A good beginning must have brought the girls good luck, for as soon as Mrs. Van Vorst heard of this sale she followed the doctor’s example and invested in ten bonds, five for herself and five for Nita. A few more followed suit, some buying two or three, while others only took one, but every little helped, the girl delightedly cried, jubilantly happy at the many sales they were having. And then a surprise came, as her cousin Lucille pushed her way through those surrounding the booth, and bought three bonds,—one for herself, one for Dorothy, and one for Nathalie.
“Oh, Lucille, don’t do that!” cried distressed Nathalie with flushed cheeks. “It is too much to give me.”
“Indeed, it is not,” insisted Lucille smilingly, who could be very generous at times, as her cousin knew by the gift of her Pioneer uniform. “I think you have worked hard enough for these Liberty Girls to have that much at any rate.” And several must have agreed with her,—judging by the nods and claps that came from those who were standing near and heard this remark.
As Nathalie, sometime later, sat gathering up her certificates,—she had been kept busy all the afternoon making out the little blue and pink receipts that certified as to her many sales,—Lillie came flying up.
“Oh, Nathalie, hasn’t it been a big success!” she cried with gleaming eyes. “And the patriotic speeches and recitations have been just fine. But, O dear!” she added with a sudden note of disappointment in her voice, “there are a lot of things that have not been sold. Of course they will all go to the boys at camp, but I was in hopes that everything would be sold, so as to add to our fund for the bonds.” For those who had purchased that afternoon had patriotically returned the things they had bought, as their donation for the boys at camp, thus giving the girls an opportunity to use the purchase money for Liberty bonds.
“Yes, we have several sweaters and mufflers left,” announced Barbara, who had been talking to Nathalie, “and poor Captain Molly is quite disappointed, as she was so sure that we should sell everything we had.”
“And we have a number of flowers and potted plants that have not been disposed of,” added a Girl Scout in a disappointed voice.
“But we can give those to the hospital,” answered Nathalie quickly, “and give some sorrowful heart a bit of cheer.”
“Well, we have some boxes of candy, too,” added the Girl Scout dolefully, “and they won’t do for the sick ones for—”
“And we have some books left over,” interrupted another bystander.