As Mrs. Sloane now thought that the children were taxed enough for one day, and that they would enjoy an after-talk by themselves, she thanked the club for their courtesy, and with a most gracious smile towards her son, added, "I now have the pleasure of conducting you to the chair."
This said, she stepped one side. He pleasantly bowed, and took the place made vacant by his mother.
No sooner had she retired than Mrs. Sloane laughingly said, "I move we adjourn."
When at once Amy De Nyse, who had been unusually quiet, jumped to her feet. "Before that motion is seconded, I move a vote of thanks to Mrs. Sloane," and she was about to add, "for her patience and goodness to us this afternoon," but her voice was drowned in the hearty ringing voices of the happy children who had now informally gathered about their leader, and each one thanked her warmly and heartily over and yet over again. And then were heard such expressions as, "You'll have to come to all of our entertainments," "Won't we have jolly fun practising the different charades, tableaux, and games?" and "When we get money enough, perhaps we can have a regular club-room, with a platform, curtain, and scenery."
And that thought proved the inspiration for another and yet another, until one of the boys reached a grand climax by waving a handkerchief over his head and shouting: "I have a scheme. Let us get up specialties, and make a charge to show them. Why, this club may make us all rich yet!"
Out on Long Island there is to-day an exceedingly angry farmer. He can usually be found nursing his wrath on the top of a rail-fence near his barn an hour before sunset. His big jack-knife digs deeply into the piece of wood it is whittling as the farmer emphasizes his wrath.
"Talk about the benefit newspapers are to the country—bah!" he exclaims. "The other night I had all my chickens stole 'cept two, and that old town paper recorded it in big type, and let the whole country know about it in less than no time. What do you suppose the result was, eh? Why, the thieves that took them chicks thought they got them all, and when they read in the paper that two was left behind, what did they do but come around the very next night when I never expected them, and they took the other two. I don't see much use for newspapers that tells everything a thief wants to know."