we are, Gladys. Why aren't we? Everybody born in America is a
citizen, whether old or young."

"I never dreamed I was a citizen," said Gladys, giggling. "Did you,
Kit?"

"No," said Kitty; "but I'd just as lieve be. Wouldn't you, Dorothy?"

"Yes, indeed. It's nice to be citizens. Sort of patriotic, you know."

"Well," said Midget, "if we're citizens, let's do citizens' work. What
do they do, King?"

"Oh, they vote, and----"

"But we can't vote. Of course we girls never can, but you boys can't for
years yet. Don't be silly."

"Well, there are other things besides voting," said Dick. "Some citizens
have big meetings and make speeches."

"Now _you're_ silly," said Kingdon. "We can't make speeches any more
than we can vote. But there must be things that young folks can do."

"We could have a fair and make money for the heathen," volunteered
Gladys.

"That's too much like work," said King. "Besides, we're all going to be
in the Bazaar in December, and we don't want to copy that! And, anyway,
I mean something more--more political than that."

"I don't know anything about politics," declared Marjorie, "and you
don't, either!"

"I do, too. Father told me all about the different parties and platforms
and everything."

"Let's have a platform," said Kitty. "You boys can build it."

King laughed at this, but, as the others had only a hazy idea of what a
political platform was, Kitty's suggestion was not heeded.

"I'll tell you," said Dick. "When Father was talking last night, he said
if our citizens were public-spirited, they'd form a Village Improvement
Society, and fix up the streets and beautify the park and the common,
and keep their lawns in better order."

"Now you're talking!" cried King. "That's the sort of thing I mean. And
we children could be a little Village Improvement Society ourselves. Of
course we couldn't do much, but we could make a start, and then grown-up
people might take the notion and do it themselves."

"I think it would be lovely," said Marjorie. "We could plant flowers in
the middle of the common, and we'd all water them and weed them, and
keep them in lovely order."

"We couldn't plant flowers till next spring," said Gladys. "October's no
time to plant flowers."

"It's not a very good time for such work, anyway," said Dick, "for most
of the improvement is planting things, and mowing grass, and like that.
But there are other things, 'cause Father said that such a society could
make