"Couldn't we--?" murmured Ethel Blue with uplifted eye-brows, glancing
at Ethel Brown.
"Let's ask her if we may?" replied Ethel Brown, and without any more
discussion than this they laid before Miss Foster the plan that had
popped into their minds ready made. Ethel Brown was the spokeswoman.
"Would you mind if we had a flower counter here in your hall?" she
asked. "We need to make some money for our women at Rose House."
"A flower counter? Upon my word, children, you take my breath away!"
responded Miss Foster.
"We'd try not to give you any trouble," said Ethel Blue. "One of us
would stay here every day to look after it and we'd pay rent for the use
of the space."
"Upon my word!" exclaimed Miss Foster again. "You must let me think a
minute."
She was a rapid thinker and her decision was quickly made.
"We'll try it for a week," she said. "Perhaps we'll find that there
isn't enough demand for the flowers to make it worth while, though
people often want to buy any flowers they see here, as those people you
saw did."
"If you'll tell us just what space we can have we'll try not to bother
you," promised Ethel Blue again, and Miss Foster smiled at her
eagerness.
"We want it to be a regular business, so will you please tell us how
much rent we ought to pay?" asked Ethel Brown.
Miss Foster smiled again, but she was trying to carry on a regular
business herself and she knew how she would feel if people did not take
her seriously.
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