How does that strike you?"

"Pretty good, Father," said Frank. "But," he continued, "suppose we put
it up to the fellows. Then you are sure to satisfy them."

"Capital!" exclaimed the priest, "and now you go ahead and put it to a
vote."

It was surprising how short a time it took to pass the word around. Soon
every one knew that something out of the ordinary was up.

When the boys had assembled, Frank put the matter before the Club, and
all without hesitation declared for John McCormack. They had heard his
records on the victrola, and were desirous of seeing and hearing
himself. When Frank informed the director, Father Boone said:

"That's all hunky dory," an expression he used when he was well
satisfied, and when the committee which the boys had sent to thank him
for his kind thought appeared, he said:

"That's all right, boys; that's the best fun I get, doing something for
you fellows."

After that, McCormack's were the only records to be heard in that club
room. Every boy played his favorite, time and again.

"I wonder if he sings much better than his records," said Tommy Hefnan.

"Of course," retorted Dick Brian. "That is foolish question four million
and two."

"O! I don't know," said Tommy. "I heard some records that were better
than the performer. You remember that war song we had last year? Well, I
heard his Nibbs himself sing it at a vaudeville show, and I liked the
record better."

"Well, his Nibbs isn't McCormack," snapped Dick, "and you'll see the
difference when you hear him."

So the boys were pretty well worked up over the concert, and awaited it
eagerly. Most of them were in moderate circumstances and the limit of
their entertainment was the movies. For them to see the great McCormack
was what in the old days it meant to the country lads to see Barnum's
Circus.

There were, as we have said, ninety boys in the Club, from eleven to
fifteen years of age. When they got to sixteen, they were obliged to
drop membership, and were encouraged to join the older boys' club, which
admitted those from sixteen to nineteen. Most of the lads did that. In
Father Boone's time, however, the boys hated to leave the younger club.
It was amusing to see the growing youngsters torn between two emotions.
On the one hand, every boy wanted to be big, to get closer to manhood.
On the other, he dreaded the loss of the Club. For Father Boone
certainly made it a very desirable place. It was because membership was
so h