CHAPTER X
BEGINNING TO SPELL SUCCESS
Another nest of Blue Birds had been formed under Mrs. Catlin'ssupervision, and these little girls were chosen to act as agents tosecure subscriptions for the forthcoming magazine. They were alsopermitted to donate short stories or pictures to the magazine and, beingso young a branch of the first Nest, felt this was a special privilege.
Aunt Selina had written her interesting Civil War story and had it readyfor Uncle Ben, but Mrs. Catlin was still busy trying to arrange herchapters so they would make a good serial.
The Blue Birds had written their pages over and over, and finally Mrs.Talmage said they would lose all sense in the telling if they kept onrewriting. So the pages were taken as they were and corrected by UncleBen.
As the various short articles came in to the Publishing House, Mrs.Talmage took charge of them. Many a pleased surprise she had as sheread the different articles submitted by the boys, and the suggestionsand hints sent in by the girls.
The Bobolinks spent every afternoon at their Publishing House, settingtype, trying to run machines, and find out various things aboutbusiness. The two young men promised by Uncle Ben were not expecteduntil actual work on the magazine began.
So much talk had been heard at various dinner-tables in Oakdale, thatfathers manifested enough curiosity in the work to ask for an invitationto the Publishing House. The habit of "dropping in to watch the boys"grew to be regular meetings, and the men enjoyed the social evenings asmuch as the boys did. Naturally, the work did not lose any of its valueby the suggestions and ideas given by the older, experienced businessmen, but the Blue Birds grew envious over the evident interest shown inthe Bobolinks while they were never about.
One afternoon the Blue Birds gathered about Mrs. Talmage with acomplaint.
"Mother Wings, those Bobolinks will be 'way ahead of us in this fun,unless you get the mothers to meet once in a while to suggest things forus to do," said Ruth, dolefully.
"And from something I heard Don tell Mete, those fathers have promisedto help the Bobolinks do the _work_, too!" broke in Dot Starr.
"Since Ned has moved his printing stuff to the carriage house his den isvacant--we might use that for our Winter Nest, until we find somethingbetter," suggested Mrs. Starr, after thinking seriously of what had justbeen said.
"That will be all right, but it won't boost our work like the boys arebeing boosted," fretted Norma.
"I shall have to think of it," replied Mrs. Talmage, deeply concernedover the discontent of the Blue Birds; but Aunt Selina, who had been asilent listener of the complaint, spoke.
"Are those Bobolinks and the men actually helping the success of themagazine?"
"No, not that we can see; they just use paper and fool away everyevening running those machines," snapped Dot, who generally heard allthe doings from her brothers.
"Then they are not getting ahead so fast with success as you seem tothink," replied Aunt Selina, calmly. "The principal things in making amagazine pay are its circulation and the advertising contracts. If theseare not being thought of and tried, the Bobolinks are wasting theirprecious time."
"But they are so well acquainted with the machines that they say theycan print anything!" said Dot.
"All right, suppose we take them at their word and ask them to give usproof of some circulars," laughed Mrs. Talmage.
"I suppose they would, but where would we use them?" asked Norma.
"This is what I would suggest--we'll play the game of the 'Tortoise andthe Hare,' and they'll be left asleep at their work while we win therace," declared Aunt Selina.
The Blue Birds gathered closer to Aunt Selina's chair, and she continuedher instruction.
"We'll have Mother Wings write a letter and ask Mr. Wells to bring downthat Institution Book he promised us, as we wish to use it at once. Thenwe'll count up the number of institutions where we could send a magazineand circular. Some of these will subscribe most likely, while thecircular letter will reach the hands of some of the wealthy patrons ofthe Homes. We'll compose a letter and order those Bobolinks to print tenthousand for us. I guess that will keep them busy for a time and at thesame time make them wonder what _we_ are doing without their knowledgeor consent."
"Shall we mail the letters when they are printed?" asked Betty.
"No, I thought we could address large-sized envelopes with the names ofthe institutions and as soon as the magazines are printed we can place aletter and a magazine in each envelope. Of course, we inclose asubscription blank, too; this work of folding and sealing the lettersand magazines is where we will invite the mothers to help. After that wecan send out some samples to other folks, but we will make the Bobolinkswonder why the mothers are here so often."
The Blue Birds laughed and thought the plan very good, and Dot Starradded, "We're surely glad you're here, Aunt Selina."
