Natalie: A Garden Scout Read online

  CHAPTER II--A SECRET CONCLAVE

  "Good-afternoon, Mrs. James," said Miss Mason cheerily, as she enteredthe hall of the apartment belonging to the Averills.

  "To what happy circumstance do I owe this unexpected call?" asked Mrs.James, taking the teacher's hand in warm welcome.

  "It was quite unpremeditated, and consequently I am unprepared with ananswer," laughed Miss Mason. "But I can confess to being one of thoseobjectionable persons that always want to run other people's affairs forthem. I just left the five girls at the corner of Broadway, and hearingthat Natalie would not be home this afternoon, I took advantage of thatknowledge to run in and have a talk with you."

  "I am very glad you did, as I have thought of asking your advice about astep Mr. Marvin advises me to take for the child."

  "Perhaps that is the very business I came on. I want to help you runyour affairs, you see, so I am here to offer my experiences in certainlines, and then I will try to encourage Natalie to look at a countrylife with different eyes than she has stubbornly used, recently,"explained Miss Mason.

  "Is it about the farm proposition?" asked Mrs. James.

  "Yes, I left the girls talking it over, but Natalie seems to think sheis giving up all that is worth living for, by going to live at GreenHill Farm."

  "Yes, that is her attitude, exactly! Whereas Mr. Marvin says she oughtto be the most grateful girl alive to find she has a lovely homeready-made to go into, instead of moving to a shabby school life whereshe will have to earn part of her expenses by waiting on table or doingchores," explained Mrs. James.

  "Just so. And because I heard of the poor child's destitution, I am hereto suggest several pleasant and wholesome plans by which she can notonly live without cost to herself this summer on the farm, but also makeenough money to pay your and her own way in the city next winter.Perhaps you are not interested in such suggestions?" ventured MissMason.

  "Interested? My dear friend, you come like a blessing from heaven withthis news. The only great obstacle to our going to the farm at once wasthe lack of money to stay there, with Rachel, all summer. No matterwhere one lives, one has to eat and abide. And eating costs money, andan abode needs furniture. The old house is empty and has to becompletely furnished before we can move out there," explained Mrs.James.

  "Well, then, listen to my idea. It has been tried out so successfullybefore, that I am not afraid to advise you to experiment for thisseason, anyway. It is this:

  "You know what an enthusiastic member of the Girl Scouts' organization Iam? Last year I offered my services free to a camp of girls who wantedto spend the summer away in the woods but had no place to go to withoutits costing a great deal, and no one would attend them in a camp whichwould be within their means. Then I happened in and saw how hungry theseseven girls were for an outdoor life, so I offered them a corner of thewoods on my brother's old farm down in Jersey. Some day I will tell youthe story of our summer down there. It is worth hearing."

  Miss Mason laughed to herself as she stopped for a moment to reviewmentally that experience. Then she proceeded.

  "Now this is my idea: Natalie and the other four girls have been talkingof joining the Girl Scouts ever since last fall, when I returned fromcamp. But they are like so many other well-meaning girls--they neverquite reach the point where they act!

  "My seven girls who spent the summer in camp with me last year arebegging me to take them this year again. I have agreed to do so if wecan find a good camp-site not so far from home as the Jersey farm was. Iwish to be nearer a railroad than last year, too. We were more than ninemiles from any store, or trolley, so it was most inconvenient to get anysupplies.

  "If Green Hill Farm is anything like what Natalie described it to me,after school this afternoon, I would rent some of that woodland in aminute. She said the stream ran through the farm at one corner where thewoodland watered ten acres. If Mr. Marvin will rent me enough of thatland for a camp for my Girl Scouts it will bring in instant returns, andyou will not have cause to regret it.

