“ELEANOR, if you’re going to ‘market garden’ with Billy and me, you’ll have to get up right away.”
Mary Frances shook her little friend into wakefulness.
“Mar-ket—gar-den-ing?” yawned Eleanor, stretching. Then sitting up, “Oh, yes, I remember now, Mary Frances! How stupid of me! It’s Saturday! My, I’m sorry I overslept!”
“Never mind, girlie, but hurry up and dress. Billy’s already out in the garden putting things in the wheelbarrow.”
They didn’t take much time for making a fancy toilet, and were soon out in the play house garden with Billy.
“Hello, girls,” he called. “Aren’t these green peppers beauties?” holding some up.
“Green peppers!” said Eleanor. “Why, lots of those green peppers are red!”
“Oh, you’re no Italian,” laughed Billy, “or you would know that most green peppers turn red when ripe enough.”
“What else have we to-day?” asked Mary Frances. “Of course we have our parsley, and lettuce, and tomatoes, and ‘pot herbs.’”
“And cabbage, and carrots, and beans, and cucumbers,” added Billy.
“And egg-plants!” Eleanor was proud to be able to add a name to the list.
“All the articles mentioned, Ma’am,” said Billy, pretending to offer them for sale.
“I’ll buy everything you have,” answered Eleanor, “if you’ll sell for a penny.”
“‘Said the piggy, “I won’t!”’” Mary Frances misquoted, “and I don’t blame Billy, for we’ve made lots of money this Summer.”
“Yes, I know,” said Eleanor; “from the times I’ve been out with you selling garden truck, you must have quite a fortune by now.”
“Why, I was just thinking that since Eleanor was always helping us so much, she ought to share in the profits.”
“Wouldn’t that be fine!” Mary Frances hugged her friend in delight.
“No.” Eleanor shook her head. “If you divide among three, you won’t make money nearly as fast.”
“We’ve done so well that we won’t mind going a little more slowly,” said Billy. “Shall we tell what a pile we have in the bank, Mary Frances?”
“Oh, Billy, you know I’m crazy to tell her!”
“Well,” Billy took a book from his pocket, “last Saturday night we had forty-four dollars and fifty-seven cents, and Mrs. Dailey owes us two dollars and nineteen cents.”
“Oh, Billy, did you two make that much in this short time?” Eleanor could scarcely believe her ears.