entary confusion passed. The faces which for a long moment
had seemed blended in one gigantic face, jeering and unfriendly,
regained their individuality. She saw them looking up at her with
interest. The uproar was quieting. She took a fresh grip on her
self-control, and as she regained the mastery of herself, she knew that
she was mistress of the situation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

The clear, girlish voice, in combination with Peggy's aged appearance,
was incongruous enough to create further laughter, had the audience not
been too interested to hear what she was about to say, again to
interrupt.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, first of all, I want to thank you for coming. All
of you know, I'm pretty sure, that the proceeds of this entertainment go
to help one of your own girls who wants an education. And the way you've
turned out shows how glad you all are to help."

She paused an instant, to be sure that the time had come to broach her
proposition. The aspect of her listeners was reassuring. Nearly every
face raised to hers was smiling. Even the Cherry Creekers wore an air of
conscious virtue.

"But, Ladies and Gentlemen, there is one little embarrassment we hadn't
counted on, an embarrassment of riches, you might call it. There are too
many people here for the schoolhouse. A number are standing, and it
would be impossible for them to enjoy an entertainment as long as this
without having seats."

The smiles vanished as Peggy approached the delicate point. The Cherry
Creekers no longer looked virtuous, but rather defiant.

"Now, I'm going to make a suggestion, Ladies and Gentlemen. Part of our
audience has come quite a long way. We don't want them to go home
without seeing what they came for. But you who live near could come out
to-morrow night. Now I'm going to ask those of you who live in the
neighborhood to give your seats up to the friends who have come so far
for the sake of helping us." (Sensation in the audience.) "Your money
will be returned as you pass out, and we shall hope to see every one of
you here to-morrow evening. Positively no postponement, Ladies and
Gentlemen, on account of the weather."

The silence that followed was of the briefest possible duration. In nine
cases out of ten, a frank, tactful appeal to the generosity of an
American crowd proves successful. Somebody started to clap, and all at
once the schoolhouse shook with applause, even the disappointed
succumbing to the contagion and clappin