and my
grandmother was very kind, for she knew how I loved Margaret, and how
I should miss her if she died. However, she recovered, but I had the
broken cup to remind me of my disobedience. It is there among the
others now."

"Thank you for telling us," said Dora as the cup was passed around.

"Is Margaret alive now?" Bess asked.

"Yes, indeed; she is married and living in England, and has three
great boys and one little daughter. And now let us find a name for our
club."

It was difficult to suit everybody, till after a good deal of
discussion Dora made a suggestion.

"Suppose we have a name not like any we ever heard of, and call
ourselves the Merry Knitters."

Nobody could find any objection to this, so it was accepted.

"For we want to be knitters and we mean to be merry," said Louise.

"And let's not tell the boys what M.K. stands for," proposed Elsie.

CHAPTER IX.

A RIVAL CLUB.

It was the next Saturday afternoon, and Carl, Aleck, and Ikey sat in
the star chamber busily discussing something.

"There they go!" Ikey exclaimed; and the others, looking over his
shoulder, saw the M.Ks. filing up the Brown house walk.

"They think they are so clever," growled Aleck. Carl raised the window
and called; "Never you mind, we'll get even!"

"We don't care," answered Elsie.

"You are welcome to," cried Dora gayly, waving her work-bag.

"You'd better not lean out so far," cautioned Bess, and then the door
closed behind them.

As the girls had hoped, the boys were wildly curious about the
mysterious letters "M.K." They made a great many absurd guesses, and
Carl finally nicknamed it the "Club of Many Kinks," which he thought
sounded like girls. But they only laughed, and wouldn't tell.

He tried to bribe Louise, or to extract it unawares from Bess. Aleck
went to the length of offering Elsie a box of candy if she would give
him so much as a hint, and they united their efforts upon Aunt Zelie,
all to no purpose. Now they had come to the conclusion that the only
thing to do was to start an opposition club, and in their turn arouse
the curiosity of the girls.

Mrs. Howard sat in her own little study, a room over the front door,
where she kept her special treasures, and was most likely to be found
when she was at home. She was busily sorting letters and bills when
Carl's face appeared at the half-open door.

"May we come in?" he asked.

"Who are 'we'?"

"Oh, only Aleck and Ikey," and he ushered i