  “Keep turning that crank! Do you want the paddles to stick?” The irate command was directed by Red Suell at Chips who had rested a moment as he cranked one of the big ice cream freezers. All of the Cubs except Brad were making ice cream in the church basement. Mrs. Holloway and Red’s mother had volunteered to direct the work. The two mothers had been kept busy offering suggestions, for none of the boys ever before had made ice cream except in the tray of a refrigerator. Dan and Midge had cracked the ice in a gunny sack, hammering the stubborn chunks until they were of tiny, uniform size. The metal containers, with their wooden paddles, had been set into the packed freezers, and now the cranking had begun. Red was assigned to one, while Chub and Chips took turns at the other. “My arm is getting tired,” Red complained. “Someone else take over!” “You’ve hardly been at it two minutes,” Dan teased. Nevertheless, he seized the crank, turning it steadily and smoothly. “Say, it’s going harder and harder,” he presently admitted. “Do you suppose the cream could be frozen?” “Very nearly so,” declared Mrs. Holloway, packing more ice into the freezer. Dan kept cranking. Melted salt water spilled faster and faster out of the little round hole in the freezer. “This is getting awfully hard!” he gasped, exerting all of his strength to keep the crank moving. “And this old freezer is stuck!” cried Chips, who was taking his turn at the other freezer. “It won’t budge an inch!” “Shall we take a look?” asked Mrs. Holloway, relieving him. She unfastened the top of the freezer, carefully opening the metal cylinder packed deep in ice. The Cubs clustered around, eager to see what their labors had produced. Mrs. Holloway lifted the paddle slightly. The Cubs uttered squeals of delight. The wooden paddle was simply loaded with rich looking, delicately pink strawberry ice cream. “It looks lovely, doesn’t it?” Mrs. Holloway laughed. “Now you boys must draw straws to see who gets to lick the paddle!” Chub won, so Mrs. Holloway handed the richly coated paddle to him on a paper plate. Midge was awarded the paddle from the freezer Dan had turned so faithfully. “Gee, is this ever good!” he shouted, smacking his lips. “I wish I could have a big dish.” “You can tonight,” Mrs. Holloway promised. The other Cubs looked so downcast to see Midge and Chub eating the ice cream that Mrs. Holloway gave them each a tiny sample. “Best ice cream I ever tasted,” declared Dan. “I’ll bet our party will be a huge success tonight.” Under the direction of the two mothers, the Cubs cleaned up the muss they had made in the basement. Both freezers then were packed firmly with chopped ice, so that the cream would remain solid until it was needed. “Dan, I wish you and Red would help carry the freezers upstairs,” Mrs. Holloway requested. “It’s so warm here, the ice will melt. I think it will be better to set the freezers outside.” The two Cubs followed instructions, setting the containers on a tiny, back porch behind the church kitchen. To further protect them, they covered both freezers with a piece of canvas. “Everything’s set now for the party,” Dan remarked cheerfully. “Wonder what’s doing in the gym?” Moving down the corridor, the two Cubs could hear the slap-slap-slap of rubber-soled shoes on the polished gymnasium floor. Brad, Mr. Hatfield and the other Cubs were there, watching the workout of the Purple Five. Obviously, Pat and his players were trying to put on a show. They made a great commotion, passing the ball fast, executing rapid turns and pivots and taking long shots at the baskets. In a surprising number of instances, the ball found its mark. “Say, they’re plenty good,” Dan admitted in a whisper. “Especially Pat.” “Watch ’em guard,” Red replied, looking worried. “Rough as all get-out.” Mr. Hatfield too, had observed the rough manner in which the boys played. As the practice session wound up, he remarked to Pat that it might be well for the Purple Five to study the rules before the first scheduled game. “We play strictly according to the book,” he warned. “Any unnecessary roughness will go down as a foul.” “You don’t have to worry about our team,” Pat replied boastfully. “We know the rules from Z to A.” After ending the practice the Bay Shore boys took their time in leaving the church. They roved the corridors, peered down into the basement, and even into the Cub’s private clubroom. One of the boys spied the cardboard fort which Fred had built. “Gee! Will you look at the playhouse!” he shouted. Mr. Hatfield shooed the five wanderers out of the building. On the steps, Pat noticed the two ice cream freezers. “When do we eat?” he demanded boisterously. “You don’t,” Chips told him. “That’s for our party tonight.” “Who is invited?” “Only the parents of the Cubs.” “Well, have a good time,” Pat said with a grin. “See you later.” He peered again at the ice cream freezers, helped himself to a chunk of ice, and sauntered off. The party that night began early. Soon after seven o’clock, the parents started to arrive. Dan, Fred and Chub were on the welcoming committee to greet everyone at the door. The other Cubs were stationed at various