he sun gets
'round there," she said. "This is a very good time to do it too--just
after the rain."

The girls were armed with old knives--not very sharp ones--to dig out
the weeds with, if they would not come with pulling.

"You must be sure to get them up by the roots," said Almira, "or they'll
grow again before you know where you are."

"Oh, we are going to do it _good_," Marty declared.

They divided the walk into sections, and set to work vigorously. In a
few moments Marty remarked complacently,

"The bottom of my basket is quite covered with weeds. But then," she
added in a different tone, "I don't see where they came from. I hardly
miss them out of the walk."

A few moments more of quiet work, and she called out,

"Evaline, are many of your weeds in _tight_?"

"Awful tight," answered Evaline disconsolately. "They've got the longest
roots of any weeds _I_ ever saw. 'T would take a week of rain to make
this walk fit to weed."

"Well," said Marty, "of course it isn't just as easy as taking a quarter
for some clematis that was given to us in the first place, but as it is
for missions I think we ought to be willing to do it, even if it is a
little hard."

"That's so," Evaline replied, brightening up.

"And I'm very glad your mother thought of this," Marty went on, "for it
would be dreadful disappointing not to have any flowers for the ladies
when they come, and not to get any more missionary money."

Again Evaline agreed with her, and the work went on.

In about half an hour there was quite a large clean patch, and much
encouraged by seeing the progress they were making, they worked more
diligently than ever. Then Marty had a sentimental idea that it might
help them along to sing a missionary hymn, but found upon trial that it
was more of a hindrance than a help.

"I can't sing when I'm all doubled up this way," she said, "and anyway
when I find a very tough weed I have to stop singing and pull. Then I
forget what comes next."

"I guess it's better to work while you work and sing afterward," was
Evaline's opinion.

Here they heard somebody laughing, and looking up saw Mrs. Ashford, who
had come out to see how they were getting on.

"I think Evaline is about right," she said; "singing and weeding don't
go together very well. But how nicely you have been doing! Why, you are
nearly half through!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Evaline, "and the other side of the circle a'n't half
so bad as this was. We'll eas