“When I heard Ned outline his plan I decided to encourage the movement if possible by confiding my pet plan to them to experiment on,” said Uncle Ben.
“When the fathers hear of this they will be as happy as I am. The problem of keeping a boy actively engaged in some uplifting work is a sufficient one. Ned and you seem to have solved it for Oakdale,” admitted Mr. Talmage.
“Think so! Then you get busy and gather the fathers together to-morrow night for a conference. We will see how many will agree to help along the work. I will donate all of my ideas accumulated during the past years.”
“I’ll telephone everyone I know the first thing in the morning. Where shall we meet—in the library?” asked Mr. Talmage.
“Yes, and if there are too many of us we will have to adjourn to a larger place,” said Uncle Ben.
Before breakfast the next morning the Starrs’ telephone rang, and Mr. Starr was informed that he was wanted at a meeting to be held in Talmage’s library that night. Meredith and Donald knew nothing of Uncle Ben’s talk with Mr. Talmage, but they felt sure the meeting had something to do with their plans.
Mr. Wells and Mr. Stevens were the next ones to be invited to the meeting, and after that a score or more of fathers were invited.
Uncle Ben, who had hoped to take a few days’ rest in his brother’s quiet country home, found himself very busy in working out his idea so that it could be simply presented to the meeting of boys and men. He spent the entire morning in jotting down ideas as they came to him.
Luncheon over, Ned caught Uncle Ben’s hand and said, “You haven’t forgotten the date we made, have you?”
“You wouldn’t think so if you had seen me working all morning,” complained Uncle Ben.