tables, ready to explain the various exhibits. The fort which Fred had constructed drew a great deal of favorable comment. Several parents expressed the hope that the structure would be kept on display for a long while. “Oh, we intend to use it,” Fred assured the group of admirers. “We’ll play Indian games and act out pioneer stuff. Maybe put on a little play.” The Cubs were a bit impatient for the singing, the promotion ceremonies and other events to end. Eyeing the array of chocolate, angel food and spice cakes on the long supper table, they scarcely could wait until the moment came to eat. Dan noticed that Chub seemed rather downcast. Sidling over to the younger boy, he asked him what was wrong. “Nothing,” Chub mumbled. “You’re not having a good time.” “Yes, I am,” Chub insisted. “Wonderful!” “Well, you don’t act like it. Your face is as long as a roller towel. What’s eating you?” “Nothing,” Chub said again. And then he went on hurriedly: “It’s only that—that all the other Cubs have a mother and Dad here tonight. I’m all alone.” “Sure, I know how you feel.” Dan clumsily flung an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. “But don’t you care.” He very much wanted to ask Chub about his mother and father. But recalling Mr. Hatfield’s advice not to ask questions, he remained silent. Presently, Mrs. Hatfield announced that supper would be served. The parents lined up for their decorated paper plates, napkins, silverware and big piece of homemade cake. “We’ll be ready to dish up the ice cream in a minute,” Mrs. Hatfield advised Dan and Brad. “Will you boys please fetch the freezers?” “Sure thing,” Dan said eagerly. He and Brad, together with Red who wanted to help, went out on the porch for the canvas-covered freezers. Looking about, they could not see the containers anywhere. “Say, what became of ’em?” Dan demanded. “There’s the canvas,” Red noted. He pointed to the covering which lay in a heap on the ground near the steps. “Do you suppose Mr. Hatfield moved them?” Brad speculated. “Wait, I’ll find out.” He rushed back into the church, to return a moment later with the Cub leader. Mr. Hatfield assured the boys that he had not touched either of the freezers. “When I came this way about thirty minutes ago, both were here.” “Then someone has taken them!” Dan exclaimed. “Who would do such a mean thing?” Red demanded. “Our party is ruined!” Word spread like wildfire that the ice cream had been stolen. The other Cubs and some of the parents came out of the church to see for themselves. “Say, I bet I know who took those freezers!” Chips cried. “Who?” the others demanded. “Pat Oswald and his gang.” “It’s hardly fair to accuse them just because they used the gymnasium today,” Mr. Hatfield said rather mildly. “Pat knew about the freezers,” Chips insisted. “He saw them here on the steps, and he asked about the party.” Brad, with a pocket flashlight, had been examining the soft earth near the church steps. “I’ve found a lot of shoe marks,” he called the attention of the Cubs to them. “Boys tracks, I’d judge by their size. Have you fellows been tramping around here today?” “Haven’t been off the walk or the porch,” Dan said, and most of the Cubs gave a similar reply. “Well, a gang of kids must have been here then,” Brad declared. “See the tracks lead toward the hedge. Here, you can tell that something heavy was dragged over the ground.” “Maybe it was Pat and his gang!” Fred exclaimed. “Of all the mean ingratitude! We let ’em use our gym and equipment, and they repay us by stealing our ice cream!” “We worked so hard to make it too!” Red added. “We ought to call off our basketball games with ’em—that’s what,” Midge said indignantly. Mr. Hatfield reminded the Cubs that they had no proof that the ice cream actually had been taken by Pat and his cronies. “It looks highly suspicious,” he admitted, “but I’m in favor of giving the other fellow the benefit of the doubt.” Several of the Den Dads toured the church yard, in search of the culprits. They returned to report no sign of the freezers, or the persons who had taken them. Evidently the theft had been accomplished nearly a half hour earlier, or at least long before the discovery of the loss. “No chance of catching anyone now,” Mr. Hatfield said regretfully. “We may as well forget about it.” “Forget it?” Midge wailed. “After all the work we did?” “And you never tasted such wonderful ice cream,” Chips went on. “We only had tiny samples this afternoon. We were looking forward to big dishes tonight!” “We’ll make ice cream another time,” Mr. Hatfield promised the Cubs. “How can we, without freezers?” Dan asked. “The only ones we know about are at the old Christian Church. No chance of getting those.” “And what about the ones that were stolen?” Brad asked, rather worried. “We don’t even know to whom they belong.” The Cubs had inquired among the parents, but no one had admitted providing the two freezers. Even Mr. Hatfield was somewhat uneasy to think that later on, the unknown giver might call at the church to ask the return of his or her property. “It’s very strange about those freezers—” he mused. “Very strange.” Disconsolately, the Cubs trooped