“Excellent. Now we have three rules for our knights to follow: ‘Be Always Ready. Be Prepared. And Do Good Unto Others.’”
“They’re easy rules to remember,” Dan said. “But to follow ’em may not be quite so simple.”
The Cubs worked a while longer on their armor. As they began to grow tired, Mrs. Hatfield said it was time to break up the meeting. Before the Cubs left the church, she reminded them to keep working on their pledge list for the building fund.
“The money isn’t coming in as fast as we’d like,” she declared. “We’re especially short from the persons we expected to give fairly large amounts. So during the next few days dig in and really do your best.”
Dan and Brad were the last to leave, lingering behind to help Mrs. Hatfield and Mrs. Holloway clean up the litter.
“I guess you meant us, Mrs. Hatfield,” Brad remarked as they closed the church doors. “Dan and I haven’t been very lucky in signing up our best prospects. Especially Mr. Merrimac.”
“You’ve worked hard I know,” she praised him. “All the same, it might be worth while to call on Mr. Merrimac again. He might change his mind if you use your best powers of persuasion.”
“I doubt that, knowing him,” Brad replied gloomily. “We can try though.”
After leaving Mrs. Hatfield, the two boys walked on to the Merrimac home. Neither of them had any enthusiasm for the interview ahead.
“Well, let’s get it over with,” Brad sighed, as he shoved hard on the doorbell. “He can’t do any worse than turn us down again.”