not helping the war by bowling
with Stella, and every cauliflower of mine will go to feed a soldier."

"I thought the school was to eat them."

"They won't be ready till the holidays, so Sister Johnstone says they'll
have to be sent to the Red Cross Hospital. We're going to gather the
first crop of peas, though, to-night. You'll eat them at dinner
to-morrow."

Two of the prefects, Meg Hutchinson and Gladys Butler, had joined the
band of gardeners, and carried on operations with enthusiasm.

"I mean to go on the land as soon as I leave school," declared Meg. "My
sister Molly's working at a farm in Herefordshire. She gets up at six
every morning to feed the pigs and cows, breakfast is at eight, and then
she goes round to look after the cattle in the fields. Dinner is at
twelve, and after that she cleans harness, or takes the horses to be
shod, and feeds the pigs and calves again. She loves it, and she's won
her green armlet from the Government."

"My cousin's working at a market garden," said Gladys. "She bicycles
over every morning from home. It's three miles away, so she has to start
ever so early. She's got to know all about managing the tomato houses
now. Once she'd a very funny experience. They sent her out for a day to
tidy somebody's garden. She took a little can full of coffee with her,
and some lunch in a basket. An old gentleman and lady came out to
superintend the gardening, and they seemed most staggered to find that
she was a lady, and couldn't understand it at all; but they were very
kind and sent her some tea into the greenhouse. Evidently they had
debated whether to invite her into the drawing-room or not, but had
turned tail at the thought of her thick boots on the best carpet. Nellie
was so amused. She said she felt far too dirty after digging up borders
to go indoors, and was most relieved that they didn't invite her. She
had a tray full of all sorts of things in the greenhouse--cakes and jam
and potted meat. The old lady asked her ever so many questions, and it
turned out that they knew some mutual friends. Wasn't it funny?"

Mrs. Morrison was very pleased with the results of the girls' work in
the garden. She declared that the tennis-courts had never looked better,
and that the crop of vegetables was unusually fine.

"I can't give you armlets," she said, "though you thoroughly deserve
them. I should like to have your photos taken in a group, to keep as a
remembrance. I shall call you my 'Back t