Micky flushed faintly and more than one boy exchanged glances with a neighbor.
“Not yet, sir,” returned McBride. “We—we had to use some of our furnishing fund for—something else.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what,” pursued Mr. Baker with bluff heartiness. “I don’t see why you boys shouldn’t have the stuff we used in the Business Men’s Club. Ever since we gave up the room a couple of months ago, it’s all been stored in my barn doing no good to anybody. There’s some big leather chairs and a long table, and a couple of fur rugs, and— Oh, yes, that big moosehead, you know, and some other horns. Those ought to fit your place first rate.”
A ripple of excitement ran through the group. Micky’s eyes shone.
“Gee-whiz!” he gasped. “Why, they’d be—they’d be— We never dreamed of anything so corking!”
“Fine!” boomed Mr. Baker, buttoning his overcoat around his portly form. “We’ll call it settled, then. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. The things are just gathering dust and moths where they are. You boys come over any time and pick out what you want and I’ll have it carted up to the cabin.” With a wave of his hand he started briskly down the station platform. Then he looked back. “Come over this afternoon, if you want to,” he called. “I’ll be home after five.”
Thrilled, dazed, with eyes shining, they stared after his retreating figure in silence. If at that moment their English teacher, Miss Brown, had requested the definition of an angel, there would undoubtedly have flashed into the brains of nine-tenths of the group the picture of a stout, broad individual snugly buttoned into a brown overcoat and wearing a black derby hat. Then he turned the corner of the building and the tension laxed.
“Well,” drawled Champ Ferris smilingly, “they say that good deeds like chickens come home to roost. Looks as if good turns did, too.”
CHAPTER XXIV
THE FACE IN THE WINDOW
“Oh, let’s go back,” grumbled Harry Ritter, petulantly swishing at the brittle stalk of a leafless brier. “There’s no black walnut trees around here, and it’ll be dark in half an hour. We have supper early to-night, too.”