"And we will keep all of our papers and work in the den and no one willsee what is being done," added Mrs. Talmage.
"You must keep the key, Mother Wings," advised Ruth.
The letter for Mr. Wells was written without delay, for Norma was tohand it to her father that evening. After this was finished theimportant work of composing a letter for folks who would receive themagazine was started.
This letter provoked many suggestions and criticisms, but finally wasconcluded and read aloud to the children, who declared it just right.
"But we haven't a bit of paper for the printing," exclaimed Ruth.
"Maybe Aunt Selina and I can go to the paper mills in the morning andsee if they have any small lot that will do," suggested Mrs. Talmage.
This offer cheered the Blue Birds again, as a few hours' delay would notmatter very much.
"Now, that's done, what next?" asked Dot.
"Next thing is to say 'good-afternoon' and go home," laughed Mrs.Talmage, looking at her watch.
"Oh, dear, mother, it cannot be dinner-time," said Ruth.
"It is almost six o'clock, and I have some matters to look after,dear," returned her mother.
"Well, we can invite our mothers to join us, anyway, can't we, Mrs.Talmage?" said May.
"Yes, but I wouldn't mention the fact that we feel that we must havethem to enable us to get ahead of the Bobolinks, for your fathers willhear of it and plan some way to win out in spite of us," advised theastute Aunt Selina.
"We won't! We'll just say that as long as the boys have their fatherswith them, we girls are going to invite our mothers," explained Norma,while the others nodded approval.
"May we come to-night?" asked Betty.
"How about school lessons?" asked Mrs. Talmage.
"And I want to revise several parts of my story to-night, besides thepaper mills have not yet been visited, you know," objected Aunt Selina.
"Girls, we'd better wait until to-morrow; that's Friday and we won'thave to go to bed so early as other evenings," suggested Ruth.
"All right, we'll meet in the den to-morrow afternoon and report howmany mothers will be here," consented Dot.
"And I'll have Mrs. Catlin here in the evening," added Mrs. Talmage.
"Mother Wings, if we use that old room of Ned's, why couldn't we call itour Winter Nest? We can move in our cherry-tree Nest furniture when itgrows colder and make the room look real comfy," said Ruth.
The other Blue Birds approved of the suggestion and Mrs. Talmage saidshe had no objection to having the Winter Nest in the den, so it wasdecided then and there.
Ruth accompanied her friends to the steps and as they stood vainlywishing there were several extra hours to add to an afternoon, Dot sawDon jump out of the wide-open door of the Publishing House and laughderisively at someone inside.
"Now I wonder what that boy is up to?" she said.
"Oh, say, wouldn't it be fun to creep in back of the carriage house andpeep in at the windows to watch the boys!" suggested Edith.
"I know a better way," answered Ruth. "We will ask Ike to let us go upin the loft from the small room and we can look down through
the widechinks of the floor."
"Oh, do let's!" cried the Blue Birds, as they hurried back of the houseto steal noiselessly over to the garage.
Ike understood the rivalry growing between them, and decided to beperfectly impartial, so he unlocked the door of the small room where thestairs led to a loft over the Publishing House.
The Bobolinks were making such a noise that they never heard thecreaking of the floor overhead, or the giggles of the girls as theyglued their eyes to the crevices between the boards.
"Now it's Tuck's turn to be an advertising solicitor!" called Don, whoevidently had been discharged from some make-believe service when he wasso unexpectedly put out of the door.
"Ah, I'd never make a solicitor of any kind," grumbled Tuck Stevens.
"But you've got to play the game as we all promised," coaxed some of theboys.
"I'll be the man you want to see," persuaded Jinks.
"Come on, Tuck. We'll have to go home pretty soon, so get busy,"commanded Ned.
The girls began to understand that the Bobolinks were not playing, butpracticing their duty for the future, so they silently looked at eachother and nodded understandingly.
"Here goes, then," ventured Tuck, bravely.
He strutted across the floor toward the office and met one of the boysstationed there.
"Good-morning, sir; do you wish to see anyone?" asked the impromptuclerk.
"I have an appointment with Mr. Slamhim," quivered Tuck, as if the visitwas an actual affair.
The boys tittered with glee as Tuck turned red and white.
"Your name, please?" asked the polite clerk.
"Reuben Stevens," replied Tuck, in a whisper.
"Ha! the name'll queer you, Tuck!" laughed Don, behind his chum's back,but the older boys hushed Don.
