at all order went to the winds.

"Aren't they lovely?" "Tiptop!" "Dandy!" "Too pretty for anything!"

And no one was more pleased than Miss Brown.

"I am afraid I can never be half so good to my neighbors as they are
to me," she said, "but I'll try."

"As if you were not the nicest neighbor we ever had!" cried Louise.

"Let's give Mrs. Howard a vote of thanks," proposed Jim.

Ikey looked at him with envy. Jim always thought of the right thing.

"We ought to thank Dora too, for it was her idea," said Carl as the
clapping subsided.

"I did not dream of anything so nice," said Dora, patting her little
key.

"I am glad you are pleased, and I hope they will open some rusty
locks," said Aunt Zelie.

"And now, if you please, we'll adjourn into the dining-room," said
Miss Brown. "This is a very special occasion, you know," she added, in
reply to a grave shake of the head from Mrs. Howard.

They drank success to the new Order in chocolate, and munched crisp
little sugar cakes which were cleverly twisted into M's and K's. Mary
had long ago become a friend of the children, and this was her
contribution to the occasion.

"There is something I should like to suggest," their hostess said as
Carl passed the peppermints. "I feel an interest in people who, like
myself, can't get about easily, and I have noticed that little lame
boy over the way, and I wonder if these silver keys could not open a
door of pleasure for him."

"Will suggested it long ago, but our Christmas work put it out of our
thoughts," Mrs. Howard replied.

"Suppose we go now and take him some M.Ks.," Louise said merrily.

"We don't know him," objected Elsie.

"Let Louise and Ikey go, and I will put up some cakes and peppermints
for him," said Miss Brown.

Ikey, though shy when left to himself, was always willing to follow
Louise, and they went off together in high spirits, not in the least
subdued by Aunt Zelie's remark that she hardly thought she would care
for a visit from two such geese.

John was still at his window waiting for the meeting to be over, and
laughed at the sight of Louise chasing Ikey around the garden. They
seemed to be disputing over something that was done up in a napkin. It
ended by the former getting possession, and then, still laughing, they
came out of the gate and crossed the street.

John's heart almost stopped beating for a second. Could they be coming
to see him? He felt both glad and frightened when the maid announc