CHAPTER VIII—A PREDICAMENT
“Humanity and kindness,” she said in finishing, “are as broad as the skies. So we planned not to confine our award to our local circle or even to Girl Scouts everywhere. There are Boy Scouts as well and we must not forget them.”
“There are more of them than there are Girl Scouts,” Pee-wee spoke up, “because I can prove it—”
“And their activities are reported in newspapers throughout our country—”
“They’re in Boys’ Life too,” Pee-wee announced vociferously, to the great amusement of the audience.
“The Boy Scouts,” continued Sympathea, “have an award called the First Aid to Animals Badge. It is the intention of our little troop to tender the Black Beauty Cross to every scout winning that award. The first one that we are going to honor is the cousin of one of our members, Prudence Primshock; a scout from Bridgeboro, New Jersey, a star scout who has won the badge that stands for humaneness in his troop—Walter Mincepie Harris—”
“Good night, he’s disguised as a mince pie,” Grove whispered to Artie; “the plot grows thicker, as Roy would say.”
“Excuse me,” said Sympathea blushing, “I mean Walter Woods Harris. I’m just a little nervous and (great and reassuring applause) I hardly know what I’m saying. We all know that Boy Scouts are heroes, that their hearts are always on the left, I mean on the right, I mean they’re in the right place. Walter—Scout Harris, will you please stand up and—”
“Hold while there is yet time!” came a voice from the rear of the little lecture room. “Water Mincepie Harris is not what he seems! He has disgraced the beloved mince pie and he is trying to deceive you all!”
“It’s Grove Bronson!” shouted Pee-wee, jumping from his seat.