"I remember how us three women looked at each other then, like our brains was experimenting with our ideas. And when Mis' Toplady got her butter, we slipped out and spoke together for a few minutes up past the Town Pump. And it was there the plan come to a head and legs and arms. And we see that we had a way of picking purses right off of every day, so be the editor would leave us go ahead--and of doing other things. "The very next morning we three went to see the editor and get his consent. "'What's your circulation, same as City papers print to the top of the page?' Mis' Toplady asks him, practical. "'Paid circulation or got-out circulation?' says the editor. "'Paid,' says Mis' Toplady, in silver-dollar tones. "'Ah, well, _paid for_ or subscribed for?' asks the editor. "'Paid for,' says Mis' Toplady, still more financial. "'Six hundred and eighty paid for,' the editor says, 'an' fifty-two that--mean to pay.' "'My!' says Mis' Toplady, shuddering. 'What business is! Well, us ladies of the Sodality want to run your paper for one day and charge all your subscribers ten cents extra for that day's paper. Will you?' "The editor, he laughed quite a little, and then he looked thoughtful. He was new and from the City and young and real nervous--he used to pop onto his feet whenever a woman so much as come in the room. "'Who would collect the ten cents?' says he. "'Sodality,' says Mis' Toplady, firm. 'Ourself, cash an' _in advance_.' "The editor nodded, still smiling. "'Jove,' he said, 'this fits in remarkably well with the fishing I've been thinking about. I confess I need a day. I suppose you wouldn't want to do it this week?' "Mis' Toplady looked at me with her eyebrows. But I nodded. I always rather hurry up than not. "'So be we had a couple o' hours to get the news to happenin',' says she, 'that had ought to do us.' "The editor looked startled. "'News!' said he. 'Oh, I say now, you mustn't expect too much. I ought to warn you that running a paper in this town is like trying to raise cream on a cistern.' "Mis' Toplady smiled at him motherly. "'You ain't ever tried pouring the cream into the cistern, I guess,' she says. "So we settled it into a bargain, except that, after we had planned it all out with him and just as we was going out the door, Mis' Toplady thought to say to him:-- "'You know, Sodality don't know anything about it yet, so you'd best not mention it out around till this afternoon when we vote to do it. We'll be up at eight o'clock Thursday morning, rain or shine.'