116 MAEY'S GAEDEN AND HOW IT GEEW 



"Ma-ree' ! " called the voice below ; "quick, they 're 

 coming ! " 



The under-gardener lowered the rope hastily. 



"Let me pull it up, Mary. Oh, come on ! " begged 

 Eandolph Findlayson, looking down through the 

 opening while Margaret was tying the cord, making 

 haste with small, unskilful fingers. 



Mary handed over the rope, but the chairs and 

 the hostess were scarcely up before the gardeners 

 had arrived ; one after another they came through 

 the small opening, last of all Miss Bronson, who sat 

 down on her chair and laughed and straightened her 

 glasses. 



"That chair is for you," explained Mary ; "the 

 other is for the chairman. Donald said we must have 

 a.chairman, and Margaret and I thought the mem- 

 bers could sit on the bench. Now, how do we start?" 

 she asked impatiently. 



Miss Brouson was still a trifle out of breath from her 

 trip up the ladder. "Are all the gardeners here? " 

 she asked. "That 's the first thing to know." 



"Mary and Margaret and Haddie and Bud and 

 Eleanor and Mildred," enumerated Donald Patterson, 

 the biggest boy ; "yes, we 're all here, Miss Bronson." 



"Then we must have a chairman." 



