“Well,” said Chub, “if I must I must, but it seems to me that Dick ought to take my place because he can talk a lot better and explain the thing.”
[Illustration: “There was a full attendance of the Improvement Society”]
“Let Roy do most of the talking,” advised Dick. “I have no objection to taking your place, only you’re an old boy here and I’ve just come; he’d pay more attention to what you said.”
“All right,” sighed Chub. “I’m the goat.”
“Well, let’s do it this afternoon,” said Roy, “and get it over with.”
“Yes,” said Dick, “and we’ll meet again here this evening and hear the committee’s report.”
“Hooray!” cried Chub. “That’s me! I’m a Committee!”
“You’re only half a one,” Roy objected. “I appoint myself chairman of the committee.”
“Seconded,” said Chub. “The chairman does the talking, doesn’t he?”
“Don’t forget to tell papa that we’ve elected him honorary president,” reminded Harry. “That will please him, I know.”
“Bet you he’ll kick us out!” murmured Chub.
“Don’t you worry,” laughed Dick. “Roy, as chairman, will receive all the honors. You can dodge.”
Methuselah, who up to this point had been huddled silently in a corner of his box, with only one beady eye showing, began to chuckle softly.
“Hello,” said Dick, “old ’Thuselah’s awake. I thought he was frozen up. Hello, you old rascal!”
The parrot put his head on one side and walked slowly to the front of the box.
“Pretty well, thanks,” answered Chub. “How are you?”
“Stop your swearing,” replied Methuselah severely. “Can’t you be quiet?”
“Well, that’s a nice way to answer a polite inquiry,” said Chub. “You ought to teach him better manners, Harry.”
“I can’t teach him anything,” mourned Harry. “He knew all he knows now when I got him. Roy and I tried one day to--”
“Roy,” observed Methuselah slowly, experimentally. Then, as though to hide his embarrassment, “Well, I never did!” he shrieked. The four stared at each other in astonishment. Harry found her voice first.
“That’s the first new thing he’s ever said!” she whispered in awe.
“See if he will say it again,” Dick suggested. But in spite of all their coaxing Methuselah was obdurate. You would have thought he had never heard the word in his life, much less pronounced it.
“Well, it shows who’s the favorite, anyhow,” laughed Chub.