r have war any more."

In the confusion attendant upon the fall of the "spy," the programme was
not carried out as planned, and the shadows of those two eminent rulers
never darkened the floor of the barn chamber.

"May war never happen, just the same!" said Aunt Stanshy.

Amen! so say we all of us.

CHAPTER IX.

THE CUPOLA.

Aunt Stanshy was reading one day the list of prohibitions posted up
against the post in the barn chamber.

"Charlie," she said "I like what is said here, that no cross words and no
bad words must be spoken here; but what does it mean when it says _no one_
but the 'treasury' must climb the ladder and go up into the cupola? Does
that apply to honorary members? and did you think that I might want to go
there?"

Charlie's mouth opened into a crack from ear to ear. "Why--why, the money
is up in the cupola!"

"The money is up there in the cupola? Yes, I knew that; you told me that
before. What holds your money?"

"A tin dipper."

"Well, now, if you don't look out, somebody will steal your money. You may
be assured that honorary members won't trouble it."

"Ho!" shouted Charlie. "There goes a man and a hand organ and a monkey."

The dignity of the club was not sufficient to restrain Charlie and several
others from an almost headlong rush for the out-door attraction, and they
quickly surrounded the organ-grinder. He owned a remarkable monkey, the
boys thought, especially when he mounted by a spout to the window of Aunt
Stanshy's chamber, and, entering it, soon re-appeared shaking in his hand
Aunt Stanshy's spectacles!

"Put 'em on!" cried Sid.

"He can, he can!" said his master. "Me taught him."

The next moment the spectacles appeared on the monkey's nose!

"He look like _her_," said the organ-grinder.

But the monkey did not have time to continue his resemblance to the fair
owner any longer, for the shadow of a broom fell over him, and if he had
not made a very nimble spring for the spout, something besides a shadow
would have fallen upon him, even the broom itself. This was now seen at
the window, and Aunt Stanshy behind it. It was Tony who gallantly ran
forward and rescued Aunt Stanshy's spectacles as their wearer was about
quitting the spout for the ground.

"We think that monkey is very smart, Aunt Stanshy," said Sid.

"I expect you will make him an honorary member the next thing."

"He's bright enough," said Sid.

"I wonder how bright one must be to be an honorary