“Ah—­Mr. Peters,” said the chairman of the Committee on Supplies, “I—­ah—­I was not aware that you’d had the sale.  I—­ah—­I didn’t receive any notice.”

“Oh yes—­we had it,” said Peters, rubbing his hands together buoyantly.  “We had it last night, and it went off superbly.”

“I am sorry,” said the chairman of the Committee on Supplies.  “I should like to have been there.”

“I didn’t know of it myself, Mr. Peters,” said the rector, “but I am glad it was so successful.  Were there many present?”

“Well—­no,” said Peters.  “Not many.  Fact is, Mrs. Peters and the treasurer here and I were the only persons present, gentlemen.  But the results sought were more than accomplished.”

“I don’t see exactly how, unless we are to regard this check as a gift,” observed the chairman of the Committee on Supplies, coldly.

“Well, I’ll tell you how,” said Peters.  “The check isn’t a gift at all.  Last year you had a book sale at my house, and this year you voted to have another.  I couldn’t very well object—­didn’t want to, in fact.  Very glad to have it as long as I was allowed to control it.  But last year we cleared up a bare eighty dollars.  This year we have cleared up one hundred and thirty-seven dollars and sixty-three cents.  Last year’s book sale cost me one hundred and twenty-five dollars.  The children who attended, aided and abetted by my own, spilled so much ice cream on my dining-room rug that Mrs. Peters was forced to send it to the cleaners.  A very charming young woman whose name I shall not mention placed a chocolate eclair upon my library sofa while she inspected a volume of Gibson’s drawings.  Another equally charming young woman sat down upon it, and, whatever it did to her dress, that eclair effectually ruined the covering of my sofa.  Then, as you may remember, the sale of books took place in my library, and I had the pleasure of seeing, too late, one of our sweetest little saleswomen replenishing her stock from my shelves.  She had sold out all the books that had been provided, and in a mad moment of enthusiasm for the cause parted with a volume I had secured after much difficulty in London to complete a set of some rarity for about seven dollars less than the book had cost.”

“Why did you not object?” demanded the chairman of the Committee on Supplies.

“My dear sir,” said Mr. Peters, “I never object to anything my guests may do, particularly if they are charming and enthusiastic young women engaged in church work.  But I learned a lesson, and last night’s book sale was the result.  If the chairman of the Committee on Supplies demands it, here is a full account of receipts.”

Mr. Peters handed over a memorandum
which read as follows: 

Saving on Floors by not having Book Sale, $18.00
Saving on Carpets by not having Book Sale, 6.50
Saving on Library by not having Book Sale, 29.00
Saving on Time by not having Book Sale, 50.00
Saving on Furniture by not having Book Sale 28.27
Saving on Incidentals by not having Book Sale 5.86
                                    Total $137.63