“Why, Talmage, this is quite clever! Do you know, we must change the name of our campers? They are not Little Citizens. They are Little Wonders! Now tell me truly, where did you get these sketches?”
“One of Miss Martin’s Nestlings, Richards. No less than puny Nelly Finn,” replied Uncle Ben.
“What! The sister of Micky, our newsboy and boot-black?” cried the astonished newspaper man.
“The same.”
“I can see myself resigning from the paper, Talmage, and giving all my attention to discovering talent at Happy Hills. Then to find teachers for such talent that it may bloom in full beauty,” laughed Mr. Richards, but he was feeling quite serious over Nelly’s development.
“We won’t hide these talents ‘in a napkin’ whatever else we have to do,” added Uncle Ben.
“But Nelly must just play and grow strong this summer, then we will enter her in some class where she will be given all the help she needs without ruining her original ideas. Who knows, Ben, but she may rule the world of fashion with her designs?”
“No one would dare prophesy such a thing to look at the wisp of a child now,” added Uncle Ben.
Nothing was said to Nelly about her gift, for they all agreed it might create other ideas in her mind than those she loved to draw upon paper. But it had been decided that she would be given a good home and a teacher to train her childish ideals to conform with her talent.
“If we keep on digging up any more geniuses at Happy Hills, Flutey, you will have to close your house this winter and take a big place in New York just to prepare a home for your Little Wonders,” teased Mr. Richards, that night after he had told about Nelly’s talent.