Charlie, Juggie, and Tony were now the only ones left, and they looked at one another sorrowfully.

"Charlie! Come!"

It was Aunt Stanshy calling. Tony and Juggie now moved off, and Charlie went into the house with a heavy heart.

"What _is_ the matter, Charles Pitt Macomber?"

"Club has broken up," and Charlie's lips quivered.

"Mad?"

Charlie did not speak, but moved his head up and down like a saw.

"Who? Sid, Rick, Wort, Pip?"

Each time the saw went up and down.

"Are you mad?"

"I was, but I am not now."

"I'm sorry. I guess it's a pretty bad case, and the club has all gone to splinters."

The club in splinters! All that day the chamber was deserted. It was forsaken the next bright summer day. A mouse came out of his hole, and, looking timidly about, gave a faint, surprised squeak. The flies buzzed in the sunshine, and had all the time they wished to hum through their tunes.

The only other noise was the wind that murmured about the door and the window that Aunt Stanshy had closed up so resolutely.

n.o.body came to climb the ladder, and it did have such a forsaken look.

n.o.body troubled the sheet, or the closet, or the various relics strewn about.

Alas! alas!

The club was in splinters!

CHAPTER XII.

THE CLUB MENDED.

"Then the club is all broken up?"

"Yes," said Charlie, mournfully.

"How did it happen?"

"You see, Will"--every body called the apothecary's clerk Will--"we had a school and Sid kept it, and he licked the fellers, and they couldn't stand it."

"I see."

"But I think Sid wanted to make up."

"And it was easier for him to make up than for the boys who had got the lickings, was it?"

"I guess it was," said Charlie, laughing.

"Too bad to be broken up!"

"Yes," and Charlie's laugh was turning to a cry.

"You didn't think of the notice stuck up on the post, 'No cross words?'"

"Why, no! I know I forgot all about it."

"I don't believe your teacher, Miss Barry, will be pleased to know of the quarrel, as she is a kind, good-natured lady, and makes folks kind to one another."

"I 'spose she wont like it."

"Wouldn't you like to have your broken club mended?"

"Yes, yes," replied Charlie, excitedly. "How?"

"There is one way to do it and fix all things right again." As Will spoke he also attended to his breakfast, interjecting his words amid sips of coffee and mouthfuls of Aunt Stanshy's flaky biscuit. He was hungry, as he had been out before breakfast in answer to a furious alarm of fire.

"You see, when a club is in pieces, that it may be mended again, each piece must resolve to do what it can toward a coming together again. Will you?"

"Yes, I will."

"There's one. Who is the next one to bring round, the next piece of club to make willing to be joined to the rest?"

"I guess Wort feels about as stuffy as any one. There he is out in the lane now."

"Is he? Go, get him."

The "stuffy" splinter of the club was brought in. Will had disappeared, but soon came back to the table, bringing from his room a neat, white package of--Charlie's curious eyes could not guess what.

"Art you Wort Wentworth?" asked Will.

"Yes."

"I have some candy for you."

Here the apothecary displayed various long, dainty sticks of candy, exceedingly toothsome in their looks. There were checkerberry-pipe and licorice-pipe and sa.s.safras-pipe, and--how Wort's eyes did glisten and his mouth water as he imagined the different kinds there!

Will did not forget, to Charlie's joy, that another boy present had also several sweet teeth. Having sweetened up Wort's disposition, Will said,

"You and Charlie will now do me a favor, won't you?"