BEGINNING TO SPELL SUCCESS
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.