The Knights of the White Shield Part 31

"Yes, yes!" cried Tony. Miss Barry looked down into the boys' eager faces.

"Tim Tyler, that boy burned at the fire?"

"Yes," said Charlie.

"That would be splendid."

"But--but," said Tony, "we want you to help us. Could--could you?"

"Yes, I'll help."

The boys were in raptures.

"Have you asked the other boys?" asked the teacher.

"No," replied Charlie; "but there go Sid Waters and Rick Grimes down street now. We might ask them."

"You tell them, please, I want to see them."

When Sid and Rick arrived, their a.s.sent, at first, was readily given to the teacher's proposition for a fair by the boys in behalf of Tim Tyler.

"Only," said Rick, "won't it go to old Tim, his uncle, for rum? I don't believe in that."

"O, Tim's mother wouldn't allow that."

"But, you see, Tim had a fuss with Charlie Macomber, and imposed on him,"

exclaimed Sid.

"Charlie is willing, for he has said so," replied Miss Barry. "You are not going to hold on to an old grudge. Your name is 'Up-the-Ladder Club,' and not _down_ the ladder. You go down when you hold on to a grudge, boys."

"We won't go down!" cried Charlie.

"No, no!" said the boys.

The different members of the club signified their willingness. Will Somers said he would a.s.sist.

One other person must be consulted, the older "honorary member" of the club, Aunt Stanshy. Knowing her very just and positive opposition to drinking habits, Miss Barry thought she might refer to old Tim's, and throw out a sharp opinion that the uncle ought to help the boy, as he lived in the family of the boy's mother. Charlie, too, thought his aunt might object, but she did not. She only put on that look of sadness Charlie had noticed when old Tim was in the neighborhood that rainy day, and to Will's remark that old Tim ought to do more, she said, with a sigh,

"I suppose the boy is not responsible for other people's failings, and they say his face is very white, and his hands are real thin, and he behaves better than he did. Yes, I'll--help."

It was easy to decide when to hold this fair, but "where" was a difficult problem.

"Take the barn chamber," said Sid.

"It's too cold," replied Will, "and this is to be quite a grand affair."

It was like Aunt Stanshy to offer her front room and sitting-room for Tim's benefit, provided Will could spare his quarters, and spare he did.

"We will scatter some posters," said Will. "I will see that they are printed."

"We can do it ourselves with pen and ink, and then people will think more of it, you know. Besides, as we scatter them, we may have a chance to solicit donations, as they call it," said Sid.

"Splendid!" replied Will.

"And we will call on the apothecary," shouted Charlie.

"Yes, but if it be candy, I must put an extra string round the package to make sure that it all gets to the right place and is not troubled on the way."

The members of the club who had met to "consult" were in excellent spirits, especially when Will said, in reply to the governor's proposition to ask friends to contribute refreshments, "I see you know how to do it.

Your experience at your fair fitted you to go right along with this thing in splendid style."

Tony thought he could bring some pictures that had been forwarded from Italy, and Charlie said, "I guess I can get up a maginary."

"A maginary?" asked Will.

Charlie only chuckled over his proposition, and made no explanations.

"I propose," said Will, "I propose, Mr. President"--here he bowed to Sid, which caused that dignitary to stick his thumb into the lowest b.u.t.ton hole of his jacket and swell out with pride--"I propose that we call our affair a 'Helping-Hand Sale.' You know there is a good deal in a name, and it sets people to thinking, and sets them to helping, too, and I think Miss Barry will like the name."

This was agreeable to the club, whose members now separated to their homes.

"Aunt Stanshy," said Charlie, that night, "do you know where my rabbit is?"

"I don't know. Now I told you, when Miss Persnips came down here, that thing in her arms, and she smilin' and blinkin', as if she had an armful of gold, that she was givin' you an elephant rather than a rabbit. n.o.body knows where the critter is or what it is up to."

Charlie found the white pet, and asked Will what he thought the rabbit looked like.

"Looks more like a rabbit than any thing else, Charlie."

"Aunt Stanshy called it an elephant."

"Well, you might say elephant, the white elephant of Siam--sort of a distant cousin. Why, what do you ask the question for?"

Charlie grinned, but made no reply.

Every thing was made ready for the sale. Aunt Stanshy's two rooms were the scene of much bustle, and while the boys were at their tables, Miss Barry in a tastily-draped corner was ready for a reasonable sum to serve out refreshments to every applicant.

The Helping-Hand Sale had various attractions. Among them was Charlie's "maginary." It was a box covered with white cloth, a piece of workmans.h.i.+p at which Charlie had been secretly tinkering for two days. It was labeled "A Distant Cousin of the White Elephant of Siam. Price to see, three cents, and don't tell when you've seen it."

This attracted great attention.

"Miss Persnips," said Charlie to the shopkeeper, who came to patronize the sale, "do you want to see my maginary? Only three cents, and don't tell."

"Your menagerie? Yes. What have you got there? Some dreadful animal! I'm afraid to."

Charlie lifted the cover of the box, and there, fat and sleepy, was--Miss Persnips told the rest.

"Did you ever! That darling, sweet pet I gave you. Quite an idea, really, and here's another cent."