Polly shivered, not with cold alone.
“There is one song we all like, Bert,” she suggested. “Let’s sing it now to keep our lungs from freezing. There’s water enough all about to make it appropriate!”
And in a minute four big male voices were shouting out the Boat Club song, Polly’s soprano sweet and clear over the rest, while Frieda smiled encouragement over the edge of the robe in which she was wrapped to her chin.
“We are the Winsted Boat Club,
Dip the oar, dip the oar!
We are the Winsted Boat Club,
Push out from shore!
“We are the Winsted Boat Club,
Paddle light, paddle light!
A-drifting, a-drifting beneath
The sunset bright!”
176CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AN INTERLUDE
Algernon suffered more serious consequences from his wetting than the others did from theirs. His cold the next day prevented him from even attempting to go to the library. He wrote a note to Bertha, asking her to take his place, and then, groaning over his inability to get to the telephone, coaxed Elsmere to his side and sewed the note and the key to his blouse.
“You cross your heart and hope to die you’ll go straight to Bertha’s and give her the key?”
“Cross my heart. Hope die. And you’ll give me six candies and a rocking-horse, and a ’lectric light and a house for my pigeons, and–”
“I’ll give you something nice when you’ve done the errand, not before. Now hurry. The library can’t open till you get there. Think of it! All those people who want books waiting for you!” Coughing, Algernon fell back upon his hated pillows, and watched his messenger set out, more in hope than in confidence.