Another nest of Blue Birds had been formed under Mrs. Catlin’s supervision, and these little girls were chosen to act as agents to secure subscriptions for the forthcoming magazine. They were also permitted to donate short stories or pictures to the magazine and, being so young a branch of the first Nest, felt this was a special privilege.

Aunt Selina had written her interesting Civil War story and had it ready for Uncle Ben, but Mrs. Catlin was still busy trying to arrange her chapters so they would make a good serial.

The Blue Birds had written their pages over and over, and finally Mrs. Talmage said they would lose all sense in the telling if they kept on rewriting. So the pages were taken as they were and corrected by Uncle Ben.

As the various short articles came in to the Publishing House, Mrs. Talmage took charge of them. Many a pleased surprise she had as she read the different articles submitted by the boys, and the suggestions and hints sent in by the girls.

The Bobolinks spent every afternoon at their Publishing House, setting type, trying to run machines, and find out various things about business. The two young men promised by Uncle Ben were not expected until actual work on the magazine began.

So much talk had been heard at various dinner-tables in Oakdale, that fathers manifested enough curiosity in the work to ask for an invitation to the Publishing House. The habit of “dropping in to watch the boys” grew to be regular meetings, and the men enjoyed the social evenings as much as the boys did. Naturally, the work did not lose any of its value by the suggestions and ideas given by the older, experienced business men, but the Blue Birds grew envious over the evident interest shown in the Bobolinks while they were never about.

One afternoon the Blue Birds gathered about Mrs. Talmage with a complaint.

“Mother Wings, those Bobolinks will be ’way ahead of us in this fun, unless you get the mothers to meet once in a while to suggest things for us to do,” said Ruth, dolefully.

“And from something I heard Don tell Mete, those fathers have promised to help the Bobolinks do the work, too!” broke in Dot Starr.

“Since Ned has moved his printing stuff to the carriage house his den is vacant we might use that for our Winter Nest, until we find something better,” suggested Mrs. Starr, after thinking seriously of what had just been said.

“That will be all right, but it won’t boost our work like the boys are being boosted,” fretted Norma.

“I shall have to think of it,” replied Mrs. Talmage, deeply concerned over the discontent of the Blue Birds; but Aunt Selina, who had been a silent listener of the complaint, spoke.

“Are those Bobolinks and the men actually helping the success of the magazine?”

“No, not that we can see; they just use paper and fool away every evening running those machines,” snapped Dot, who generally heard all the doings from her brothers.

“Then they are not getting ahead so fast with success as you seem to think,” replied Aunt Selina, calmly. “The principal things in making a magazine pay are its circulation and the advertising contracts. If these are not being thought of and tried, the Bobolinks are wasting their precious time.”

“But they are so well acquainted with the machines that they say they can print anything!” said Dot.

“All right, suppose we take them at their word and ask them to give us proof of some circulars,” laughed Mrs. Talmage.

“I suppose they would, but where would we use them?” asked Norma.

“This is what I would suggest we’ll play the game of the ’Tortoise and the Hare,’ and they’ll be left asleep at their work while we win the race,” declared Aunt Selina.

The Blue Birds gathered closer to Aunt Selina’s chair, and she continued her instruction.

“We’ll have Mother Wings write a letter and ask Mr. Wells to bring down that Institution Book he promised us, as we wish to use it at once. Then we’ll count up the number of institutions where we could send a magazine and circular. Some of these will subscribe most likely, while the circular letter will reach the hands of some of the wealthy patrons of the Homes. We’ll compose a letter and order those Bobolinks to print ten thousand for us. I guess that will keep them busy for a time and at the same time make them wonder what we are doing without their knowledge or consent.”

“Shall we mail the letters when they are printed?” asked Betty.

“No, I thought we could address large-sized envelopes with the names of the institutions and as soon as the magazines are printed we can place a letter and a magazine in each envelope. Of course, we inclose a subscription blank, too; this work of folding and sealing the letters and magazines is where we will invite the mothers to help. After that we can send out some samples to other folks, but we will make the Bobolinks wonder why the mothers are here so often.”

The Blue Birds laughed and thought the plan very good, and Dot Starr added, “We’re surely glad you’re here, Aunt Selina.”

“And we will keep all of our papers and work in the den and no one will see what is being done,” added Mrs. Talmage.

“You must keep the key, Mother Wings,” advised Ruth.

