etness to sad lives."

"I think it is the most beautiful idea," exclaimed Letty earnestly, "and
I shall be dreadfully disappointed if the girls want something
different. I begin to feel sorry for old Nathan Keener already."

"That is an excellent beginning," said Mrs. Conway, with a smile.

Here came a call from Amanda, so Reliance and Edna scampered off leaving
Letty to be entertained by Mrs. Conway.

When Reliance came home from school that afternoon, she brought the
information that the girls were going to meet in Hewlett's old
blacksmith shop that afternoon, and that Edna was to be sure to come. To
her own great disappointment, she could not go herself, for Amanda
declared that she could not get along without her, and that all this
gallivanting about was a mistake, and that if Mrs. Willis was going to
have a bound girl there for her to bother with and get no good of, she
guessed it was time for younger folks to take her place. A girl that
spent half her time at school and the other half skylarking wouldn't
amount to much anyway was her opinion.

So because the old servant had to be pacified and because it was a day
on which Reliance could really be ill spared, she did not attend the
meeting.

"I am sorry, dear," said Mrs. Willis, when Edna begged to have the
decree altered, "but I am afraid we really cannot spare Reliance this
afternoon. You know she has had a lot of time for play this past week;
we have been very indulgent to her because of your being here." Edna saw
that this was final and went to her mother with rather a grave face.

"Mother," she said, "isn't it too bad that Reliance can't go? She says
she wouldn't mind so much if it were not for the voting, but you see if
she isn't there, she will lose her vote, and we do so want the
Elderflower plan to be the one."

"Why couldn't you be her proxy?" said Mrs. Conway.

"Proxy? What is proxy, mother?"

"It is some one appointed in the place of another to do what would
otherwise be done by the first person; for instance, in this case you
could be proxy for Reliance and vote for her. She could sign a paper
which would make it very plain."

"Oh, mother, will you write the paper and let me take it to her to
sign?"

"Certainly I will." She drew the writing materials to her and wrote a
few lines. "There," she said, "I think that will do."

"Please read it, mother."

Mrs. Conway read: "I hereby appoint Edna Conway to be my proxy and to
vote upon any qu