r. Irwin, "you may or may not be interested in what
these gentlemen are about to do--but I hope you are. Those who wish may be
members of Mr. Bronson's meeting. Those who do not prefer to do so may
take up their regular work."

"Gentlemen," said Mr. Bronson to the remains of Mr. Carmichael's creamery
party, "we've been cutting bait in this neighborhood about long enough.
I'm in favor of fishing, now. It would have been the biggest disgrace ever
put on this district to have been swindled by that sharper, when the man
that could have set us right on the subject was right here working for us,
and we never let him have a chance. And yet that's what we pretty near
did. How many here favor building a cooperative creamery if we can get the
farmers in with cows enough to make it profitable, and the equipment at
the right price?"

Each man held up a hand.

"Here's one of our best farmers not voting," said Mr. Bronson, indicating
Raymond Simms. "How about you, Raymond?"

"Ah reckon paw'll come in," said Raymond blushingly.

"He will if you say so," said Mr. Bronson.

Raymond's hand went up amid a ripple of applause from the pupils, who
seemed glad to have a voter in their ranks.

"Unanimous!" said Mr. Bronson. "It is a vote! Now I'd like to hear a
motion to perfect a permanent organization to build a creamery."

"I think we ought to have a secretary first," said Mr. Talcott, "and I
nominate Mr. James E. Irwin for the post."

"Quite correct," said Mr. Bronson, "thankee, A. B. I was about to forgit
the secretary. Any other nominations? No 'bjections, Mr. Irwin will be
declared unanimously elected. Mr. Irwin's elected. Mr. Irwin, will you
please assume the duties?"

Jim sat down at the desk and began making notes.

"I think we ought to call this the Anti-Carmichael Protective
Association," said Columbus Brown, but Mr. Bronson interrupted him, rather
frowningly.

"All in good time, Clumb," said he, "but this is serious work." So
admonished, the meeting appointed committees, fixed upon a time for a
future meeting, threw a collection of half-dollars on the desk to start a
petty cash fund, made the usual joke about putting the secretary under
bond, adjourned and dispersed.

"It's a go this time!" said Newton to Jim.

"I think so," said Jim, "with those men interested. Well, our study of
creameries has given a great deal of language work, a good deal of
arithmetic, some geography, and finally saved the people from a swin