nd!"

"Mission-band!" cried Miss Fanny. "Familiar sound! Are you mission
girls?"

"Yes," they said.

"Why, so are we all. We must shake hands all around."

They did so, laughing, and feeling like old friends. Then in ten
minutes' chatter the young ladies told what cities they were from and
what bands they belonged to, found out about Marty's home band, and the
newly-formed mountain band she took such an interest in, and which
Evaline persisted in saying Marty started. They were particularly
delighted in hearing about this last; they thought it highly romantic
that the meetings were held in that lovely grove, and were amused by the
idea of meeting in the barn in case of rain, and also of Hiram's
consenting to join as an honorary member.

"Now," said Miss Fanny, "you will agree to sell some of your flowers,
wont you? See how nicely it all fits in--we want some flowers very much,
and you want some money for your mission work. So it's a fair exchange.
Girls," she said, turning to her friends, "you know this is Mrs.
Thurston's birthday. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could have about half
this clematis to decorate her room with?"

Marty declared if she was going to give them a quarter apiece, she must
take all, or most of the flowers, instead of half. After much talk it
was finally arranged that the little girls were each to keep what Miss
Fanny called "a good double-handful," and the rest was handed over to
the young ladies.

"This is my first missionary money," said Evaline, caressing her bright
silver quarter in delight.

Marty, also, appeared very well pleased with the unexpected increase to
her store.

Before separating Miss Fanny proposed another plan. She had already
stated that she and her friends were staying at the hotel in
Riseborough, and had caused Evaline to point out where she lived.

"Day after to-morrow," said Miss Fanny, "a party of five or six of us
are going to take a drive to see some falls, and coming back we pass
right by your house. We shall probably be along towards the close of the
afternoon. Now couldn't you be on the lookout for us, and have some more
missionary clematis for sale?"

"It doesn't grow very near here," said Evaline, "and I don't believe
Hiram would have time to take us to the bottom again after any. He's
busy harvesting."

"Of course I don't wish you to go to so much trouble about it; but
cannot you get us flowers of some kind near here--in some of these
woods?"

Eval