mystery.

"We--we--" said Sid, trying to catch his breath, "have--formed
a--club--and--want--you--to name it."

"Yes! yes! yes!" was the chorus coming from the eager faces turned up to
Miss Bertha.

"Name a club? Dear me! What shall I tell you? Where is your club?"

"Here!" said Sid, looking round in pride.

"No; I mean, where do you hold your meetings?"

"In my barn," said Charlie. "You go in from the street and go up some
stairs. It's up stairs."

"You might go up higher," added the governor. "There's a ladder there, so
you can get up--up in the cupelo, but you wont want to go up there."

"Why, that suggests a name. It's a little odd, but you'll think of it
every time you go up stairs and see the ladder. Call it 'Up-the-Ladder
Club,' and then it will have a meaning that you are boys who mean to do
your best, climbing up always, up, up, up!"

Miss Bertha here reached as high as she could, and her admirers, with
sparkling eyes, stretched upward their small arms, also, shouting,
"Up-the-Ladder Club! Up-the-Ladder Club!"

"I'll put it to vote, teacher," said the president, with dignity. "Those