“Why, they haven’t done anything—much,” grumbled Don.
“Only fixed up these two letters for us to print,” added Meredith.
“They haven’t done their usual sewing and playing in the cherry-tree nest, either,” said Jinks.
“Is that so? Well, how do you know what they have been doing without your knowledge?” asked Uncle Ben laughingly.
The boys looked at him, and their eyes asked the question, “What?”
“As an old magazine man, I can see signs in these two letters that tell me of two tremendous pieces of work being started—and being very nicely handled, too. Why, I would not be surprised to have the Blue Birds fly down upon this Publishing House some day and settle here long enough to say that they had a paid-up subscription list of ten thousand! At any rate, you boys had better prepare to print about fifty thousand sample copies of the first magazine.”
The faces of the Bobolinks looked as if their owners must sit down or collapse. Uncle Ben laughed heartily at them.
“Ah, you’re only fooling us, as usual,” ventured Ned.
“No, siree! I am not. Wait and see,” returned Uncle Ben.
Without further discussion, Uncle Ben showed the boys the proper style of type to use for a letter, then helped them run off a proof of both letters.