k, she
complimented Jessie warmly on the success of her talk on radio with
which the girl introduced the show.

The lawns of the Norwood place began to be crowded before two o'clock.
Cars were parked for several blocks in both directions. Special
policemen had been sent out from town to patrol the vicinity. Dr.
Stanley's smile, as he walked about welcoming the guests, expanded to
an almost unbelievable breadth.

The noisy and explosive Fourth as it used to be is now scarcely known.
Our forefathers did not realize that freedom could be celebrated
without guns and firecrackers and the more or less smelly and
dangerous burning of powder.

"Now," stated Burd Alling pompously, "we celebrate the name of the
Father of his Country with a dish of fruit ice-cream. How are the
mighty fallen! A George Washington sundae, please, with plenty of
'sundae' on it. Thank you!"

Then he gave up twice the price that he would have had to pay at the
Dainties Shop down town for the same concoction to the young lady in
the Columbine skirt and the mask.

"Young Truro had it right," grumbled Darry. "It's a hold-up."

"But you know you like to be robbed for a good cause," chuckled Amy,
who chanced to hear these comments. "And remember that Doctor Stanley
is going to get his share out of this."

"Right-o," agreed Burd. "The doctor is all right."

"But we ought to pony up the money for his support like good sports,"
said Darry, continuing to growl.

"You'd better ask him about that," cried Amy. "Do you know what the
dear doctor says? He is glad, he says, to know that so many people who
never would by any chance come to hear him preach give something to
the support of the church. They are in touch with the church and with
him on an occasion like this, when by no other means could they be
made to interest themselves in our church save to look at the clock
face in the tower as they go past."

"Guess he's right there," said Burd. "I reckon there are some men on
the boulevard whose only religious act is to set their watches by the
church clock as they ride by to town in their automobiles."

However and whatever (to quote Amy again), the intentions were that
brought the crowd, the Norwood place was comfortably filled. The
goodies were bought, the sale of fancy goods added much to the
treasury, and a bigger thing than any other source of income was the
admission to the radio shows.

The children were not the most interested part of the audi