would?"

"Yes, I think they would if you wanted it," was all Anne could trust
herself to say.

The A.V.I.S. met at Mr. Harmon Andrews' that evening and a full
attendance had been requested, since important business was to be
discussed. The A.V.I.S. was in a flourishing condition, and had already
accomplished wonders. Early in the spring Mr. Major Spencer had redeemed
his promise and had stumped, graded, and seeded down all the road front
of his farm. A dozen other men, some prompted by a determination not to
let a Spencer get ahead of them, others goaded into action by Improvers
in their own households, had followed his example. The result was
that there were long strips of smooth velvet turf where once had been
unsightly undergrowth or brush. The farm fronts that had not been done
looked so badly by contrast that their owners were secretly shamed into
resolving to see what they could do another spring. The triangle of
ground at the cross roads had also been cleared and seeded down, and
Anne's bed of geraniums, unharmed by any marauding cow, was already set
out in the center.

Altogether, the Improvers thought that they were getting on beautifully,
even if Mr. Levi Boulter, tactfully approached by a carefully selected
committee in regard to the old house on his upper farm, did bluntly tell
them that he wasn't going to have it meddled with.

At this especial meeting they intended to draw up a petition to the
school trustees, humbly praying that a fence be put around the school
grounds; and a plan was also to be discussed for planting a few
ornamental trees by the church, if the funds of the society would
permit of it . . . for, as Anne said, there was no use in starting
another subscription as long as the hall remained blue. The members were
assembled in the Andrews' parlor and Jane was already on her feet to
move the appointment of a committee which should find out and report
on the price of said trees, when Gertie Pye swept in, pompadoured and
frilled within an inch of her life. Gertie had a habit of being late
. . . "to make her entrance more effective," spiteful people said.
Gertie's entrance in this instance was certainly effective, for she
paused dramatically on the middle of the floor, threw up her hands,
rolled her eyes, and exclaimed, "I've just heard something perfectly
awful. What DO you think? Mr. Judson Parker IS GOING TO RENT ALL THE
ROAD FENCE OF HIS FARM TO A PATENT MEDICINE COMPANY TO PAINT
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