Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/214

 Arden with a whole crowd of girls, and there isn't a street or alley that we could slink into if we had a weed in our hands."

The boys lifted their hats as the girls came up, and passed on rejoicing over their escape. If they had been caught in the act of smoking they might have said good-by to all their hopes of getting into the archery club. A little further on they stopped in front of the window of a jewelry store, where some of the prizes that were to be distributed at the canoe meet had been placed for exhibition. Their three companions of the previous day were there, and their attention was concentrated upon a beautiful blue silk flag, trimmed with gold fringe and bearing in its center the monogram of the Mount Airy canoe club, which occupied a conspicuous position among the prizes.

"That's some of Miss Arden's handiwork," said Joe Wayring, after he had cordially greeted Tom and his cousins. "It is to go to the first one who walks the greasy pole."

"Great Moses!" ejaculated Tom. "To what base uses—"

"That's just what I said," interrupted