f the
children, for the letters were found to contain money orders and checks
which had to be deposited in some bank.

After looking over the papers, Ned said, "We must sign these and send
back a receipt, eh, mother?"

"Yes, and we must select some bank in which to place our account; shall
we say the Oakdale Trust Company?" said Mrs. Talmage.

So that was agreed upon and the secretary told to stop at the bank in
the morning and get the necessary blanks for the company to fill in.

"What a heap of money the magazines must make," said Dot. "Just look at
all the money we have already with no list."

"But you forget we have really no costs to pay at present so all that is
paid in is profit. But the city publishers have heavy expenses to pay
out of all their income," explained Mrs. Talmage.

"Uncle Ben says that hardly any magazine published could pay its
expenses on the subscriptions only; it is the advertising that pays for
the work," said Ned.

"We ought to get busy on our advertising, then," urged Jinks.

"If we don't we won't pay costs after all of these free donations of
paper and postage are over," added Meredith.

"You boys practised that part of the work, so why don't you try and call
upon some big firms and ask for contracts?" asked Dot.

"How do you know we practised?" questioned Ned, looking at the Blue
Birds, who started giggling as they recalled the visit to the loft over
the carriage house.

"Ho, didn't you?" insisted Dot.

"No one but we boys knew it--we kept the doors closed while we tried to
see which one could do it best," replied Don.

"A little bird whispered it in our ears," teased Ruth.

"Say, Jinks! do you remember the time I heard those noises in the loft?"
asked Ned.

The Bobolinks saw that the girls were laughing at them.

"I wonder when Mr. Richards will get that story printed in the
papers--that will help so much!" sighed Betty.

"Don't be impatient, little girl," said Mrs. Talmage. "Remember, we
have only just begun, and I think there have been marvelous steps
taken."

"And when it once gets started, the subscription list will grow very
rapidly," added Aunt Selina.

And so it proved. In a few weeks' time the letters containing checks and
money orders for subscriptions reached such proportions that Mrs.
Talmage was distracted trying to attend properly to the clerical work.
Mr. Talmage saw that it was such tiresome application to detail that he
telephoned Uncle Ben to send