back into the church. They were resigned to a party without ice cream. However, Midge’s father had slipped away to the drugstore without consulting anyone. Even before all the cake had been served, he was back with several large packages of ice cream. He also had bought some excellent strawberry topping. “Now this isn’t as good as homemade ice cream,” he apologized. “On short notice though, it was the best substitute I could find.” The Cubs ate their share of the ice cream and after a while tended to forget the injustice that had been done them. It relieved their minds to see that the parents didn’t seem to mind not having homemade ice cream. Despite the theft of the freezers, the party had been a great success. “Now before we break up for the evening, I suggest we give the Cubs a big vote of thanks,” proposed Mr. Holloway. “All in favor—” No one ever had an opportunity to join in the vote of appreciation. For at that moment there came a rap on the clubroom door. Before anyone could open it, Terry Treuhaft stepped into the room. The old caretaker’s unexpected arrival startled everyone. No one could imagine what had brought him to the church uninvited. Terry did not long leave the matter in doubt. “I’ve come for my freezers,” he said and his voice fairly dripped icicles. “YOUR freezers?” Red echoed. “Oh m’gosh!” “I think you must be mistaken about us having your freezers,” Mr. Hatfield said politely. “We haven’t any freezers at all,” declared Chips, rather enjoying the joke. “I understand you do have the ones that were at the church,” the old caretaker said stiffly. “I was tipped that I’d find them here. Where are they?” “Look around if you like,” Brad invited. “If you can find them, you’re better at hunting than we are.” “None of your sass, young man or I’ll have the law on you,” Old Terry retorted. He felt ill at ease with so many parents gazing steadily at him. “I’m sorry,” Brad apologized. “I did not intend to be impolite. I merely meant to emphasize that we do not have your freezers.” “You did have them then.” “That might be,” Mr. Hatfield admitted. “We did have a couple of ice cream freezers which were stolen earlier tonight. However, I certainly had no suspicion that they belonged to the Christian Church.” “Well, you know now,” Old Terry retorted. “These Cubs, were after those freezers from the first, and that was what caused ’em to break in—” “Just a minute,” interposed Mr. Hatfield. “The Cubs did not break into the Church. Of that I’m satisfied.” “You may be satisfied, but the trustees aren’t! The Cubs will have to pay for the damage they did. Besides, I want those two freezers.” “We haven’t a freezer on the premises,” Mr. Hatfield said again. Wearily, he told the caretaker what had happened. “You’re handing me a line about not knowing where those freezers came from,” Old Terry growled. “For that matter, how do I know they aren’t here somewhere?” “You may look around, if you like,” Mr. Hatfield invited. “Thanks, I’ll do that,” he replied. Old Terry inspected the clubroom and then to the deepening annoyance of the Cubs and their parents, went down into the basement. Finally, he seemed satisfied that the missing freezers were not in the building. “Mr. Treuhaft, won’t you have some cake and a dish of store ice cream?” Midge’s mother invited graciously. “No, Ma’am, I won’t,” he declined the invitation. “I’m leaving now.” He stomped out, allowing the door to bang behind him. “Good riddance,” Red exclaimed. The Cubs began to straighten the clubroom, preparatory to leaving. Everyone was tired and a little discouraged even though the party had been a success. “Old Terry spoiled everything,” Dan said, expressing the sentiment of his Cubmates. “Do you suppose he could have been right?” “About those stolen freezers belonging to the Christian Church?” Mr. Hatfield inquired. “That’s what I was thinking.” “I have a hunch they were the same ones, Dan.” “Then we actually were using stolen freezers?” “I’m afraid of it, Dan. Someone played a joke on us. Not a very nice joke either.” “Then we’re guilty of what they said!” “We’re not guilty of anything, Dan. If those freezers were taken from the church and delivered here, how were we to know who brought them or why? We accepted the gift in good faith.” “The trustees will have a better case than ever against us now.” “They may try to make something of the incident. However, I don’t propose to worry about it.” “Think how much worse it would have been for us, if Old Terry actually had found the freezers,” Brad chuckled. “As it is, he has no evidence.” “That’s so,” Dan agreed relaxing. “Whoever swiped the ice cream, did us a small favor. I only wish I knew for sure whether or not Pat had a finger in the deal.” “Given a little time, we may learn that too,” Mr. Hatfield replied, smiling. Though the Cubs pressed him for an explanation, the Cub leader would not reveal what was in his mind. “Wait and we’ll see,” he suggested. “And while you’re waiting, don’t forget to practice hard at basketball. It’s more important than ever now, that we prove to Pat and his boys that Cubs can win honorably!” |
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