As everyone felt eager to get the thousand copies wrapped and mailed, the children soon said good-by and went home to tell the great news of the day's work.
Before nine o'clock that night the magazines had all been wrapped, ready for Ike to take to the post-office. The children were just as eager to continue the work, but Mrs. Talmage said that nine o'clock was time to go home.
"We'll all be here Monday afternoon to help some more, Mrs. Talmage," promised the Blue Birds as they skipped away beside their mothers.
It took the Bobolinks all of that week, working every moment after school, and many of the evening hours, to finish the rest of the magazines. Everyone had decided that ten thousand would be enough for the first issue, for it took so long to wrap each copy that no extra time could be given to printing.
The first week of November results began to appear. One day the Blue Birds came to the Winter Nest and found several letters lying on the table, addressed to the "Blue Birds of Oakdale."
"Oh, oh! who do you s'pose they are from?" eagerly asked Norma.
Dot was trying to look right through the envelope and the others laughed at her expression.
"Let's open them and see!" said sensible Ruth.
Mrs. Talmage entered the room just then and the letters were given her to open and read aloud.
"Maybe they are subscriptions," suggested Mrs. Talmage, as she slipped a paper-knife under the flap of an envelope.
"Goodness! suppose they are?" whispered Betty.
As this was an entirely new and unexpected problem, the Blue Birds looked at each other and then at Mrs. Talmage.
"I think we will have to invite the Bobolinks to a conference to-day and talk this matter over," said Mother Wings.
Norma was sent to the Publishing House to invite the boys to be present at the meeting that afternoon at five. As it was four-thirty, the boys hurried to wash their hands and pull down their shirt sleeves, for almost all of them had taken off their coats and rolled up their sleeves.
The meeting proved to be very important in the judgment of the children, for the letters were found to contain money orders and checks which had to be deposited in some bank.
After looking over the papers, Ned said, "We must sign these and send back a receipt, eh, mother?"