Dick's latest enterprise was the organisation of a cricket club, into which he was putting a great deal of energy. As the bats and balls and other necessary articles were to be paid for out of his own pocket, he found no difficulty in getting recruits, and the list of members was fast filling up. Bert had heard a good deal about this club, and would have liked very much to belong to it, but as nobody belonged except those who had been invited by Dick, his prospects did not seem very bright. Great then was his delight when one day at recess, Dick came up to him and said in his most winning way:
"Say, Bert, don't you want to join my cricket club? I'd like to have you in."
Bert did not take long to answer.
"And I'd like to join ever so much," he replied, in great glee.
"All right, then; consider yourself a member, and come round to the field behind our house this afternoon. We practise there every day."
Bert was fairly dancing with joy. Yet he did not forget his friend Frank. If Frank were not a member of the club, too, half the pleasure of it would be gone. So before Dick went off, he ventured to say:
"Frank Bowser would like to belong, too, I know. Won't you ask him?"
"Certainly. No objection at all," replied Dick, in an off-hand way. "Bring him along with you this afternoon."
With beaming face, Bert rushed over to where Frank was busy playing marbles, and drawing him aside, shouted rather than whispered in his ear:
"I've got something splendid to tell you. Dick Wilding has asked us both to join his cricket club, and we're to go to his field this very afternoon."