keeper wanted fresh herbs and the
Ethels telephoned directions for the picking of the herb bed that Roger
had planted for their own kitchen use.

"We need the herbs ourselves, Miss Ethel," came back a protest from
Mary.

"I don't want to refuse to fill any order I get, Mary," Ethel Brown
insisted. "Next year we'll plant a huge bed, enough for a dozen
kitchens."

This unexpected order resulted in the making of another poster giving
the information that fresh kitchen herbs might be had on order and would
be delivered by parcel post to any address.

Several of their customers demanded ferns for their houses indoors or
for their porches or wild gardens. This order was not welcome for it
meant that some one had to go to the woods to get them as none had been
planted in the gardens as yet. Still, in accordance with their decision
never to refuse to fill an order unless it was absolutely impossible,
the girls went themselves or sent one of the boys on a search for what
they needed.

One steady customer was an invalid who lived in Athens Creek and who
could drive only a few miles once or twice a week. She happened in to
the Inn one day and ever after she made the house her goal. Her especial
delight was meadow flowers, and she placed a standing order to have an
armful of meadow blossoms ready for her every Thursday. This
necessitated a visit to the meadows opposite Grandfather Emerson's house
every Wednesday afternoon so that the flowers should have recovered from
their first shock by the next morning.

"This takes me back to the days when I used to follow the flowers
through the whole summer," the invalid cried delightedly. "Ah,
Joe-Pye-Weed has arrived," she exclaimed joyfully over the handsome
blossom.

When the Ethels and Dorothy received their first order for the
decoration of a house for an afternoon reception they were somewhat
overcome.

"Can we do it?" they asked each other.

They concluded they could. One went to the house two days beforehand to
examine the rooms and to see what vases and bowls they should have at
their disposal. Then they looked over the gardens very carefully to see
what blossoms would be cut on the appointed day, and then they made a
plan with pencil and paper.

Mr. Emerson lent his car on the morning of the appointed day and Roger
went with them to unload the flowers and plants. They had kept the
flowers of different colors together, a matter easy to do when cutting
from their beds