ampaigning furiously of late for the new Victory
Loan. We Junior Reds canvassed diligently and landed several tough old
customers who had at first flatly refused to invest. I--even I--tackled
Whiskers-on-the-moon. I expected a bad time and a refusal. But to my
amazement he was quite agreeable and promised on the spot to take a
thousand dollar bond. He may be a pacifist, but he knows a good
investment when it is handed out to him. Five and a half per cent is
finve and a half per cent, even when a militaristic government pays it.

"Father, to tease Susan, says it was her speech at the Victory Loan
Campaign meeting that converted Mr. Pryor. I don't think that at all
likely, since Mr. Pryor has been publicly very bitter against Susan
ever since her quite unmistakable rejection of his lover-like advances.
But Susan did make a speech--and the best one made at the meeting, too.
It was the first time she ever did such a thing and she vows it will be
the last. Everybody in the Glen was at the meeting, and quite a number
of speeches were made, but somehow things were a little flat and no
especial enthusiasm could be worked up. Susan was quite dismayed at the
lack of zeal, because she had been burningly anxious that the Island
should go over the top in regard to its quota. She kept whispering
viciously to Gertrude and me that there was 'no ginger' in the
speeches; and when nobody went forward to subscribe to the loan at the
close Susan 'lost her head.' At least, that is how she describes it
herself. She bounded to her feet, her face grim and set under her
bonnet--Susan is the only woman in Glen St. Mary who still wears a
bonnet--and said sarcastically and loudly, 'No doubt it is much cheaper
to talk patriotism than it is to pay for it. And we are asking charity,
of course--we are asking you to lend us your money for nothing! No
doubt the Kaiser will feel quite downcast when he hears of this
meeting!"

"Susan has an unshaken belief that the Kaiser's spies--presumably
represented by Mr. Pryor--promptly inform him of every happening in our
Glen.

"Norman Douglas shouted out 'Hear! Hear!' and some boy at the back
said, 'What about Lloyd George?' in a tone Susan didn't like. Lloyd
George is her pet hero, now that Kitchener is gone.

"'I stand behind Lloyd George every time,' retorted Susan.

"'I suppose that will hearten him up greatly,' said Warren Mead, with
one of his disagreeable 'haw-haws.'

"Warren's remark was spark to po