."

"I reckon they wont bite me," said Hiram, as he leaped over the fence,
and taking out his knife proceeded to cut great clusters of flowers.

"Oh, just see the loads he is getting!" cried Marty.

Then as Hiram returned with a huge armful which he carefully laid in the
back of the wagon, she said, "Thank you many times, Hiram. You are very
kind. How pleased mamma will be! But half these are yours, Evaline."

After this they had what was to Marty the pleasure of fording a small
stream, where the horses were allowed to stop and drink. Presently they
had a distant view of a cascade, called Buttermilk Falls. As the road
did not approach very near, only a glimpse could be caught of the creamy
foam; but Hiram said that some day, if Mr. Stokes could spare him, he
would drive them all down to that point, and they could walk from there
to the falls.

"I reckon Mrs. Ashford would like to see 'em," he said.

"Indeed she would," said Marty.

Altogether the drive was what Marty considered "just perfectly lovely."
And she was delighted also to be able to go home with such quantities of
pretty flowers. She was already planning with Evaline what vases and
pitchers they should put them in. "How surprised the folks will be when
they see us coming in with our arms full!" she said.

When they reached a little wood back of Mr. Stokes' barn, Hiram stopped
the horses, saying,

"Now, I've got to go 'round to McKay's, and may have to wait there a
considerable spell, so you'd better just hop out here and go home
through the woods."

He helped them out, gave them the flowers, and drove on. The girls sat
down under a tree and divided the spoils. Marty contrived to make a
basket of her broad-brimmed brown straw hat, in which she carefully
placed her flowers. Evaline's basket was her gingham apron held up by
the corners.

When they came within sight of the grove where their missionary meetings
had been held, Evaline whispered,

"Look, Marty! there are some ladies sitting on our log."

Sure enough, there were three young ladies, evidently resting after a
mountain climb, for their alpenstocks were lying beside them, and one, a
bright, black-eyed girl wearing a stylish red jacket, was fanning
herself with her broad hat. As Marty and Evaline drew near this young
lady called out gaily,

"Well, little flower girls, where did you come from?"

"We've been to Black's Mills in the wagon with Hiram, and when we were
coming through the bott