ren't you girls funny!" teased Joy. "And you in the first year of
high school!"

"Kit," suddenly asked Bet, "will you act as secretary for the
Merriweather Girls Helpful Aid Society and keep track of what we all
must do?"

"I'm so busy, girls; will you let me buy trees and ornaments, for my
share?" asked Shirley.

"Oh, that's fine. All right, put it down, Kit. And I will be on the
committee to beg old toys. And we'll all get to work and make repairs.
--I have a dandy scooter bike, but it needs paint."

A few days later they had a list of needy ones. "Oh, here's a nice big
family for us," cried Bet. "It's Mrs. Ryan down by the tracks. She
has nine children, and listen to the names: Emmelina, Francis
Drake--oh, girls, isn't it a scream! Next comes Orlando, then
Amarylis, Ronald, Marcel, Babette, Ernestine and Vivienne."

"Heaven help us! And do we have to get gifts to live up to those
names? Why diamonds and pearls would be too common for such people."
Joy threw both hands in the air as a sign of distress.

"Never mind, Joy. I think the little Ryans will deign to accept a
stocking full of sweets and things like jumping jacks. Dad thinks we
ought to give out some of the repair work to men who are out of jobs.
He says he'll help pay for it as his share. Dad has a good bicycle
which I'm sure a man can fix up."

"Let's put a sign in the window, 'Man wanted for repair work on toys,'"
said the quiet Shirley.

"Might be better to put 'for odd job'," laughed Kit.

Bet took a piece of drawing paper and pencilled the sign at once. It
read:

"Man wanted for repair work on toys. Apply Saturday morning at 11
o'clock."

The sign was put in the window on Friday after school, and before the
girls were well inside their shop on Saturday the first applicant
arrived.

"I see you want a man to work!"

"Oh, but you weren't to call before eleven o'clock."

"Sure, I know that, but what chance would a fellow have to wait that
long? Everybody wants work."

"All right, take a look at that bicycle and see if you can find out
what's the matter with it." Bet led the way to the rear room.

"It looks like a pretty good bicycle, Miss. But it's hard to say
whether it can be fixed or not. A blacksmith might tell you!"

Just then the door of the shop opened and another man entered.

"I see the ad. in the window; I want to talk to the boss."

Shirley ran for Bet who was still interviewing the first comer, and
sho