Part 19 (1/2)
”Depends on how many will attend the show,” said Lew. ”Find that out-”
”How're we going to find it out, you chump? How many do you suppose we can count on, Ned?”
”Maybe six hundred,” was the answer. ”But if it should rain-”
”There you are! If it rained, we mightn't get two hundred! I'll say that's a problem. We'd be in a fine fix if we found ourselves with two or three freezers of ice-cream on our hands and a lot of other truck.
Look here, Tabby might know. Suppose you ask her, Ned. We've got to have enough and not too much.”
”It'll be all right about the ice-cream,” said Laurie. ”The man said we could return what we didn't open if we got it back that night so he could pack it over. But the other things-”
”You talk to Tabby in the morning,” repeated Dan. ”She'll know if any one does. Now what else? What about the entertainment part of it, Mr.
Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements? What have you got in mind besides the gymnastics?”
”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!
Miss Tabitha had proved as helpful as Dan Whipple had predicted. She had shaken her head at the idea of entertaining six hundred at the fete.
”You mustn't count on more than half that many,” she said. ”I dare say all the boys will go, and they'll make ninety. Then, if you get two hundred of the townsfolk, you'll be doing very nicely. Don't decide how much salad or how many sandwiches you want until Sat.u.r.day morning. So much will depend on the weather. Even if you hold the affair indoors, lots of folks won't come if it rains. You say you've ordered eight cakes from Martha Comfort and twelve dozen cream-puffs from Mrs. Deane?”
”Yes'm,” said Ned. ”We wanted Mrs. Deane to make more, but she didn't think she could.”
”Well, that's a hundred and fourty-four cream-puffs, and-let me see-one of Miss Comfort's cakes will cut into sixteen pieces, and eight times sixteen-”
”A hundred and twenty-eight, ma'am.”
”Well, and a hundred and twenty-eight and a hundred and forty-four-”
”Two hundred and seventy-two.”