r them: they want chit-chat.'

Jasper had begun to listen seriously.

'There's something in this, Whelpdale,' he remarked.

'Ha! I have caught you?' cried the other delightedly. 'Of course there's
something in it?'

'But--' began Dora, and checked herself.

'You were going to say--' Whelpdale bent towards her with deference.

'Surely these poor, silly people oughtn't to be encouraged in their
weakness.'

Whelpdale's countenance fell. He looked ashamed of himself. But Jasper
came speedily to the rescue.

'That's twaddle, Dora. Fools will be fools to the world's end. Answer
a fool according to his folly; supply a simpleton with the reading he
craves, if it will put money in your pocket. You have discouraged poor
Whelpdale in one of the most notable projects of modern times.'

'I shall think no more of it,' said Whelpdale, gravely. 'You are right,
Miss Dora.'

Again Jasper burst into merriment. His sister reddened, and looked
uncomfortable. She began to speak timidly:

'You said this was for reading in trains and 'buses?'

Whelpdale caught at hope.

'Yes. And really, you know, it may be better at such times to read
chit-chat than to be altogether vacant, or to talk unprofitably. I am
not sure; I bow to your opinion unreservedly.'

'So long as they only read the paper at such times,' said Dora, still
hesitating. 'One knows by experience that one really can't fix one's
attention in travelling; even an article in a newspaper is often too
long.'

'Exactly! And if you find it so, what must be the case with the mass
of untaught people, the quarter-educated? It might encourage in some of
them a taste for reading--don't you think?'

'It might,' assented Dora, musingly. 'And in that case you would be
doing good!'

'Distinct good!'

They smiled joyfully at each other. Then Whelpdale turned to Jasper:

'You are convinced that there is something in this?'

'Seriously, I think there is. It would all depend on the skill of the
fellows who put the thing together every week. There ought always to be
one strongly sensational item--we won't call it article. For instance,
you might display on a placard: "What the Queen eats!" or "How
Gladstone's collars are made!"--things of that kind.'

'To be sure, to be sure. And then, you know,' added Whelpdale, glancing
anxiously at Dora, 'when people had been attracted by these devices,
they would find a few things that were really profitable. We would give
nicely written li