an.
Besides, it has shown me that I _can_ do it, and I'll be more ambitious
next time. I'll show you the sketch that the tobacconist refused, to
give you an idea of the style of thing."

She ran into her bedroom, and brought back a narrow sheet of paper on
which was depicted a race-course, dotted over with the strangest, most
comical of figures. The headpieces of old Toby pipes peered forth from
the necks of rotund tobacco-jars, which were crowned with cocked hats,
as represented by well-filled pouches. Short-stemmed pipes did service
for arms, long-stemmed pipes for the wide-spread legs, and it was really
astonishing how life-like and animated the figures appeared. With one
exception, however, the combatants were in a very sad case, tumbling,
fainting, falling to the ground, standing still with bowl-like hands
pressed to their hearts, while the winner pressed nearer and nearer to
the goal, and on that winner's corpulent figure was inscribed the
eloquent and touching legend, "Banks's tobacco leads the way!"

"The name, of course, can be altered to suit the exigencies of the
situation," said Madge dryly; and at that Barney burst into a roar of
delighted laughter.

"Good old Madge! Well done, you! That's a rattling good picture, and
you will sell it yet I tell you what; there's a little shop that I
patronise sometimes on my way home, where I really think they might have
it. They sell newspapers and tobacco and so-called stationery, and the
man is an enterprising sort of fellow, who would take up a new idea.
I'll write down the address, and you might call in some day."

"Good old Barney! Good for you!" replied Madge in return. It was a
simple enough suggestion, frankly made and as frankly accepted; neither
brother nor sister suspected to what weighty consequences it was to give
rise.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE DISCOVERY.

Over a week elapsed before Madge was able to carry out Barney's
suggestion and offer the race-course advertisement to the tobacconist
who had been mentioned as a likely purchaser. As a preliminary measure
she thought it wise to prospect the shop itself to see if it boasted any
speciality which could be introduced into the sketch, and also to study
the neighbourhood in search of further customers. When the first sketch
had been touched up, and two more executed, she sallied forth to try her
fate once more. She was less fortunate this time than on her first
expedition, inasmuch as she me