The clerk rapped upon the office door and a voice said, "Come in."
"Reuben Stevens to see you, sir. He has an appointment."
"Show him in," said the voice which Ruth recognized as a disguised bassof Ned's.
Tuck walked to the office and then turned about and asked the otherboys: "Now, what shall I say--I've forgotten."
Immediately there was a loud chorus of laughter, and a scuffle and Tuckwas ousted in the same manner that Don had been.
"Didn't I say that name would spoil you?" teased Don.
"Next!" called one of the boys who had a list of names which he markeddown "good, indifferent, bad."
The boy whose turn came next carried off the rehearsal as if he had beena solicitor all of his short life. The other boys cheered his effortsand even the Blue Birds were tempted to clap their hands.
"Well, Bobolinks, I think this will do for to-day; we have drilled threeof the boys after the manner shown us last night, but Don and Tuck seemto be hopeless cases," said Ned.
"I'll practice it at home on Dot, and show you what I can do to-morrow,"eagerly promised Don.
Dot looked up at her friends when she heard this and shook her headenergetically.
The Bobolinks carefully covered the machines with the canvas covers andstarted to go out. At the same time the girls in the loft crept acrossthe floor toward the steps. The boys were not making so much noise aswhen the Blue Birds went up in the loft, and Meredith stood surprisedwhen he heard something moving over his head.
"Where's Ike?" he whispered to Ned.
"Just outside the door--why?" replied Ned.
"Don't you hear those footsteps?"
"What--where? Yes, of course!" exclaimed Ned.
Simon was seen crossing the lawn and Ike stood outside with the boys, sowho could be upstairs?
Meantime, Ruth overheard Meredith's exclamation and hurried the girlsdown and out, and pushed them inside the garage before any of the boyscould persuade Ike that someone was upstairs. Finally he allowed them todrag him to the small carriage room and ascend the steps.
The Blue Birds lay hidden in the bottom of the automobile and almostsuffocated trying to keep from laughing outright at the way theBobolinks were hoodwinked.
Every one of the boys trudged up the steps, but found the loft empty. Assoon as they were out of sight in the small room, the girls jumped outof the car and ran madly for the shrubbery which sheltered the kitchengardens from the lawns. Here, they could creep toward home without beingseen from the barns.
Ike looked carefully about the loft but hid a smile when his back wasturned.
"There, I told you no one was here!" he said.
"Well, I don't care, I _heard_ them!" retorted Ned.
"Maybe it was rats!" ventured Ike.
"No, sir, you said that you were never pestered with rats; besides, thisnoise was just like walking would sound," insisted Ned.
Ike kept the boys upstairs arguing for a sufficient time to permit theBlue Birds to get out of the way, then he started down.
"Well, I'll keep the door locked and the key in my room," promised Ike,as the boys waited for him to lock up.
"If it was a tramp, Ned, he couldn't move our machinery, so what's theuse bothering?" said Don.
"He could steal our type and other things, and sell them," grumbled Ned,still unassured.
Ruth was walking slowly up from the main gates when Ned reached theveranda. She was stooping over a chrysanthemum blossom to note itsbeautiful coloring when Ned whistled to attract her attention.
"Better hurry in and wash up for dinner--it's almost seven, and motherdoesn't like dinner delayed, you know," Ned said, as Ruth skipped upsmilingly.
Not a word was said, and the Bobolinks never found out how the BlueBirds watched them practice their future business tactics.
The next morning Mrs. Talmage and Aunt Selina had Ike drive them to thepaper mills.
Mrs. Talmage explained her errand and selected some samples ofstationery paper. The manager then showed them over the mills and AuntSelina whispered aside to Mrs. Talmage: "What an interesting articlethis work would make."
"Indeed, yes!" replied Mrs. Talmage, turning to the manager to tell himof the new venture of the Blue Birds and ask him to write up a storyabout the manufacture of paper.
"That I will! I like to write, and often, when I'm tired or worried, Isit down to write a funny sketch. I have sold a number of them to Sundaypapers," was the surprising reply.
The two ladies were escorted to the manager's office and chairs wereplaced for them while a price list was prepared for the convenience ofthe Blue Birds.
This done, the manager sat back in his office chair.
"Have the children planned any campaign for securing circulation?" heasked.
"Why, no, Mr. White, we intended talking that matter over with themothers to-night. We are all so inexperienced in this undertaking that Isuppose a business man would laugh at our way of putting 'the cartbefore the horse,' as the saying is," laughed Mrs. Talmage.