  "By having my girls on the ground, I can rouse the interest of Natalieand her friends (if they visit her this summer), and in that way theywill want to join my girls. We now have a Troop in process oforganization, with the required eight members--a new Scout has joinedsince last year. These girls are about the same age as our fiveschoolmates, so there would be no disparity in years. I have beenelected as Captain of the Patrol, but we have not yet chosen a Corporalfor this year, as our meetings have been very irregular since schoolexaminations began.

  "These Girl Scouts became interested last spring, but not one of themattends my school, so I see little of them excepting when they call onme, or I attend one of their gatherings. Now that we are started onfounding a Troop, we shall have weekly meetings and all the rest of theprogramme."

  Miss Mason waited to hear if Mrs. James had anything to say about hersuggestion, and the latter asked: "Do you think these seven--oreight--Scouts are on the same social plane as Natalie and her friends?"

  "Yes, I do, or I would never have suggested their coming into contactwith our five girls. They are not wealthy girls, and each one will haveto support herself in a short time, but they are fine,--morally,mentally, and spiritually. A few of them are not perfect physically, andthat is why I wish to give them another long summer out in the open. Itis the best thing a young girl can do to build up her strength andhealth."

  "That is a great relief--to hear they are good girls. I have been verycareful of my girl's associations, you know, and now that her father isnot present to protect her, I will have to use more precaution andbetter judgment than ever. This is one of the main reasons I have forurging her to live out of the city for a time."

  "My Girl Scouts can be of great assistance to Natalie, if she will showa genuine interest in us. For instance, one of the members of mynewly-fledged Patrol lived on a farm all her life before she moved toNew York two years ago. She knows everything necessary for lightgardening and barnyard stock. If you had any idea of planting thevegetable garden, or keeping chickens, Alice Hastings can show you howto do it."

  "I had not thought so far as that--gardening and poultry--but there is asplendid lucrative business for a girl, I should say!" declared Mrs.James.

  "Of course!" agreed Miss Mason. "And with a little care and goodselection, a garden can be made to keep a houseful of people. Rachel isa good cook, and you are a thorough housekeeper, so what is there tointerfere with Natalie having a few good boarders stay at the houseduring the summer?"

  "That was my idea, when I first saw the farm. I told Mr. Marvin that wecould ask very good prices and fill the spare-rooms, if Natalie wouldconsent to it. We will need some money for repairs and necessaryfurniture for the extra chambers, but that is all. We have ourhousekeeping things, and quantities of linen for all purposes, besidesbedroom furniture for five good rooms. I figure that the amount realizedon the sale of the Oriental rugs and draperies, the pictures andantiques, would pay for all extras we may need, and give us capital withwhich to launch a boarding-house for the summer," explained Mrs. James.

  "If you could find a number of girls of Natalie's own age to spend thesummer with you, would you not feel more at ease about theresponsibility of the undertaking?"

  "Oh, of course! I am perfectly at home with girls, you know. And theywould not demand such attention as adult guests, either," said Mrs.James.

  "True! Then why not offer to chaperone a number of paying girls ofNatalie's age for the season? There are so many parents who would liketheir girls to benefit by a summer in the country, but neither mothernor father can leave home, so the girl has to remain also, because of nosuitable guardian to chaperone her!" declared Miss Mason.

  "I'm sure your idea is practical. And I will speak to Mr. Marvin aboutit. If only Natalie would think favorably of the farm plan." Mrs. Jamessighed as she thought of the protests and tears she had to contend withwhenever the subject was broached to Natalie.

  "I'll tell you what I proposed to the girls just before I le
ft them,then I must run along. I invited them to go out and see Green Hill Farmon Saturday. I said I would get my brother's car and motor out, so theycould judge of the place,--whether it would make a pleasant home for theseason or not."

  "How very kind of you, Miss Mason!" exclaimed Mrs. James. "Mr. Marvin'sautomobile is too small to carry more than three of us, and then we aresqueezed close together. He said he wanted an extra seat added, buteverything is so backward this year, the company would not promise todeliver the car at all, if a seat had to be attached. Now thisinvitation of taking Natalie with her friends is far better than drivingher over there alone. It will seem much more desirable to her if herchums praise the farm and house."

