[Gutenberg 37458] • Natalie: A Garden Scout

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1921 Original Publisher: Nourse Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER II A SECBET CONCLAVE " Good-afternoon, Mrs. James," said Miss Mason cheerily, as she entered the hall of the apartment belonging to the Averills. " To what happy circumstance do I owe this unexpected call? " asked Mrs. James, taking the teacher's hand in warm welcome. " It was quite unpremeditated, and consequently I am unprepared with an answer," laughed Miss Mason. " But I can confess to being one of those objectionable persons that always want to run other people's affairs for them. I just left the five girls at the corner of Broadway, and hearing that Natalie would not be home this afternoon, I took advantage of that knowledge to run in and have a talk with you." " I am very glad you did, as I have thought of asking your advice about a step Mr. Marvin advises me to take for the child." " Perhaps that is the very business I came on. I want to help you run your affairs, you see, so I am here to offer my experiences in certain lines, and then I will try to encourage Natalie to look at a country life with different eyes than she has stubbornly used, recently," explained Miss Mason. " Is it about the farm proposition?" asked Mrs. James. " Yes, I left the girls talking it over, but Natalie seems to think she is giving up all that is worth living for, by going to live at Green Hill Farm." " Yes, that is her attitude, exactly Whereas Mr. Marvin says she ought to be the most grateful girl alive to find she has a lovely home ready- made to go into, instead of moving to a shabby school life where she will have to earn part of her expenses by waiting on table or doi...