avens. He was all dolled up like
a Christmas tree, with his belt axe hanging to his belt and his scout
knife dangling around his neck and his compass on his wrist like a wrist
watch.

I said, "You look like a hardware store. Where are you going? To chop
down the North Pole?"

He said, "There's bad news waiting for us at troop meeting."

"Well, it'll have to wait till we get there," I told him; "I wouldn't go
scout pace hunting for bad news." Cracky, if that kid was on his way to
the electric chair he'd go scout pace.

"We've got to give up the troop room," he said; "Doctor Warren told my
mother to-day. The men are going to use it for a club."

"Good night!" I told him; "why should they use a club? We'll get out
without any trouble; peace at any price."

"It's a sociable club," he said.

"Well," I told him, "I wouldn't want to get hit with a club no matter
how sociable it is."

"It's going to be called the forearm club," he said.

Gee, I had to laugh. "You mean forum," I said. "What are you trying to
do? Scare the life out of me with clubs and forearms?"

When we got to the troop room all the fellows were standing around, and
Mr. Ellsworth, our scoutmaster, was there to tell us the worst.

He said, "Scouts, you'll all remember that this pleasant meeting place
was put at our disposal by Doctor Warren to be used by us until it
should be needed for other purposes." (This is just what he said,
because I asked him to write it out in my troop book afterwards.)
"Doctor Warren now informs me that the plans for building a new church
being postponed on account of the cost of labor and materials, the use
of this room practically every night in the week is imperative. Since we
are not actually a part of the church, I think we should insist on
relinquishing it in favor of the many church activities for which this
old building is all too small. We shall presently find another home. I
am sure that every scout in this troop will join me in expressing our
gratitude to Doctor Warren and his good people for their interest in us
and their hospitality. I am in hopes that the room in the Public Library
where the Red Cross ladies worked may be available to us. Meanwhile, we
have the great scout roof over our heads--the blue heaven."

"Believe me," I said, "that great scout roof is all right, only it leaks
like the dickens. Anyway, we should worry; we'll find a place."

So that night we spent taking down our pictures and all our