Natalie and Janet wondered why anyone should bother over such a little matter, but Mr. Ames understood, and smiled.
“I reckon you knows somethin’ about proppity law, eh?”
“I know this much—that if that fence is allowed to stand without protest for a certain time the land becomes public property, and Natalie would have a lawsuit on her hands if she ever sold it or wished to claim it again. The fence should never have been placed back from the line, even if it saved fifteen dollars. Those three cherry trees are worth ten times that sum, and once they become public property we can never regain rights in them.”
Thus the two girls learned a bit of amazing real estate law while they stood by the wagon. When Mrs. James concluded, Natalie told Mr. Ames they wished to go to the store, so he gladly made room for them on the seat beside him.
Janet and Natalie had no difficulty in enlisting Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins in a proposed membership of the new Patrol, and these two girls promised to interest Mabel Holmes and Sue Harper. So there were already four girls, each about fourteen years old.
“I’m sure Dorothy Ames will join right off, ’cause she knows a girl at White Plains who is a Scout, and Dot wanted to start something like it here. But we didn’t know how to begin,” explained Nancy Sherman.
When Mr. Ames was ready to drive home, his two companions were ready also. Soon after they had left the Corners Natalie spoke of their desire to visit his brother’s to buy a pig.
Janet instantly added: “And I want some chickens, too. Must I have a hen set on eggs to raise them?”
“You kin do as you like about that! I kin sell you’se some young chicks cheap, and you kin raise ’em. Then you kin buy a settin’ hen and raise a brood that way, too. An’ you’se kin keep some old fowl fer layin’ aigs to use in the cookin’.”
“Dear me, how much would all that cost me?” worried Janet.