CHAPTER 5 A THREATENING SUIT
Mr. Hatfield's blunt announcement electrified the Cubs. For a moment noone spoke and then there was a buzz of excited conversation. Everyonetalked at the same time, demanding details.
"I can't tell you very much," Mr. Hatfield replied. "Mr. Brady said twoof the church trustees came to him this morning, asking that he placetheir complaint before the Scout organization. The trustees insist thatCub Scouts visited the church grounds Saturday and did a great deal ofdamage. They demand a settlement of their claim, or they'll sue."
"Twenty thousand for a broken window?" Dan demanded. "Why, that's crazy!"
"Those old trustees are out of their heads!" Red added furiously.
"More than a single window is involved," Mr. Hatfield informed the Cubs."Statues were broken, the attorney said, and at least three of the largestained-glass windows."
"But that's impossible!" Dan cried.
"We only broke one tiny little window," Red added.
"Start at the beginning and tell me everything," Mr. Hatfield ordered."Who went out to the church Saturday?"
"I planned the hike," Dan confessed. "Brad and Fred couldn't go. Chips,Chub, Midge, Red and myself were the only ones."
"You were after an ice cream freezer the attorney said."
"That's right. We asked Mr. Treuhaft if we could borrow a couple that arestored in the basement. He was busy and told us to come back later."
"After he turned you down, did you try to break into the church?"
"We certainly didn't," Dan denied indignantly.
"We just ate lunch there and tossed my basketball around a little while,"Red contributed. "Chub made a bad throw and broke a window. That's allthere was to it, except that Dan said he'd pay for it."
"I tried," Dan took up the story. "Yesterday I went to Old Terry's place.He wasn't there, but his wife refused the money."
"Has anyone returned to the church since the group left there Saturday?"the Cub leader inquired.
"I went past once on my way from Mr. Treuhaft's place," Dan answered."That was Sunday."
"Did you see anyone around the premises?"
"Why, no." The questioned surprised Dan. "No person," he amended. "I didsee a sort of shadow moving away toward the graveyard. It might have beena person or an animal or--"
"Or a ghost?" interposed Midge, half teasingly.
The other Cubs however, were in no mood for his joke.
"How could the trustees threaten to sue for twenty thousand dollars?"Brad asked, deeply troubled. "Why, it's silly! Anyway, they haven't achance of collecting, because we don't have twenty dollars, much lesstwenty thousand."
"They're threatening to bring a court action against the entire Scoutorganization," Mr. Hatfield explained. "The Scout treasury by coincidencehas almost exactly twenty thousand. The money is in a special buildingfund."
"Mr. Brady knew that!" Dan exploded. "That's why he's demanding so much."
"Perhaps," the Cubmaster agreed. "But any way we look at it, this isserious business. The honor of our Den is at stake."
"How can they blame us for something we didn't do?" Midge demanded.
Mr. Hatfield assured the Cubs that he believed their story that only onewindow had been broken.
"I'm driving out to the church now to see for myself how much damage hasbeen done," he announced. "Who wants to ride along?"
Because it was nearing the dinner hour, only Brad, Dan, Fred and Chipselected to go.
The sun was riding low in the sky by the time the automobile reached thechurch grounds. Mr. Hatfield parked along the main road, and the boyswalked up the broken front walk.
"Twenty thousand, of course, is a ridiculous figure to demand," Mr.Hatfield remarked, following the Cubs. "I doubt the property is worthmuch more than that, including the land. The trustees have been trying tosell it for nearly two years, and haven't yet found a buyer."
"So they're taking it out on us!" Chips said resentfully.
The walk curved and the Cubs obtained a clear view of the old building.Dan, slightly ahead of the others, halted abruptly, dismayed by what hesaw.
Not one, but half a dozen small windows had been smashed. Therainbow-hued glass of a circular, stained window had been broken too.
"Someone else did that!" he exclaimed. "No wonder the trustees are sore!"
"It's unfair to blame the Cubs," Chips declared.
The boys circled the old church, noting evidence of extensive damage.With so many windows smashed, entry into the building itself could not beprevented.
Chips started to crawl through one of the larger openings, but Mr.Hatfield hauled him back.
"We're in deep enough now," he said severely. "Don't make it worse."
It was well that Chips was prevented from crawling through the window,for a few minutes later, an automobile pulled up at the side entrance ofthe building.
Terry Treuhaft and two men the Cubs did not recognize, came over to thegroup.
"The church trustees, I think," Mr. Hatfield advised in a whisper.
His guess was correct. The two elderly men proved to be Elwin Maxwell andJoshia Brennan. The newcomers spoke curtly to Mr. Hatfield and ignoredthe Cubs completely.
Old Terry unlocked the front church door with a massive key so that thetrustees could enter. Though not invited to do so, the Cubs followedclose behind.
In the vestibule a marble statue lay smashed. Plaster either had fallenof its own weight or had been knocked in ugly patches from the walls.Pews were overturned, a stair railing broken from its supports and astack of old hymn books scattered.
"You see what they did!" Old Terry said to the two trustees. "I've beentaking good care of this place. Now look at it!"
"We had nothing to do with this," Dan said, trying to draw the attentionof the trustees. "Absolutely nothing."
"These were the boys," Old Terry identified them for his employers. "Theycame out to my place to demand the key so they could get an ice creamfreezer. When I denied it to 'em, they came here just the same and brokein."
"We came here to eat our lunch on the grounds," Dan replied, "but wedidn't break in."
"You admit you broke a window?"
"One window. We didn't do all this damage."
"You were seen breaking in," Old Terry insisted. "Some folks in theneighborhood saw your gang climbing through the windows and called thepolice. But you managed to get away before the wagon came."
"You must have dreamed all that!" Chip gasped.
"What time was this supposed to have happened?" Dan demanded.
"You know well enough. Just about dusk."
"We were home long before that," Chips retorted. "So your story doesn'thang together."
Mr. Hatfield spoke quietly. "The Cubs have told me their version of whathappened, and I believe it. Den 2 boys are honorable and truthful. I'mconvinced they're not responsible for this damage. Believe me, if Ithought otherwise, I'd be the last to defend them."
"You'll have an opportunity to defend them in court," Mr. Maxwell saidacidly. "I don't care to discuss this matter further. See our attorney,Mr. Brady."
Mr. Hatfield knew that it would be a waste of breath to try to talk tothe two trustees while they were in their present mood. He motioned forthe Cubs to leave the church.
All filed out with exception of Brad, who had taken no part in theconversation with the trustees. He had busied himself at the rear of thechurch, inspecting an overturned pew which had caught his attention.
"Coming, Brad?" Mr. Hatfield asked.
"Be right with you," the Den Chief replied.
Even then he lingered for a moment. When finally he came outside, heseemed very thoughtful.
"What's the matter, Brad?" Dan questioned him. "You're so quiet. Youdon't think we wrecked the church do you?"
"Of course not."
"You're acting sort of queer. What kept you in the church, Brad? You werelooking at that bench a long while."
/> "I found something too."
"You did?" Dan became eager. "What was it, Brad? Anything that might helpclear the Cubs?"
"I don't know," Brad replied slowly. "It might not have any significance,and then again, it could."
"What did you find?"
"You'll keep it under your hat?"
"Of course."
Brad lowered his voice. "On that overturned pew I noticed some freshlycarved initials. They were 'P. O.' Does that mean anything to you?"
Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Page 5