nother twenty-five for your project," he said, as he signed
his name with a flourish surprisingly big for so cramped a little man;
"and the room is at your disposal for six months, rent free. I would
have it cleaned, but you seem to delight in doing such work yourself. I
can assure you that the Three R's will back you up. The next meeting is
called for a week from to-day."

Catherine's face wore its blithest smile. "You are a dear to do so
much," she declared. "I was sure you'd be interested. If you ever want
any cleaning done, _anywhere_, please let me do it!"

Algernon had to be aroused almost forcibly, and Catherine carried him
away, still so lost in the article on the jury system he had been
reading that he could not quite take in the wonderful success of the
call. He followed Catherine's eager steps to the little square frame
building a few blocks up Main Street, and turned the key she gave him.
It was a dingy little room, all dirt and cobwebs. A few old straw hats
and wire frames piled among some big green boxes indicated the last
occupant's business, and a scurrying of tiny feet, only too clearly, the
present occupants' nature. Catherine lifted her nose in dainty scorn,
and her skirts in private apprehension.

"We shall have to get a lot of girls and come down here to-morrow and
clean up; but let's get out for now," she said, and Algernon consented.

They strolled along the street till they came to the little park, and
there, sitting on its one green bench, talked over their list of assets.

"I keep having ideas all the time," cried Catherine. "Listen! We must go
over to Hampton and visit the library there, and find out how they do
things. When can you?"

"Any time. I was just thinking I must ask Mr. Morse to give us a good
write-up."

"Of course. He'll be interested. Let's go over now. Or perhaps you'd
better go alone. I don't know him, and I never was in a newspaper
office."

"Afraid of the devil?" jested Algernon, getting up and leaving her.
Catherine watched him disappear into the office across the street.

"He walks better already," she thought with pride. "And he never made
such a frivolous remark as that before. I do think this library will be
the making of Algernon."

Back he came in a minute or two, with a promise of plenty of space in
the _Courier_, and a free atlas.

"One they had in the office, of course; but we ought to have one, and
every little helps. He was awfully interested and said