before, two for Rollo, and two for
Lucy.

"What shall we do now?" said Rollo.

"We must vote again," said James.

"That won't do any good," said Henry.

"There's Thanny," said Lucy; "let him vote."

"Well," said Mary, "and that will break the tie."

"O, Thanny can't vote," said Rollo; "he can't write a word."

"He can vote without writing," said Mary. "Thanny, come here. Which do
you think will make the best secretary, Rollo, or Lucy?"

"Why--Lucy," said Thanny, after some hesitation.

"Lucy, he says; so Lucy is chosen," said Mary. "Now, Lucy, you must be
secretary; but I forgot to bring out some paper."

Rollo looked a little disappointed. He had hoped to have been secretary
himself. So when Nathan came back to his seat, he began to punch him a
little, good-naturedly, with his thumb, saying, "_Me_--why didn't you
say _me_, Thanny? Hey, Thanny! Why did not you say _me_?"

Just then, Mary asked Rollo to go into the house and get a sheet of
paper for the secretary; and when he came back, Lucy asked her what she
should write. Mary gave her the necessary directions, and then Lucy went
to the bench, and standing there, near the president's chair, she went
on writing the record, while the rest of the society proceeded with
their business. The next thing was to choose a cabinet keeper.

"You may prepare your votes for cabinet keeper."

"I think Jonas would be the best cabinet keeper," said Henry; "he made
the cabinet."

"O, Jonas does not belong to the society," said Rollo.

"But we can let him in," said Lucy.

"No, he can't belong to the society," said Rollo; "he has too much work
to do."

The fact was, that Rollo wanted to be cabinet keeper himself, and so he
was opposed to any arrangement which would be likely to result in the
election of Jonas. But Mary said that it was not necessary that any one
should be a member of the society, in order to be chosen cabinet keeper.
She said he might be chosen, if the children thought best, even if he
was not a member. "But then," said she, "you must consider all the
circumstances, and vote for the one who, you honestly think, will take
the best care of the curiosities, and arrange them best."

The children then wrote their ballots, and brought them to Mary. Mary
asked Lucy to count them. Lucy said she had not written her vote herself
yet.

"Well, write it quick then," said Mary.

"But I can't think," said Lucy, "whether I had better vote for Jonas or
Rollo."