Fred thought wistfully of the lost dues, but he resisted the temptation to speak of them.
CHAPTER VIII
MOVING DAY
As soon as school was out the next day, the Riddle Club members hurried to the Larue barn. True to her promise, Jess produced the key and there was no delay about getting into the clubroom.
“Br-rr!” shivered Margy, as the door was opened.
They had not dreamed the room could be so cold. With the window and door both closed, no fresh air could warm the atmosphere, as it did in the barn below where, even though there was no heat, it usually felt several degrees warmer than the outside temperature.
The threatened snowstorm had not come, but the day was raw and cold, and each of the children found a sweater under his or her coat most comfortable. Margy, who perhaps felt the cold more than any of the others, was silently thankful that they would not have to hold another meeting in the hayloft room.
“We’d better take the table first, I think,” said Fred. “That’s the largest piece of furniture, and if any one gets hurt moving that, we won’t miss him so much with the other things.”
“Huh?” inquired Ward, anxiously.
“Well, you know yourself that if the loving cup fell over and sprained one of your fingers you wouldn’t be any help in moving the table,” explained Fred. “But if we let the table fall on you, after it’s on the barn floor, and it breaks your leg, there’ll still be plenty of us left to lift the loving cup. Don’t you see?”
Apparently Ward saw, for he asked no further questions, but helped, at Fred’s direction, tie the rope about the table and knot it securely.