Evening star., 1918-09-08
GUESS old Dad Week was a cabl-
netmaker or something. Any
way, he used to work in his barn

netmaker or something. any
way, no used to work in his barn
with saw and a plane and he
made lot OF shavings. His barn was
level, but to make 1t level II had to be
up on posts at the hind end because
IL was on a side hill, and that made
kind Of cave under II. and some
times me and Bony and Swatty, when
We got tired playing In the creek. or
II was raining, or we got cold skating,
would go up there and maybe smoke
cornsiik or maybe just talk. So we
got all the shavings old Dad Week
swept out OF his barn. and we made
kind Of nest under the barn. and we
called that--the Nest.
Dad Week did not like to have US
under his barn, because when we
smoked cornsiik the smoke would go
up between the boards OF the moor
and he would come out and chase US.
He didn't like us much, anyway. or
any boys, because there were grape
and he thought, maybe when we
thought he wasn't around we crawled
through the fence and took some
grapes. And we did. But only when
they were ripe and We happened to be
60 one night his barn burned down.
] guess that don't sound like much,
but IL was q good deal more than It
sounds like. You don't know about
Toady williams and the RED Avengers
The iire insurance inspector was 9
man who came over from Chicago and
said Old Dad Weak had set II afre to
ret the insufancs money and sald ne
euessed he would put old Dad Week
nuch Of that sort Of thing just now.
4 and II was time to learn somebody 2
iesson. And I guess nobody would
have cared much II It hadn't been Tor
Mrs. old Dad Week was because when
my mother was . little gtrl Mrs. Old
Dad Weeks name was Tilly. and she
worked tor my mothers mother. ana
now she was dear ar. OF oid la lazy yn,na ana ~ u
Jail. So she thought somebody ought
to bestir themselves.
Well. while my mother and the
Ladies' Aid were bestirring themselves
mo and Bony and Swatty and Toady
williams were out in our barn, and
felt pretty bad. because 1t was tough
to have my mother bestirring herself
about that barn fire when the chances
were that would he one she would
bestir into jail IL she kept old Dad
Week out Now you know that much,
You can see why we felt pretty sick
out there in my barn..
It was winter when old Dad Weeks
barn burned down, and 1t was about
. o'clock at night. was going to
bed because had been skating all
day. I wore boots to skate in. like all
the fellows, and my boots kind OF
wrinkied around the ankles and they
rubbed my ankles until they were raw.
Fo about 8 O'Clock I said, Jaw como
'Ai, Swatty! Let's 70 home" but he
'wsii.' IL you won't 50 home with
me I'm going up 70 the Nest and IN
wait ~ Tor for ySu up a snsr, .na ssid; +. ..,
Cd where waa going, and I told him
7 was going to the Nest. and he said
he WAS going 30 skate some moro.
but 9wAtty and Bony said. "All right.
ws'll 60 MP with you while" They
didnt take Of tnsif :, s., sk:tss s rnsy 1Ssiy
skates and We sat while In the Nest
under old Dad Weeks barn and smok-
"a some cornsilk cigarettes. Then
8watty ana Bony wanted to skate
some more, 70 went home. Gee! but
there was . raw spot on my ankle
On the edge q ny bed looking al IL.
about . O'clock. when the nrs house
came into my room and said:
Z George, there 10 . 0re across tho
square, and think Il ID Nr. veek's
barn. You can 60 II you want TO-"
I hid my raw ankle, because II my
mother knew it was 20 bad she
wouldn't let me skate any more until
II rot well, and pulled on my boot
and went to the dro. r
There was pretty big crowd there
already and the barn was burning
bully. I found SwAtty nrst and then
We found Bony, and we watched until
the t1re burned out. and then we went
Tns next day was Sunday. and when
= rot MP told my mother I had
headache, like always told her Sum
day mornings; but had to 60 to Sun-
day school Just the same. After din
ner ! went over to the ruins. and
0Watty and Bony and Toady and .
lot OF folks were there. 1t was good
20 see and smell. When we got tired
We went back to my yard, and II was
too cold to 20 into the barn, 40 We
went up to my room. AZ soon as the
door was shut SwAtty sat down ON the
edge OF my bed and said:
well, men, the He'd Avengers have
baeu true TO their oath! The enemy's
property lies In ruins!'
You zee Il was like this: Ne and
OWatty and Toady and Bony were the
Red Avengers. Maybe you never read
the books-'.Ths Red Avengers, or the
Boy Heroes Of the Trair'--but II 10 q
bully book. It's . dime lib'ry, and II
it hadn't been for ToAdy we would
never have had Il. ToAdy was new
Kid in town. because his father had