had charge of the room; and shelves for
the books, and lamps, and a stove, and chairs, beside curtains at the
windows. These simple furnishings would do to begin with. But how to
get any, or all, of these was the problem.

Janice went to several people able to help in the project, before she
said anything more to Marty. Some of these people encouraged her; some
shook their heads pessimistically over the idea.

She wished Elder Concannon to agree to pay the rent of the room for the
first three months. It would be but nine dollars, and the old gentleman
could easily do it. Since closing his pastorate of the Union Church,
years before, Mr. Concannon had become (for Poketown) a rich man. He had
invested a small legacy received about that time in abandoned marble
quarries and sugar-maple orchards. Both quarries and orchards had taken
on a new lease of life, and had enriched the shrewd old minister.

But Elder Concannon let go of a dollar no more easily now than when he
had been dependent upon a four-hundred-dollar salary and a donation
party twice a year.

It was not altogether parsimony that made the old gentleman "hem and
haw" over Janice Day's proposal. Naturally, an innovation of any kind
would have made him shy, but especially one calculated to yield any
pleasure to the boys of Poketown.

"I don't dispute but you may mean all right, Miss Day," he said, shaking
his bristling head at her. "But there's no good in those young
scamps--no good at all. You would waste your time trying to benefit
them. They would turn your reading-room into a bear garden."

"You do not _know_ that, sir," said Janice, boldly. "Let us try them."

"You are very young, Miss Day," said the Elder, stiffly. "You should
yield more easily to the opinions of your elders."

"Why?" demanded the girl, quickly, but smiling. "We young ones have got
to learn through our own experiences, haven't we? When _you_ were young,
sir, you had to learn at first hand--isn't that so? You would not accept
the opinions of the older men as infallible. Now, did you, sir?"

The Elder was a bit staggered; but he was honest.

"Ahem!" he said. "For that very reason I desire to have you accept my
advice, young lady. It will save you much trouble and heartache. These
boys need a stronger hand than yours----"

"Oh, my goodness!" gasped Janice. "_I_ wouldn't undertake to have
anything to do with governing them--no, indeed! I thought of speaking to
Mr. Haley--if I could i