"Yes!" they all said.
"Well, it's just chock-full of daisies and wild strawberries, and I move that next Saturday we ask him if we can get some daisies, and each take a big basket and get it most full of strawberries with a few daisies on top, to make it look all right, you know;" and George chuckled.
"I think it is a splendid plan, worthy of our honorable treasurer," said President Post. A vote was taken, which was almost unanimous in favor of George's proposition, although there were a few demurs made at first on the ground of it's not being "quite honest."
"Honest!" sneered Will, "as if it wasn't all right to refresh ourselves in a big meadow, with what's there, free as grass!" So the objections were silenced, and the meeting adjourned.
Now it so happened that Mr. Post's orchard and Mr. Clay's farm were only separated by a high board fence. Close by this fence grew quite a little coarse grass, and as Mr. Clay thought it took too much room, on this very afternoon on which the Do-Nothing Club held their first meeting, he had taken his scythe and spade, and had gone to cut and dig up the offending material. The day was very hot, and he grew so tired and warm that he determined to lie down in the shade by the fence for a few minutes. But while lying there, he fell into a little doze, and was only awakened by the laughter of the boys as they climbed up the trees, getting seated for the meeting. He lay awake for a few moments, trying to make up his mind to arise, and consequently heard the conversation in the apple-tree, in which he became not a little interested.
Just here I must stop and explain that Mr. Clay knew his meadow was very productive of wild strawberries, and had said to his son, a few days before the time at which my story begins:
"James, there will probably be a quantity of strawberries in the meadow this summer, and if you pick them, you can sell them at a good price, which will bring you considerable spending money. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes, indeed!" had been the reply, and so it was planned that in about a week James should pick his strawberries, and have the money for his "very own."
To go back now to the new club, I may say that the next Friday afternoon (after the apple-tree meeting) the ten boys appeared at Mr. Clay's door.
"Mr. Clay," said the president, "we've formed a new club lately—the Do-Nothing Club, of which I'm the president, and George is treasurer. We decided that the first thing we'd do would be to pick some daisies out of your meadow, that is, if you would let us. You don't use them for anything, do you?"