"The fact is, this whole proposition is so sudden and different fromanything the children had dreamed of!" added Aunt Selina, in defence oftheir mistakes.
"I know! When I heard of the daring of the children I certainly admiredtheir spunk, but I couldn't help shaking my head, too, for it is nojoke to start a real business, as they are doing," said Mr. White,seriously.
"Well, we will need the help of all of our friends," smiled Mrs.Talmage.
"You'll have it, too. Why, everybody in Oakdale felt the Blue Birds'work last summer was wonderful; now, this new venture will have thesupport of all of the townsfolks."
"It is very encouraging to hear you speak so, and if you think of anyway to boom our circulation, I wish you would come over some evening andtell us all about it," replied Mrs. Talmage.
Suddenly the manager sat upright and looked toward the book-shelves,which contained rows of business-like looking reference books.
"I believe we have the idea!" exclaimed he, jumping up and going over tothe shelves to take down a heavy volume.
"This book contains all the names and addresses of stationery stores inthe United States and Canada. It is only a year old, so most of thesead
dresses will be up-to-date. We use it for mailing samples of ourpaper, but I have an idea that you would get plenty of subscriptions andmake willing agents of these storekeepers. If you send a sample of yourmagazine and give them a liberal commission there is no reason why thesefirms would refuse to act as agents. Anyway, it would do no harm to tryout the suggestion," said Mr. White.
"Why, Mr. White, do you know that you are a direct answer to my prayer!"cried Aunt Selina.
"I am grateful to be favored," laughed Mr. White, "but it must be yourfaith that brought the answer."
"Well, to tell the truth," continued Aunt Selina, "I am so very anxiousto have this movement of the children a fine success that I have beenpraying in season and out for the way to open that we might be blessedin this work. All we needed for the next step was a hint forcirculation."
"And I'll confide a secret, too," said Mrs. Talmage, leaning over towardthe desk. "The boys have had their fathers meet with them every evening,advising and drilling them in ways and means to succeed, while my girlshave had to do the best they can with Aunt Selina and me. This book willboost us far ahead of the Bobolinks and give the men who are advising afine surprise."
Mr. White laughed as he understood the rivalry between the two factions,and promised to send his wife to the meetings of the mothers to conveyany advice or suggestions he might think of.
"Oh, splendid! We expect to hold our first meeting at our houseto-night. Do bring her over!" cried Mrs. Talmage.
As the three were going out to the automobile, Mr. White ventured aremark.
"I have been told that the paper for the sample issue was to be sentover when you wished it. Now, I thought of making an advertisingproposition to the corporation at their next meeting. If the magazinewould mention that all the paper used by them for letters, circulars andmagazines was furnished by the Oakdale Mills, it would be a goodexchange if the company donated the paper needed for the first year'swork."
The ladies stood amazed at the generous idea.
"Every paper mill in the country will try to place a contract with thechildren as soon as news of this plan is out. Now, the Oakdale Mills cansecure its contract for future years by being wide-awake for thepresent. It is a strictly business proposition, you see," explained Mr.White.
"It may seem so to you, but I know that it is a proposition that noother firm would offer, and we are deeply grateful for your interest,"replied Mrs. Talmage, sagaciously.
"I'll suggest it, and you find out if the magazine is willing to give usthe mention I hinted at," said Mr. White.
Handing the huge book of addresses to Ike, Mrs. Talmage shook hands withMr. White and reminded him to bring his wife to the meeting.
"Well! that was the best hour's business yet!" exclaimed Aunt Selina, asthe car sped away.
"Wonderful, isn't it? I hope everything will glide along as nicely as ithas up to the present," said Mrs. Talmage.
Being Friday, school closed an hour earlier than usual. The moment theBlue Birds could catch their hats from the pegs in the cloak-rooms, theyran out to join Ruth, who was hopping from one foot to the other in avain effort to calm her impatience.
"Hurry, girls! Don't you know Mother Wings went to the mills thismorning for samples of paper?" called one to the other as they ran upto Ruth.
It was not long thereafter that seven eager little girls crowded aboutMrs. Talmage on the veranda to hear the news.
"I'll show you the samples, but we will wait for the mothers' opinionto-night. But this great secret I will give to you now!" and, forthwith,Mrs. Talmage told the Blue Birds all about Mr. White's interest andideas, and showed them the precious volume loaned them.