w Testament.

Some of the older members of his congregation shook their heads over it.
It was not "strong meat," they said; there was nothing to argue about!
But a dozen troubled, needy members who heard the sermon, felt new hope
in their hearts, and they got through the following week--trials and
all!--much easier than usual.

CHAPTER XVI

"SHOWING" THE ELDER

No millionaire library-giver had found Poketown on the map. Or else, the
hard-headed and tight-fisted voters of that Green Mountain community
were too sharp to allow anybody to foist upon them a granite mausoleum,
the upkeep of which would mainly advertise the name of the donor.

The Union Sunday School had a library; but its list of volumes was open
to the same objections as are raised to many other institutions of its
kind. Nor was a circulating library so much needed in Poketown as a
reading and recreation room for the youth of the village.

Aside from her brief talk with Mr. Middler, Janice Day advised with no
adult at first as to how the establishment of the needed institution
should be brought about.

The girl had studied Marty, if she had had little opportunity of
becoming acquainted with other specimens of the genus _boy_. She knew
they were as bridle-shy as wild colts.

The idea of the club-room for reading and games must seem to come from
the boys themselves. It must appear that they accepted adult aid
perforce, but with the distinct understanding that the room was _theirs_
and that there was not to be too much oversight or control by the
supporting members of the institution.

The scheme was not at all original with Janice. The nucleus of many a
successful free library and village club has been a similar idea.

"Marty, why don't you and your chums have a place of your own where you
can read and play checkers these cold nights? I hear Josiah Pringle has
chased you out of his shop again."

"Ya-as--mean old hunks!"

"But didn't somebody spoil a whole nest of whips for him by pouring
liquid glue over the snappers?"

"Well! that was only one feller. An' Pringle put us all out," complained
the boy, but grinning, too.

"You wouldn't have let that boy do such a thing in your own
club-room--now, would you?"

"Huh! how'd we ever git a club-room, Janice? We had Poley Haskin's
father's barn one't; but when we tried to heat it with a three-legged
cookstove, Poley's old man put us out in a hurry."

"Oh, I mean a real _nice_ place," said