“But this is first-class work!” exclaimed the visitor.
“Sure! did you think we were going to turn out anything else?” asked Jinks, insulted.
“Oh, of course not, but it takes experienced hands to do anything as good as this,” continued Mr. Richards, turning the pages slowly and examining each one carefully.
“Well, Uncle Ben knew the kind of workers we were when he trusted us with his pet hobby!” declared Ned, proudly.
Mr. Richards looked rather helpless, so Mrs. Talmage explained who “Uncle Ben” was and what part he had taken in the enterprise.
Light gradually began to break in upon the young man’s brain as he heard the story of the magazine. Suddenly he sat up as if electrified with a new idea. He looked about at the children, the house, lawns, and ladies; finally he took his return railroad ticket from his pocket and noted the name printed on the card—Oakdale.
“Well, well, well! is this place called ‘Mossy Glen’?” he asked.
“It is,” replied Mrs. Talmage, wonderingly.
“And these youngsters, the same that set folks agog last summer with their ‘Fresh Airs’?”
Mother Wings bowed affirmatively, but the Blue Birds, who had never dreamed that their doings had ever been heard of outside of their own little community, were as surprised as their visitor.