CHAPTER XXII

WORKING FOR "LIBERTY"

A few days later Mary Lee received a letter from Tom Marshall. He had replied at once to her letter. He told her that he had instructed Mr. Saunders to arrange with her to buy his share of Liberty Bonds. Things were going along well and the mine was a great success. He also told her that he had forwarded his name for registration so that he could be conscripted when the time came.

"What do you hear of Jim Lee?" he inquired.

Lee had written only once to her, as the girl suddenly realized. It was over ten days since she had heard from him.

But the afternoon brought a short note in which he announced that he had been transferred to the Artillery Division. He was going to see more active service, he wrote.

When Mr. Saunders came home both Letty and Mary Lee were waiting for him.

"How many bonds did Mr. Marshall tell you to buy, dad?" asked Letty.

"Why should he tell me to buy any bonds?" her father replied.

"Why, he wrote Mary Lee that he had communicated with you; and we must get four thousand dollars' worth sold," she added.

"Must?" Mr. Saunders repeated.

"Otherwise--so we have pledged--we cannot go on the Decoration Day party with Mrs. Anderson," Mary Lee added.

"You mean that you have set a mark which you must attain in order to allow yourselves to go?"

The girls nodded their heads very vigorously.

"Well, I call that a fine thing," replied Letty's father. "You may put Marshall down for fifteen hundred dollars, and I want to add that if you don't make the mark, come to me. I won't buy any more, but I'll see that you get a chance to sell some. Now, be off with you, while I dress for dinner," and Mr. Saunders chuckled to himself.

"And they worry about this country, when even the little girls are so serious-minded," he remarked to himself.

Mary Lee, together with Letty, called on the Camerons the next day.

"Now," said Mary Lee, "to business, for that is what we came for."

"Has Mr. Cameron bought any Liberty Bonds? Have you? Will Bob buy any?"

"My goodness," replied Mrs. Cameron, "I don't know whether Mr. Cameron did or didn't. I know I did not. I never even thought of it. I don't think Bob did, either."

"Well, you should buy some," Mary Lee advised. "You see, the country needs the money. Uncle Sam is behind these bonds and he pays three and one-half per cent."

"Three and one-half per cent?" repeated Mrs. Cameron. "My bank and my other bonds pay only three per cent."

"And better than that," added Letty, "you don't have to pay taxes on Liberty Bonds."

"It sounds so attractive," said Mrs. Cameron. "But I know very little of such things. I'll leave it to Mr. Cameron. If I buy any, part of them will be bought through you."

"Thank you," the girls replied. They told her about their pledge.

"Better write to Bob and ask him to telegraph you if he will buy two shares. I think he can buy that many," suggested Mrs. Cameron.

"I'll do it at once," said Mary Lee, and proceeded to suit action to words.

"Here comes Mr. Cameron's car," Letty called.

Mr. Cameron came in almost at once and greeted Mary Lee warmly.

"It's good to see you again," he remarked as he removed his gloves.

Mary Lee did not allow much time to elapse before she stated the purpose of their call.

"I'm sorry, girls. Of course, I've already bought the bonds. They are too good an investment to let pass."

"What's more, I've bought some for Mrs. Cameron, too. However," and he paused, "between us we should be able to buy forty or fifty bonds. Don't you think so, mother?"

Mrs. Cameron smiling assented.

"Will that do?" he asked.

"Do? Do? Why, you're a dear," Mary Lee replied.

They stayed for tea and had a pleasant visit. The girls promised to call when they returned from Mount Hope.

"If we go," said Letty. "We may not be successful in getting the subscriptions."

"We simply must," replied Mary Lee.

"Tell you what I'll do," said Mary Lee. "I feel as if I should go out to see the Quinns. I owe them a call. Perhaps I can make Mr. Quinn understand how good these bonds are and if he has any savings he might want to buy some of them."

"I'll go with you," Letty replied.

The call on the Quinns was made the next day. The girls took the train and walked to the home from the station. Mary Lee was delighted with the farm; it showed great improvement over the year before.

Mrs. Quinn came to the door, one hand shading her eyes and the other partly lifting the apron which she wore while busy in the kitchen.

"Well, if it isn't Mary Lee and Miss Saunders!" she exclaimed.

Hearing the exclamation, two sturdy boys rushed past her and were shaking hands with the girls before the mother had a chance.

"Hello, Mary Lee," they greeted her joyfully. "Have you come to stay?"

"No, but I'm glad I'm here."

Mrs. Quinn took Mary Lee in her arms. "I'm so glad to see you, dear, so glad."

"I'm going for father," announced Tom. He was off with a rush, the other boy close at his heels.