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Page 64
"Did your mother ask you what you wanted them for?" said Mops to
Molly.
"No; she just told me where they were, in a cupboard in the attic;
and told me to get what I wanted and not bother her, because she
was making jelly."
"I got mine from Eliza, so Grandma doesn't know anything about it;
and now we can keep it secret, and have a lovely surprise."
What might have seemed work, had they been doing it for some one
else, was play to the children then; and Midge and Molly carefully
strained their precious extract from the leaves and bottled it and
corked it with care. They tied neatly the bits of old gloves over
the corks, though it was not an easy task, and when finished did
not present quite the appearance of daintily-topped perfume
bottles.
And Stella's labels, though really good work for a little girl of
eleven, were rather amateurish. But the three business partners
considered the labels admirable works of art, and pasted them on
the bottles with undisguised pride. Though pennyroyal was spelled
with one n, they didn't notice it, and the finished wares seemed
to them a perfect result of skilled labor.
"Now," said Marjorie, as she sat with her chin in her hands,
gazing proudly at the tableful of bottles, "it's dinner-time.
Let's all go home, and then this afternoon, after we're dressed,
let's come here and get the bottles, and each take a basketful,
and go and sell them."
"We'll all go together, won't we?" asked Stella, whose shyness
stood sadly in the way of her being a successful saleswoman.
"Yes, if you like," said Marjorie; "we'd get along faster by going
separately; but it will be more fun to go together, so that's what
we'll do."
About two o'clock, the three met again at "Breezy Inn." Each was
freshly attired in a spick-and-span clean gingham, and they wore
large shade hats.
"I thought Grandma would suspect something when I put my hat on,"
said Marjorie, "because I always race out here without any, but,
by good luck, she didn't see me."
"Mother asked me where I was going," said Molly, "and I told her
to 'Breezy Inn.' It almost seemed deceitful, but I think, as we're
working for charity, it's all right. You know you mustn't let your
left hand know what your right hand is up to."
"That isn't what that means," said Stella, who was a conscientious
little girl; and, indeed, they all were, for though inclined to
mischief, Midge and Molly never told stories, even by implication.
"But I think it's all right," went on Stella, earnestly, "because
it's a surprise. You know Christmas or Valentine's day, it's all
right to surprise people, even if you have to 'most nearly deceive
them."
And so with no qualms of their honest little hearts, the three
started off gayly to peddle their dainty wares for the cause of
charity.
"Let's go straight down to the village," suggested Molly, "and
let's stop at every house on the way,--there aren't very many,--
and then when we get where the houses are thicker we can go
separately if we want to."
"I don't want to," insisted Stella; "I'll stay with one of you,
anyway."
"All right," said Midget, "and we'll take turns in doing the
talking. This is Mrs. Clarke's house; shall I talk here?"
"Yes," said Molly, "and I'll help you; and if Stella doesn't want
to say anything, she needn't."
The three girls with their baskets skipped along the flower-
bordered walk to Mrs. Clarke's front door and rang the bell. The
white-capped maid, who answered the door, listened to their
inquiries for Mrs. Clarke, looked curiously at the bottles, and
then said: "Mrs. Clarke is not at home."
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