264 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
There had been but one previous meeting, that to ar- 
range for the Christmas sale, and it had been informal, 
so that this was really the president’s first appearance 
in the chair, and, as she spoke, she kept her eyes fastened 
to the paper upon which Miss Wilde had written the 
order to be followed. 
“Secretary will please read the minutes of the last 
meeting,” she said, after a pause. 
The secretary looked around in a hunted sort of way, 
as if to find an open door through which he could escape, 
and, seeing none, got rather unsteadily upon his feet, 
opened the square blank-book that Gray Lady had 
given him for his records, fumbled with the pages, and 
then said, rather than read, — “ We were all there. We 
all agreed to sell the things we’ve been making so as to 
get some money to feed birds, and buy things; and Gray 
Lady said we could do it in her house; the Saturday before 
Christmas was duly appointed, and Dave was to get the 
bills, to tell folks it was going to be, printed down at the 
Chronicle Office, because it is his uncle runs it, and Gray 
Lady promised to give cakes and chocolate, in case folks 
were hungry. 
“Respectfully submitted, 
‘“THomas Topp, JR., Secretary, Amen!” 
Gray Lady did not dare look at Miss Wilde during 
the reading of this report, but the children took it in 
perfect earnestness, and Goldilocks, having put the 
report to vote, as she had been told, proceeded to the 
next item before her and called, “ Report of the secretary.”’ 
Again Tommy fumbled, and, after looking in every 