  "That was my idea! And while they are roaming about the place, you and Imight look over the chambers and other rooms indoors, and average upwhat might be the income from a number of paying girls," added MissMason.

  "What a fairy-godmother you are, Miss Mason!" declared the elder woman."Natalie always said you were a dear, but I find you a most valuableadviser, too."

  "Mrs. James, who would not move heaven and earth to help a poor littlechild like Natalie, in her loss and forlorn state? Were it not for youbeing with her, I think she would have followed her father from sheerlack of interest in life. That is often the case, you know."

  "Yes, I know; but I am sure we have passed the worst phase in her sadexperience, and will now turn our backs on the morbid sorrow and facethe gladsome light," said Mrs. James.

  "That is one reason she ought to be in the country--where she is freefrom all memories and can find a new interest in life. But youngcompanions are necessary, too, to suggest daily fun and work to eachother."

  "Did the girls seem pleased with your proposal to take them to the farmon Saturday?" asked Mrs. James, anxiously.

  "Oh yes, indeed! They were all delighted, so I left them with a date forten o'clock in the morning. The girls can assemble here and I will callpromptly with the car. Now I must really be going." Miss Mason rose asshe spoke, and held out her hand to her hostess.

  "All I can say is, you'll be laying up treasures in heaven for yourselfif you give your summer vacation to girls who need the outing. Theirgratitude and love will be a crown in the future, that you may well beproud of."

  "I will enjoy myself, too, never fear!" laughed the teacher.

  "I wish there were more like you, then!"

  "Perhaps we had best not speak to Natalie of our talk this afternoon,"ventured Miss Mason.

  "No, I won't mention your call. And we will let all other things workout naturally,--even the plan of taking girls to board this summer. Wewill wait and see if Natalie has any plans of her own," returned Mrs.James.

  So the teacher said good-by and left. Both women felt happy andconfident that Natalie's problems were being solved after thisconfidential chat. And when Natalie came home late that evening she wasgayer than she had been for many weeks.

  "What do you think, Jimmy!" cried she, as she ran in to kiss Mrs. James.

  "I'm thinking it is something good, Honey," returned the lady.

  "Why, Helene's and Janet's mother said to-night that if I went to GreenHill Farm to stay this summer she would like to send them with me to_board_! Isn't that interesting--to get an income out of my friends thatway, while they feel that it will be a great favor on your part if thegirls can come!"

  "I should be very glad to take care of them, Natalie, if you think youwould like to have them live with us this season," replied Mrs. James,wisely refraining from mentioning a word about her talk with Miss Mason.

  "And the moment Frances heard of the idea, she said she would coax and_coax_ until her mother said she could come, too! That started Norma,naturally! And Belle declared that she would never stay home alone inNew York if we all were having fun on the farm. In the end, Jimmy, allfive girls were ready to leave home to-night, and start for the farm!"Natalie laughed merrily at remembrance of the eagerness of her friendsto go and live on the farm. And Mrs. James was made happy at hearingthat care-free laugh,--the first one the girl had given since her fatherwas taken away.

  "When Mrs. Wardell heard that I didn't want to go to the farm, she saidI was 'cutting off my nose to spite my face.' And she said I wouldn'tact so set against it if I would use a little wisdom and common sense inmy thinking over the whole affair. Then Mr. Wardell told me whatwonderful times every one has in the summer on a good farm. He said thatany Westchester farm in that locality was most desirable. So I need notfeel that I was going to live on a poverty-stricken patch of land,because I would be, most likely, within arm's reach (metaphoricallyspeaking, he said) of plenty of millionaires who loved quiet countrylife, and found it in the Westchester Hills. So now I am as curious tosee my only home as you could want me to be."

  "I'm thankful for it," sighed Mrs. James. "And I'm thankful to theWardells for changing your opinions about Green Hill."