The letter for Mr. Wells was written without delay, for Norma was to hand it to her father that evening. After this was finished the important work of composing a letter for folks who would receive the magazine was started.

This letter provoked many suggestions and criticisms, but finally was concluded and read aloud to the children, who declared it just right.

“But we haven’t a bit of paper for the printing,” exclaimed Ruth.

“Maybe Aunt Selina and I can go to the paper mills in the morning and see if they have any small lot that will do,” suggested Mrs. Talmage.

This offer cheered the Blue Birds again, as a few hours’ delay would not matter very much.

“Now, that’s done, what next?” asked Dot.

“Next thing is to say ‘good-afternoon’ and go home,” laughed Mrs. Talmage, looking at her watch.

“Oh, dear, mother, it cannot be dinner-time,” said Ruth.

“It is almost six o’clock, and I have some matters to look after, dear,” returned her mother.

“Well, we can invite our mothers to join us, anyway, can’t we, Mrs. Talmage?” said May.

“Yes, but I wouldn’t mention the fact that we feel that we must have them to enable us to get ahead of the Bobolinks, for your fathers will hear of it and plan some way to win out in spite of us,” advised the astute Aunt Selina.

“We won’t! We’ll just say that as long as the boys have their fathers with them, we girls are going to invite our mothers,” explained Norma, while the others nodded approval.

“May we come to-night?” asked Betty.

“How about school lessons?” asked Mrs. Talmage.

“And I want to revise several parts of my story to-night, besides the paper mills have not yet been visited, you know,” objected Aunt Selina.

“Girls, we’d better wait until to-morrow; that’s Friday and we won’t have to go to bed so early as other evenings,” suggested Ruth.

“All right, we’ll meet in the den to-morrow afternoon and report how many mothers will be here,” consented Dot.

“And I’ll have Mrs. Catlin here in the evening,” added Mrs. Talmage.

“Mother Wings, if we use that old room of Ned’s, why couldn’t we call it our Winter Nest? We can move in our cherry-tree Nest furniture when it grows colder and make the room look real comfy,” said Ruth.

The other Blue Birds approved of the suggestion and Mrs. Talmage said she had no objection to having the Winter Nest in the den, so it was decided then and there.

Ruth accompanied her friends to the steps and as they stood vainly wishing there were several extra hours to add to an afternoon, Dot saw Don jump out of the wide-open door of the Publishing House and laugh derisively at someone inside.

“Now I wonder what that boy is up to?” she said.

“Oh, say, wouldn’t it be fun to creep in back of the carriage house and peep in at the windows to watch the boys!” suggested Edith.

“I know a better way,” answered Ruth. “We will ask Ike to let us go up in the loft from the small room and we can look down through the wide chinks of the floor.”

“Oh, do let’s!” cried the Blue Birds, as they hurried back of the house to steal noiselessly over to the garage.

Ike understood the rivalry growing between them, and decided to be perfectly impartial, so he unlocked the door of the small room where the stairs led to a loft over the Publishing House.

The Bobolinks were making such a noise that they never heard the creaking of the floor overhead, or the giggles of the girls as they glued their eyes to the crevices between the boards.

“Now it’s Tuck’s turn to be an advertising solicitor!” called Don, who evidently had been discharged from some make-believe service when he was so unexpectedly put out of the door.

“Ah, I’d never make a solicitor of any kind,” grumbled Tuck Stevens.

“But you’ve got to play the game as we all promised,” coaxed some of the boys.

“I’ll be the man you want to see,” persuaded Jinks.

“Come on, Tuck. We’ll have to go home pretty soon, so get busy,” commanded Ned.

The girls began to understand that the Bobolinks were not playing, but practicing their duty for the future, so they silently looked at each other and nodded understandingly.

“Here goes, then,” ventured Tuck, bravely.

He strutted across the floor toward the office and met one of the boys stationed there.

“Good-morning, sir; do you wish to see anyone?” asked the impromptu clerk.

“I have an appointment with Mr. Slamhim,” quivered Tuck, as if the visit was an actual affair.

The boys tittered with glee as Tuck turned red and white.

“Your name, please?” asked the polite clerk.

“Reuben Stevens,” replied Tuck, in a whisper.

“Ha! the name’ll queer you, Tuck!” laughed Don, behind his chum’s back, but the older boys hushed Don.

The clerk rapped upon the office door and a voice said, “Come in.”

