“Put it in this glass-covered dish and place it on the ice to make it crisp in the same way.” * * * * * “Here comes Father!” exclaimed Mary Frances, and she and Eleanor ran to meet him. “Dinner’s about ready, Father,” said the mother, greeting him and nodding her head to the girls to put their “surprise” on the table. “Billy will be here in a minute,” he replied. “I saw him as I turned in the walk. There he is, now.” “Why,” he exclaimed, as he looked at the table, “where did these beautiful little red radishes come from? We haven’t seen such beauties this year! And that lettuce! Who’s been sending in such a treat?” Mary Frances was delighted. “It’s our surprise!” she explained. “They are from my own garden, Father!” and she told about the lessons. At least she tried to tell, but Billy, and Eleanor, too, helped in telling the story. “Such interesting lessons, Father!” said Mary Frances. “My, I had no idea gardening is so wonderful.” “Fine!” exclaimed her father. “Billy boy, I see it paid to send you to a practical school.” “I wish,” said Eleanor, “that Bob was going to study gardening, too.” “Can’t you persuade your father to send him away to Billy’s school this Fall?” “Wouldn’t that be splendid!” exclaimed Eleanor. “I never thought of it. I’ll try my best!” “But, Father, you and Mother both had an idea of what we were about, hadn’t you?” asked Billy. “We knew ‘something was up,’ Billy,” smiled his father, “but we didn’t know radishes and lettuce were.” Everybody laughed. “Now, that we’re all in the secret,” Mary Frances declared happily, “I like it better than ever.” “Father can give us a lot of information I don’t know a bit about,” said Billy. “I believe Mother knows a lot she’s not telling,” said Mary Frances. “Father, won’t you give us some lessons on the wild flowers?” asked Billy. “That would be delightful,” his mother said. “We could all share in such lessons. For instance, some day soon we could all take a walk in the woods.” “Won’t that be a picnic!” Billy was enthusiastic. “When shall we go? Can’t you make a holiday of it, Father? Let us take our lunch.” “If it suits all parties, we’ll go day after to-morrow,” said his father. “It just suits me!” declared Billy. “It just suits me!” echoed Mary Frances. “It just suits me!” said Eleanor. “How about you, Mother?” asked the father. “It will charm me to accept the invitation,” smiled the mother. “Don’t you girls oversleep!” warned Billy. “Oh, Billy, we’re not the sleepy-heads!” laughed Mary Frances, shaking her finger at Billy. CHAPTER XXXIV FEATHER FLOP MAKES UP “UNLESS you speak to me, Feather Flop,” said Mary Frances, when she took his breakfast to the coop next morning, “unless you speak to me, I am not coming out again! I’m going to get Billy to bring you your food,” and she turned away. Feather Flop stuck his head between the slats of the coop, and a tear rolled out of each eye.