't make 'em
buy, we'll cry--and every tear will sell a bond!"

The Colonel stirred his coffee thoughtfully.

"You might try it," he suggested. "I've read that in some cities the
Boy Scouts have been successful in placing the bonds. It's an honorable
undertaking, in any event, but--I hope you will meet with no insults."

"If that rank pro-German, Jake Kasker, will buy bonds, there isn't a
man in Dorfield who can give a logical excuse for not doing likewise,"
declared Mary Louise. "I'm going to use Kasker to shame the rest of
them. But, before I undertake this job, I shall make a condition,
Gran'pa. You must stay quietly at home while we girls do the work."

"Oh, I could not do that, Mary Louise."

"You're not fit to leave the house. Will you try my plan for one
day--just for to-day."

"I'll think it over, dear," he said, rising.

She assisted him to the library and then ran down the street to the
doctor's office.

"Dr. McGruer," she said, "go over at once and see my grandfather. He's
completely exhausted with the work of selling Liberty Bonds. Be sure
you order him to keep at home and remain quiet--at least for to-day."

CHAPTER III
THE LIBERTY GIRLS

An hour later six girls met at the home of Alora Jones, who lived with
her father in a fine mansion across the street from Colonel Hathaway's
residence. These girls were prepared to work, and work diligently,
under the leadership of Mary Louise, for they had been planning and
discussing this event for several days, patiently awaiting the word to
start their campaign.

"Some girls," said Mary Louise, "are knitting, and that's a good thing
to do, in a way. Others are making pajamas and pillows for the Red
Cross, and that's also an admirable thing to do. But our duty lies on a
higher plane, for we're going to get money to enable Uncle Sam to take
care of our soldier boys."

"Do--do you think we can make people buy bonds?" asked little Laura
Hilton, with a trace of doubt in her voice.

Mary Louise gave her a severe look.

"We not only can, but we _shall_ make people buy," she replied. "We
shall ask them very prettily, and they cannot refuse us. We've all been
loaded to the brim with arguments, if arguments are necessary, but we
haven't time to gossip with folks. A whole lot of money must be raised,
and there's a short time to do it in."

"Seems to me," remarked Edna Barlow, earnestly, "we're wasting time
just now. Let's get busy."

"Well, get on your cos