The Snowflake herald., 1921-11-18
The Fresh-Air
Bunch
By MARTHA MACWlLLIAMS.

Il must say, if you ask my opinion"
Hawkins began impressively, that
the thing is unthinkable. Quite"
Nobody asks your opinion, so why
not keep 1t to yourself?' Miss Marina
countered Are you afraid of poison
ing yourself with suppressed advicew
IF / am to be insulted," Hawkins
said, rising pompously, "why, let's get
1t over, and done with"
Miss Marina tossed back at him:
Lord, Sam," she ran on giggling, IF
you knew what fool you look when
you put on the great mogul air, you
surely would can 1t for one while.
She held no rancOr against her half
brother; rather the tolerance OF use
and wont. He wasn't wholly bad
sort; only such ninny about some
things. Witness his belief that to look
on him was to love him for anything
betwixt fifteen and fifty. EQuitably,
his mother had to answer for that.
She had been so busy safeguarding
Sammy since he put on roundabouts,
small wonder he had accepted her val
uation Of himself
"If you persist in your folly, there
Is nothing for it but to go camping this
next fortnight" he began refiectively.
"Grassll get you past redemption
In one week, let alone two She said.
"And l won't let the neighbor boys
come and plow you out, as they did
last year"
well, what am I to do?" Sammy's
voice trembled with mothers heart
so weak, you know it would kill her to
see me married"
You'll find safety In numbers,
silly" Miss Marina comforted. you
can't possibly marry six girls at once.
Not any more than you could make up
your mind which, supposing any Of 'em
would have you."
you're bound to have them~
"Surest thing, you know. That's the
word with the bark on it. SO behave
like q man, even if you can't be one"
81 don't see why," almost tearfully.
"But l do see why" obstinately.
''Here I've gotta good place, room and
to spare, lashins to eat and drink, no.
body but myself to care fOr-and these
slips of things working hard all year
with no chance of fun and fresh air.
They shall have bOth-and things to
eat, and sleep as late as they like, and
ride and wade, and roll in the hay
You go about your business, and I'll
see to 1t that not one Of 'em even looks
at you"
"But-but I'll have to look at
them" plaintively.
"No-you can be blindfOlded till you
get out in the field-and eat with just
nanny; she'll be dragon over you"
Miss Marina expounded. snow, listen
hard Unless you make this crop
you planted, don't go incoming off as
. you've been doing this last two, three
years. won't stand to the promise Of
making up the rest of your college
money. I've got it to spare, but sup
plying crutches Is no way Of teaching
fellow to walk on his own feet"
Sammy got up-tall, lean. indecisive
of step and motion. "When are-are
they coming?" he asked tremulously.
To-day, at ten o'clock" Miss Marina
answered. $50 If you want to fly the
coop and the crop, better be quick
about it,
Sammy did not fly the coop, but the
fresh-air bunch would surely have cost
him his crop, had not Miss Marina
bounded him remOrselessly to It's tend
ance. The bunch was not slow to
sense his attitude. Being young, feni-
nine and overfowing with suppressed
deviltry, it's component units ran rings
.. all around him. By the third day
they followed him as small chicks do
, a mother hen, asking him all about
everything, pretending thirst for
farm knowledge and training In farm
, work. That did not exactly suit Miss
, Marina but she allowed two days for
> the tide to spend itself. SlGee II
mounted high and higher, she smiled
grimly and took command. "How
would you like to put in crop Of navy
beans and some late cucumbers?" she
asked the six. Late June's the time
, for planting-yOu can come back
tTOuiu LdDOT udy, anu lSuu lO lHe
picking. I'll have work done mean
time-charging it to you, Of course
but that won't take so much of the
profits. Are you game? If you are
: why, next year you may be real farm
erettes."
Game! OF course-they picked uI
hoes and rakes gingerly, but with an
eager seeming, and obeyed orders as
best they could. Sowing the beans was
hard work. Miss Marina insisted the
rows must be straight. The ground
had been plowed and narrowed, but
rows had to be laid off with the hand
marker-which was heavy and tire
some Cucumber hills meant digging
deep holes. filling them with very rich
earth and sticking in many seeds
Sammy was ridiculously eager to help
and be helped, but was sternly shooed