s, and the proprietors of the theatre went up to
their temple of art feeling every confidence in the author who was
struggling in the privacy of his chamber for their success.

This delay in the beginning of the rehearsal was just what Nelly
wanted, for it enabled her to add what she considered would be the
crowning beauty of their decorations. She had conceived the idea only
that afternoon, while engaged in the busy whirl of keeping the sound
peaches at the top of the basket and the unripe ones at the bottom.

A friend of hers, whose mother kept a thread-and-needle emporium that
was contained in a willow basket, and displayed to the public very
near her fruit-stand, was skilful in the art of making paper flowers,
and from time to time had presented Nelly with specimens of her skill,
until everything in the house that could be pressed into service as a
vase was filled with these never-fading and odorless roses.

It had occurred to her that these flowers might be so arranged on the
wall as to form the word "Welcome;" and when she suggested her idea to
the boys, after Mopsey had gone into his room, they were delighted.
Therefore the delay caused by the author enabled them to go to work
upon this last and most beautiful of their decorations at once.

Dickey went out for a paper of tacks, and Johnny drew on the wall,
directly opposite the entrance of the hall, the outlines of the word
to be filled up with the paper flowers. But there was a difference of
opinion among those who were watching him as to how the word should be
spelled. He had drawn out the letters "Welkum," while Paul insisted
that it was not right, spelling the word correctly, and referring the
matter to Ben for arbitration.

Thus appealed to, as if he was an authority in such matters, Ben
looked wonderfully wise, but refused to give any decision until after
he had written the word down on a bit of paper, spelling it in various
ways, that he might see which looked correct.

After some moments of anxious suspense for Johnny, for he had built a
very frail stand to enable him to reach a point on the wall where it
would be impossible for any of the audience to tear the flowers down,
Ben announced that neither was correct, and that the word should be
spelled "Wellcom." It was in vain that Paul insisted Ben was wrong.
The decision had been given, and the others decided that where a
matter was left to a third party for adjustment all must be satisfied
with the