Much excitement was caused by the box which Aunt Zélie carried, for of course it held the long-expected badges.
"It is good of you to meet here," said Miss Brown, giving the G.Ns. a cordial welcome.
"It is good of you to let us," replied Mrs. Howard. "You belong to the new Order, and must have your badge as well as the rest of us. And now the meeting will please be in order, especially the members on the window-sill.
"The first business before us is the election of a President. The Tellers will please distribute the ballots."
This office was performed by Elsie and Aleck, who also collected and counted the votes, and announced the election of Will Archer. In the same way Bess was made Secretary and Ikey Treasurer. It was decided that the G.Ns. would give up their club once a month for the meeting of the Order, when reports from both clubs would be made. When this business was finished Aunt Zélie took up her box, saying, "The next thing is the distribution of badges; but before I take them out I want to say a word."
"Hear! Hear!" murmured Carl.
"No preaching!" begged Aleck.
"Do, Mrs. Howard, he needs it," said Dora.
"Yes, I am going to preach a little. I want you to remember that these badges are to keep our motto before you. They mean that you promise to be helpers, and that is something more than getting up entertainments as we did for the harp man. It means being good-tempered and kind at home and in school, doing little thoughtful things for people. You remember in the story of the Magic Door it was because they forgot this that the lock grew rusty and useless, so it seemed to me that the most appropriate badge would be this." As she spoke she took from the box a tiny silver key. On close inspection it proved to be a pin so prettily and ingeniously made that anybody might be pleased to wear it. On one side was engraved a part of their motto—"They Helped"—and on the other, the letters O.B.F.D.
So great was the enthusiasm that all order went to the winds.