“We thought we might find some one who could sing or dance. But we don’t know many of the fellows.”
“Bully! There’s Cheesman, Lew. He’s a corker. And Kewpie isn’t so bad. He sings a funny song mighty well.”
“He couldn’t sing it in the afternoon, though, Dan: he’d be at the field.”
“That’s so! still, the game ought to be finished by four. We wouldn’t have the entertainment part until late, would we?”
“About four, I thought,” said Ned, “but Kewpie could come last. I’ll put him down, anyway.”
“Anything else besides songs?” asked Dan.
“Yes, only-” Ned dropped his voice and glanced at Pringle—“only it’s got to be kept a secret to make good.”
“Oh, Hal’s all right. He’s a sort of ex-officio member of the committee. Shoot, Ned!”
CHAPTER XIII—NED GETS INTO THE GAME
Four hectic days followed. To Laurie, since Ned was held for two hours each afternoon at the football field, fell most of the duties of the Committee on Arrangements, and he was a very busy youth. He badgered shopkeepers into parting with goods to be sold at the booths, helped Bob Starling trim up the old arbor in the garden of the Coventry place, made frequent trips to the Or stead caterer’s, engaged eight cakes from Miss Comfort and twelve dozen cream-puffs from the Widow Deane, spent two hours Wednesday helping Lew and Hal Pringle distribute posters throughout the village, and attended to a hundred other matters between-times. Of course, Ned aided when he could, and was helpful with advice and unfailing in suggestions; but recitations and football practice didn’t leave him much time, even though he conscientiously arose a full hour earlier every morning that week, and skimped studying so much that he got in trouble with three instructors in one day!