The afternoon meeting found the Maynards in spandy-clean clothes, sitting on the side veranda. "Mother says we're not to romp this afternoon," explained Marjorie. "She says we may swing, or play in the hammock, or on the lawn, but we can't go to the orchard." "All right," said good-natured Dick; "and, say, I've been thinking over our club, and I think we ought to be more like a real club. Why not have regular meetings, and have programmes and things?" "Oh!" groaned King. "Speak pieces, do you mean?" "No; not that. We get enough of speaking pieces, Friday afternoons, in school. I mean,--oh, pshaw, I don't know what I mean!" "You mean read minutes, and things like that," suggested Marjorie, helpfully. "Yes," said Dick, eagerly, "that's just what I mean." "All right," said Marjorie, "I'll be secretary, and write them." "Now, look here, Midge," said Kingdon, "you can't be everything! You want to be president and treasurer and secretary and all. Perhaps you'd like to be all the members!" "Fiddlesticks, King!" said Marjorie; "nobody else seems to want to be anything. Now, I'll tell you what, let's have six things to be,--officers, you know, and then we'll each be one." "That's a good way," said Gladys. "You be treasurer, Marjorie, 'cause you're so good at arithmetic, and you can take care of our money. Dick can be secretary, 'cause he writes so well." "I will," said Dick, "if King will be president. He's best for that,--and then, Gladys, you can be vice-president." "What can Dorothy and I be?" asked Kitty, who didn't see many offices left. Marjorie considered. "You can be the committee," she said, at last. "They always have a committee to decide things." This sounded pleasing, and now all were satisfied. "Well, if I'm treasurer," said Marjorie, "I'll take up the collection now." Promptly five dimes were handed to her, and, adding one of her own, she put them all into a little knitted silk purse she had brought for the purpose. "Is there any further business to come before this meeting?" asked the President, rolling out his words with great dignity, as befitted his position. "No, sir," said Kitty; "I'm the committee to decide things, and I say there isn't any more business. So what do we do next?" "I'll tell you!" cried Midget, in a sudden burst of inspiration; "let's go down to Mr. Simmons' and all have ice-cream with our money in the treasury. I'll ask Mother if we may." "But, Mopsy!" cried King, in surprise. "I thought we were to save that to go to the circus." "Oh, pshaw! Father'll take us to the circus. Or we can save next week's money for that. But, truly, I feel like cutting up jinks, and we can't play in the orchard, and it would be lots of fun to go for ice-cream, all together." "It would be fun," said Dick; and then they all agreed to Marjorie's plan. Mrs. Maynard listened with amusement to the story, and then said they might go if they would behave like little ladies and gentlemen and return home inside of an hour.