Ketchum, but she felt that now she ought to stand up for her friend Margaret. If she wanted that picture, that picture it should be.

"How much did you say you would give us that for, Mr. Thorpe?" said the sharp little voice of Mr. Talcut.

Mr. Thorpe courteously mentioned the figures.

"That's only ten dollars more'n we've got," spoke up the hoarse voice of one of the seven unexpectedly. It was Joe, who felt that he owed his salvation to the young superintendent's earnest efforts in his behalf.

"I say we'd better get it. Ten dollars ain't much. We boys can go that much. I'll go it myself somehow if the others don't."

"Well, really, ladies, I suppose it's a very good bargain," said Mr. Talcut, rubbing his hands and smiling.

"Then we'll take it," said Joe, nodding decidedly to Mr. Thorpe. "I'll go the other ten dollars, and the boys can help, if they like."

"But really Margaret, my dear," said Mrs. Ketchum quite distressed, "a den, don't you know, is not a place for——"

But the others were all saying it was just the picture, and she was not heard. Mr. Talcut was giving the address and orders about the sending. None of them seemed to realize that Mrs. Ketchum had not given her consent, and she, poor lady, had to gracefully accept the situation.

"Well, it's really a very fine thing, I suppose," she said at last, somewhat hesitatingly, and putting up her lorgnette to take a critical look. "I don't admire that style of architecture, and that tablecloth isn't put on very gracefully; it would have been more artistic draped a little. But it's really very fine, and quite new, you say, and of course the artist is irreproachable. I think Mr. Stanley will appreciate it."

But she sighed a little disappointedly, and wished she had been able to coax them to take the nymphs. She would take pains to let Mr. Stanley know that this had not been her choice. The idea of having to give in to those great boors of boys! But then it had all been Margaret Manning's fault. She was such a little fanatic. She might have known that it would not do to let her see a religious picture first.

Chapter Three

IT was Margaret Manning's suggestion that it should be presented quietly. Some of the others were disappointed. Mrs. Ketchum was one of the most irate about it.

"The idea! After the school has raked and scraped together the money, that they should not have the pleasure of seeing it presented! It's a shame! Margaret Manning has some of the most backwoods notions I ever heard of. It isn't doing things up right at all.