'll be late if we stop and talk it over, there is so much to consider."
So the girls hurried to school with a consciousness that the opportunity for service was straight ahead of them and in definite, concrete form.
After the first period, the three girls were free and they immediately hastened to see Miss James.
"It is perfectly splendid, isn't it?" was her comment after reading the letter through. "I wonder how many of the rest of the committee can be excused so that we can go over this letter at once."
Two of the other girls could come and they did. Miss James then read the letter aloud.
"You see, girls, they want us to plan along three different lines. First, and this is the plan that we all had—we should turn to making useful things which would be used by our soldiers and our allies. You see, they want us to be very practical about this.
"Second, they want every member of this group to help in the planting of some vegetable garden. That is a splendid practical idea, not hard to follow and it should prove of great benefit inasmuch as the food supply of the country would be materially increased.