“Reuben Stevens to see you, sir. He has an appointment.”

“Show him in,” said the voice which Ruth recognized as a disguised bass of Ned’s.

Tuck walked to the office and then turned about and asked the other boys: “Now, what shall I say I’ve forgotten.”

Immediately there was a loud chorus of laughter, and a scuffle and Tuck was ousted in the same manner that Don had been.

“Didn’t I say that name would spoil you?” teased Don.

“Next!” called one of the boys who had a list of names which he marked down “good, indifferent, bad.”

The boy whose turn came next carried off the rehearsal as if he had been a solicitor all of his short life. The other boys cheered his efforts and even the Blue Birds were tempted to clap their hands.

“Well, Bobolinks, I think this will do for to-day; we have drilled three of the boys after the manner shown us last night, but Don and Tuck seem to be hopeless cases,” said Ned.

“I’ll practice it at home on Dot, and show you what I can do to-morrow,” eagerly promised Don.

Dot looked up at her friends when she heard this and shook her head energetically.

The Bobolinks carefully covered the machines with the canvas covers and started to go out. At the same time the girls in the loft crept across the floor toward the steps. The boys were not making so much noise as when the Blue Birds went up in the loft, and Meredith stood surprised when he heard something moving over his head.

“Where’s Ike?” he whispered to Ned.

“Just outside the door why?” replied Ned.

“Don’t you hear those footsteps?”

“What where? Yes, of course!” exclaimed Ned.

Simon was seen crossing the lawn and Ike stood outside with the boys, so who could be upstairs?

Meantime, Ruth overheard Meredith’s exclamation and hurried the girls down and out, and pushed them inside the garage before any of the boys could persuade Ike that someone was upstairs. Finally he allowed them to drag him to the small carriage room and ascend the steps.

The Blue Birds lay hidden in the bottom of the automobile and almost suffocated trying to keep from laughing outright at the way the Bobolinks were hoodwinked.

Every one of the boys trudged up the steps, but found the loft empty. As soon as they were out of sight in the small room, the girls jumped out of the car and ran madly for the shrubbery which sheltered the kitchen gardens from the lawns. Here, they could creep toward home without being seen from the barns.

Ike looked carefully about the loft but hid a smile when his back was turned.

“There, I told you no one was here!” he said.

“Well, I don’t care, I heard them!” retorted Ned.

“Maybe it was rats!” ventured Ike.

“No, sir, you said that you were never pestered with rats; besides, this noise was just like walking would sound,” insisted Ned.

Ike kept the boys upstairs arguing for a sufficient time to permit the Blue Birds to get out of the way, then he started down.

“Well, I’ll keep the door locked and the key in my room,” promised Ike, as the boys waited for him to lock up.

“If it was a tramp, Ned, he couldn’t move our machinery, so what’s the use bothering?” said Don.

“He could steal our type and other things, and sell them,” grumbled Ned, still unassured.

Ruth was walking slowly up from the main gates when Ned reached the veranda. She was stooping over a chrysanthemum blossom to note its beautiful coloring when Ned whistled to attract her attention.

“Better hurry in and wash up for dinner it’s almost seven, and mother doesn’t like dinner delayed, you know,” Ned said, as Ruth skipped up smilingly.

Not a word was said, and the Bobolinks never found out how the Blue Birds watched them practice their future business tactics.

The next morning Mrs. Talmage and Aunt Selina had Ike drive them to the paper mills.

Mrs. Talmage explained her errand and selected some samples of stationery paper. The manager then showed them over the mills and Aunt Selina whispered aside to Mrs. Talmage: “What an interesting article this work would make.”

“Indeed, yes!” replied Mrs. Talmage, turning to the manager to tell him of the new venture of the Blue Birds and ask him to write up a story about the manufacture of paper.

“That I will! I like to write, and often, when I’m tired or worried, I sit down to write a funny sketch. I have sold a number of them to Sunday papers,” was the surprising reply.

The two ladies were escorted to the manager’s office and chairs were placed for them while a price list was prepared for the convenience of the Blue Birds.

This done, the manager sat back in his office chair.

“Have the children planned any campaign for securing circulation?” he asked.

“Why, no, Mr. White, we intended talking that matter over with the mothers to-night. We are all so inexperienced in this undertaking that I suppose a business man would laugh at our way of putting ’the cart before the horse,’ as the saying is,” laughed Mrs. Talmage.

