"

"Oh, Darrin is crafty, all right," agreed Forsythe cheerfully.
"But, somehow, I like him for it."

On some of the side streets Gridley boys were allowed to light
bonfires that evening, and there was general rejoicing of a lively
nature. From the news that had come over concerning the Hallam
Heights team there had been a good deal of fear that Gridley
would, on this day, receive a set-back to its rule of always
winning.

CHAPTER X

Leading the Town to Athletics

"Mr. Morton, we want a little word with you."

"All right---anything to please you," laughed the submaster, looking
at Dick and Dave as they came up to him in the yard at recess.

"We've been thinking over a plan," Dick continued.

"It has something to do with athletics, then!" guessed the submaster.

"Yes, sir," nodded Dave.

"High School athletics, at that," continued Mr. Morton.

"There you're wrong, sir, for once," smiled Prescott. "Mr. Morton,
we've been thinking of the High School gym. It's a big place.
Pretty nearly three hundred gymnasts could be drilled there at
once."

"Yes; I know."

"There's a fine lot of apparatus there," went on Dick. "It cost
thousands and thousands of dollars to put that gym. in shape."

"And it's worth every dollar of the cost," contended Mr. Morton
firmly.

"Mr. Morton," challenged Dick, "who paid for it?"

"The city government," replied the submaster.

"Where did the city government get the money?"

"From the citizens, of course."

"Now, Mr. Morton," went on Prescott, "how many of the citizens
get any direct benefit out of that gym.? Only about a quarter
of a thousand of High School students! Couldn't the city's money
be spent so that a far greater number would have the use of and
benefit from the city's big investment!"

"Why," replied the submaster, looking puzzled, "the youngsters
in the lower schools have their needs provided for, in some way,
in their own school buildings."

"True," agreed Dick. "But what of the small army of clerks and
factory employees of Gridley? Aren't they citizens, even if they
haven't the time to attend High School? Haven't our smaller business
fry a right to the health and good spirits that come out of gymnastic
and athletic work? Haven't our typewriters, our salesgirls and
factory girls a right to some of the good things from the gym.?
Aren't they all citizens, and isn't the gym. their property as
much as it's anyone else's!"

"Excellent," nodd