“Yes,” exclaimed Mary Frances, “they know we are doing some work near the play house, but I asked them not to try to find out anything about what we were doing, and they haven’t come near! They want to be surprised! I know they do!”
“But how did you get the money to buy the seeds and plants?” asked Eleanor.
“Mother gave me permission to use some money from my bank, and Billy loaned me some from the money he won as a prize in school. I have to pay that back.”
“When we sell some of the vegetables,” said Billy.
“You don’t wonder that I’m excited, do you, Eleanor?” cried Mary Frances.
“Indeed I don’t,” said Eleanor. “I wish Bob and I had just such a garden.”
“You can have,” said Billy; “I hope Bob will be able to make me a visit as soon as he has finished being ‘coached’ in his Latin!”
“That won’t be for some time,” replied Eleanor. “Meanwhile, I’ll try to learn all I can about gardening, and we’ll be ready to start in earnest next Spring.”
“Oh, won’t that be lovely!” cried Mary Frances. “I’m so glad you’re here to see our experiment. How soon did you say, Billy, we could take the radishes and lettuce to Mother?”
“About day after to-morrow,” answered Billy, examining the vegetables closely again. “And a picking of peas in about ten days.”