ay that it seems noble to want to join not really for
his own sake but for the good that he felt his influence would have over
the other boys. Don't you think so, Mrs. Williams?"

Mrs. Williams said that she did, indeed. And the result of this
interview was another, which took place between Sam and his father that
evening, for Mrs. Williams, after talking to Sam herself, felt that the
matter needed a man to deal with it. The man did it man-fashion.

"You either invite Georgie Bassett to play in the shack all he wants
to," the man said, "or the shack comes down."

"But--"

"Take your choice. I'm not going to have neighbourhood quarrels over
such--"

"But, Papa--"

"That's enough! You said yourself you haven't anything against Georgie."

"I said--"

"You said you didn't like him, but you couldn't tell why. You couldn't
state a single instance of bad behaviour against him. You couldn't
mention anything he ever did which wasn't what a gentleman should have
done. It's no use, I tell you. Either you invite Georgie to play in the
shack as much as he likes next Saturday, or the shack comes down."

"But, PAPA--"

"I'm not going to talk any more about it. If you want the shack pulled
down and hauled away, you and your friends continue to tantalize this
inoffensive little boy the way you have been. If you want to keep it, be
polite and invite him in."

"But--"

"That's ALL, I said!"

Sam was crushed.

Next day he communicated the bitter substance of the edict to the other
members, and gloom became unanimous. So serious an aspect did the affair
present that it was felt necessary to call a special meeting of the
order after school. The entire membership was in attendance; the door
was closed, the window covered with a board, and the candle lighted.
Then all of the brothers--except one--began to express their sorrowful
apprehensions. The whole thing was spoiled, they agreed, if Georgie
Bassett had to be taken in. On the other hand, if they didn't take him
in, "there wouldn't be anything left." The one brother who failed to
express any opinion was little Verman. He was otherwise occupied.

Verman had been the official paddler during the initiations of Roddy
Bitts and Maurice Levy; his work had been conscientious, and it seemed
to be taken by consent that he was to continue in office. An old shingle
from the woodshed roof had been used for the exercise of his function in
the cases of Roddy and Maurice; but this afte