“Don’t forget to invite the new boy,” his mother reminded him. “Charles Weldon—is that his name?”
“We call him Chub. He’s a queer one, Mom. Shy as a mouse. I don’t know if he’d like to hike—”
“At any rate, be sure to invite him,” Mrs. Carter urged.
Dan felt a bit ashamed of not wanting Chub. It wasn’t that he had anything against the new Cub. But somehow, he didn’t feel as well acquainted with him as he did with Chips, Midge, Red, Brad or Fred.
To please his mother, he called Chub’s home first of all. The phone was answered by Mrs. Lornsdale, the widow, with whom the boy lived.
Charles was there, she said, and she was certain he would want to join the group of Cubs. She promised to have him meet the boys at the old church.
In rapid succession, Dan then called all the others except Mack Tibbets who was out of town for two weeks. To his disappointment, Brad Wilber could not go, having work to do at home. Chips, Red and Midge eagerly accepted the invitation.
“Come over to my house as soon as your lunch is packed,” Dan requested. “I have to rake leaves, but I’ll be through before you can snap your bubble gum!”
By eleven o’clock, a huge pile of leaves at the curb attested to the furious pace of Dan’s labors. Nevertheless, a third of the yard remained unraked when Midge and Chips arrived with knapsacks slung over their shoulders.
“Want to help?” Dan suggested hopefully. “I got an extra rake.”