thought it good enough to leave the country and come up to a town
whose name is wanity. Nothing have I got, Miss Jasmine, from my share
of the bargain but a swimming head and the name of Sarah!"

"If this young person will cease to interrupt us," proceeded the
editor, in his blandest tones.

"Oh, yes; Poppy, please stop talking," said Jasmine. "I beg your
pardon, sir; I only wanted Poppy to help me when we came to terms. We
have not come to the money part yet, dear Poppy. Yes, sir, I am most
anxious to listen to you."

"Well, Miss Mainwaring, the facts are these--yes, I fear it is a
question of money, after all. _The Joy-bell_ is a new magazine; we are
most anxious to extend its circulation by every means in our power. We
have hit on what we consider a novel, but effective expedient. Each
contributor to our pages is expected to subscribe for a hundred copies
per month of our magazine--these copies he is asked to disseminate as
widely as possible amongst his friends. The magazine is only sixpence
a month. Of course you get your friends to take the copies off your
hands. Your story will, I think, run for six months--you are really
put to no expense, for, of course, you must know a hundred people who
will gladly take a magazine in which you appear. Thus you gain the
advantage of having your story widely read and published not at your
own expense."

"But please--" began Jasmine.

"If I might speak who am brought here for the purpose," here burst
from Poppy, "what pay is the young lady to have for the words of