tain empty lot on High Street which would give a library a prominent
site. This lot was owned by old Elder Concannon.

"There've been miracles happened here in Poketown during the last year
or so; if I have patience and wait to strike when the iron's hot, maybe
_that_ miracle will come to pass," Janice told herself.

Elder Concannon had already begun to treat Janice in a much more
friendly way than he had at one time. She believed that secretly he
was interested in the library and reading-room. Sometimes he spent an
hour or so there of an evening--especially if one of the boys would
play checkers with him.

"He's an old nuisance," growled Marty to his cousin, on one occasion.
"He keeps some of the fellers out; they see him in there, with his
grizzly old head and flapping cape-coat, and they stay out till he goes
home. And, by jinks! I'm gittin' tired of being the goat and playin'
draughts with him."

"Marty," she said to him, with some solemnity, "if you saw that through
the Elder's coming there and your entertaining him a bit, the
institution would in the end be vastly benefited, wouldn't you be
_glad_ to play the goat?"

Marty's eyes snapped at her. He drew a long breath, and exclaimed: "Hi
tunket! You don't mean that you've got the old Elder 'on the string'
for us, Janice?"

"It's very rude of you to talk that way," said Janice, smiling. "I
don't know what you mean by having the dear old gentleman 'on a
string.' But I tell you in secret, Marty, that I _do_ hope he will be
so much interested in the reading-room and library that some day he
will give the association something very much worth while. He can
afford it, for he hasn't chick nor child in the world."

"Ye don't mean it?" gasped Marty.

"But I _do_ mean it. Why not? Do you suppose the old gentleman comes
into the reading-room without being interested in it?"

"Say!" drawled her cousin. "I'll be the goat all right, all right!"

Janice was indeed cultivating the old Elder's acquaintance. She would
not have done it to benefit herself in any way; but to help the
library----

"You young folks need a balance wheel," Elder Concannon once said to
Janice. "Youthful enthusiasm is all very well; but where's your
balance?"

"Then why don't you come in with us and supply the balance?" she
rejoined, briskly. "Goodness knows, Elder, we'd be glad to have you!"

Then came a red-letter day for Janice Day. She had almost lost hope of
getting her