The Story of the Big Front Door

VAL

d Carl, Aleck, and Ikey sat in the sta

others, looking over his shoulder, saw

ed Aleck. Carl raised the window and c

care," ans

" cried Dora gayly,

far," cautioned Bess, and th

" They made a great many absurd guesses, and Carl finally nicknamed it the "Club of Man

he would give him so much as a hint, and they united their efforts upon Aunt Zélie, all to no purpose. Now they had come to t

her special treasures, and was most likely to be found when she was at home. She w

ome in?"

are '

nd he ushered in his compani

ing on with my work, I shall

eck politely, dropping down a

please have some mer

the dainty white and yellow pillow, and

it is the only safe pla

ease, and tell me the

s," began Carl, as his aunt leaned

ver with their old club," sai

Aunt Zélie returned to her bills, and ther

too, and not tell the girls the name. There

realize how it sounds, and as I consider myself one of the girls I shall take s

ttle fun, pleas

an think of scrumptious things when you try, and we can get ahead of the girls easily if we have

ainst their entreaties, so

vening, and in the meantime I'll do my best to think of something for you," sh

riends to ask. Ikey finally settled upon his next best chum, Fred Ames. "

a very nice boy. I thin

you think he is the sort of

ask him," Carl replied positively. He thou

like him, but I think there is a lot that is good in him. He is bright, I can tell you, and there is nothi

" she said, smiling at

round anybody with his money, but he soon found the boy

ink he would like to come. I am

gs were very different. Mr. Carter was deeply engrossed in making money, having become suddenly rich through a lucky speculation. Ambitious for his only son, he wished him to have

ot deny him anything. It was the want of refinement, which Carl felt but could not e

who were at first disgusted by his boasting and display, and wit

ltine and was flatte

t is going to help us, and we mean to have som

limited to a middle-aged person who wore a shawl the year around, and regarded boys as necessary evils, to be sent upon as many errands as pos

glimpse of a pleasant family group; Mr. Hazeltine with his paper, Bess and Louise studying their geography lesson, and Helen playing with Mr. Smith. An airy vision await

her, catching her and handing her over

tle thing!" Jim re

baby in the town," Ca

d Fred Ames, Aleck and his special chum Will Archer, who was as q

rest were already at work seated on the rug before the fire. The old sofa w

r, they were all talking and laughing a

she did not know, and for some reason the sight of this slender young woman in black, with a white rose in her dress,

d best go on while we talk," Aunt Zélie said, taking the chair

tee to attend to the corn, and when a

lan that has occurred to me: it is to have a Good Neighbors Club. The text Uncle William gave you children, Carl, suggested it to me. 'They

u want something besides fun, though I

derstand what we ar

hbors' windows, for instance,"

ample-but I believe I'll let you find out for yourselves. Suppose for a week you try to discover what it means to be a good neighbor, and report next Friday. The rest of my plan is very simple. To hold meetings every week or once in two weeks, as you choose, and I

it from him, and, kneeling on the rug, popped the rest herself. Carl brought in a basket o

rt, for she wanted to know Carl's friends and make the new club a success. The boys were ready to adopt her plan without waiting, but she insiste

assented rather coolly. In fact, he was a little dazed. He had had a good time, though now it was over he was inclined to wonder why. As for being