“That’s something like it, Jan! Now we can have fresh eggs for breakfast every morning,” said Belle.
“Anyway, I’d rather pay cash for the cow than feel as if we had to buy everything from Ames!” was Natalie’s comment.
They had been standing near the field fence of Natalie’s garden as they planned. Now they saw the girl scouts from Solomon’s Seal Camp coming up the hill toward the house. They watched them as Janet said: “Let Jimmy tell them the surprise.”
As soon as Miss Mason and her scouts joined the other group, therefore, Mrs. James told them about the Cow Company. At first they laughed even as the girls before them had done, but the suggestion was acceptable from many points of view, and Miss Mason said: “I wish we could own shares in the cow.”
Mrs. James looked from one to the other of her girls and finding they approved of the idea just expressed, she said: “We might sell each one of you one share in our cow—when we get her!”
“Oh, I have it! Listen to this: Let’s form a real stock company incorporated on the cow for the asset. We’ll divide it into shares of so much a share. No stockholder can own more than one share, then we won’t feel jealous of each other. We will pay all costs out of the capital paid in for stock and we will pay all dividends twice a month, from the money we take in from camp and from the house and from Janet’s pigs. Now, how is that?” Natalie’s exultant face showed what she thought of her plan.
The others laughed at the very idea of incorporating a cow, and Mrs. James remarked humorously: “Natalie inherits the gift of high finance.”
It was the first time any one had referred to her father in the girl’s presence, and this mention of Mr. Averill’s business ability proved that Natalie had quite overcome her morbid sorrow that she had entertained in the city. Now she laughed gayly and said: “If I take after Daddy I’ll be a great financial magnate soon!”
“Oh, please don’t get switched from our cow, girls!” said Janet, anxiously.
“I’ve heard it said that cows have a dreadful habit of switching their tails in your face while you milk them,” said Belle.