“The fact is, this whole proposition is so sudden and different from anything the children had dreamed of!” added Aunt Selina, in defence of their mistakes.

“I know! When I heard of the daring of the children I certainly admired their spunk, but I couldn’t help shaking my head, too, for it is no joke to start a real business, as they are doing,” said Mr. White, seriously.

“Well, we will need the help of all of our friends,” smiled Mrs. Talmage.

“You’ll have it, too. Why, everybody in Oakdale felt the Blue Birds’ work last summer was wonderful; now, this new venture will have the support of all of the townsfolks.”

“It is very encouraging to hear you speak so, and if you think of any way to boom our circulation, I wish you would come over some evening and tell us all about it,” replied Mrs. Talmage.

Suddenly the manager sat upright and looked toward the book-shelves, which contained rows of business-like looking reference books.

“I believe we have the idea!” exclaimed he, jumping up and going over to the shelves to take down a heavy volume.

“This book contains all the names and addresses of stationery stores in the United States and Canada. It is only a year old, so most of these addresses will be up-to-date. We use it for mailing samples of our paper, but I have an idea that you would get plenty of subscriptions and make willing agents of these storekeepers. If you send a sample of your magazine and give them a liberal commission there is no reason why these firms would refuse to act as agents. Anyway, it would do no harm to try out the suggestion,” said Mr. White.

“Why, Mr. White, do you know that you are a direct answer to my prayer!” cried Aunt Selina.

“I am grateful to be favored,” laughed Mr. White, “but it must be your faith that brought the answer.”

“Well, to tell the truth,” continued Aunt Selina, “I am so very anxious to have this movement of the children a fine success that I have been praying in season and out for the way to open that we might be blessed in this work. All we needed for the next step was a hint for circulation.”

“And I’ll confide a secret, too,” said Mrs. Talmage, leaning over toward the desk. “The boys have had their fathers meet with them every evening, advising and drilling them in ways and means to succeed, while my girls have had to do the best they can with Aunt Selina and me. This book will boost us far ahead of the Bobolinks and give the men who are advising a fine surprise.”

Mr. White laughed as he understood the rivalry between the two factions, and promised to send his wife to the meetings of the mothers to convey any advice or suggestions he might think of.

“Oh, splendid! We expect to hold our first meeting at our house to-night. Do bring her over!” cried Mrs. Talmage.

As the three were going out to the automobile, Mr. White ventured a remark.

“I have been told that the paper for the sample issue was to be sent over when you wished it. Now, I thought of making an advertising proposition to the corporation at their next meeting. If the magazine would mention that all the paper used by them for letters, circulars and magazines was furnished by the Oakdale Mills, it would be a good exchange if the company donated the paper needed for the first year’s work.”

The ladies stood amazed at the generous idea.

“Every paper mill in the country will try to place a contract with the children as soon as news of this plan is out. Now, the Oakdale Mills can secure its contract for future years by being wide-awake for the present. It is a strictly business proposition, you see,” explained Mr. White.

“It may seem so to you, but I know that it is a proposition that no other firm would offer, and we are deeply grateful for your interest,” replied Mrs. Talmage, sagaciously.

“I’ll suggest it, and you find out if the magazine is willing to give us the mention I hinted at,” said Mr. White.

Handing the huge book of addresses to Ike, Mrs. Talmage shook hands with Mr. White and reminded him to bring his wife to the meeting.

“Well! that was the best hour’s business yet!” exclaimed Aunt Selina, as the car sped away.

“Wonderful, isn’t it? I hope everything will glide along as nicely as it has up to the present,” said Mrs. Talmage.

Being Friday, school closed an hour earlier than usual. The moment the Blue Birds could catch their hats from the pegs in the cloak-rooms, they ran out to join Ruth, who was hopping from one foot to the other in a vain effort to calm her impatience.

“Hurry, girls! Don’t you know Mother Wings went to the mills this morning for samples of paper?” called one to the other as they ran up to Ruth.

It was not long thereafter that seven eager little girls crowded about Mrs. Talmage on the veranda to hear the news.

“I’ll show you the samples, but we will wait for the mothers’ opinion to-night. But this great secret I will give to you now!” and, forthwith, Mrs. Talmage told the Blue Birds all about Mr. White’s interest and ideas, and showed them the precious volume loaned them.