Dan Carter and the Cub Honor Part 31

Brad and Dan could not make up their minds that they were not being "stalled." Mr. Smith seemed sincere, yet how could they be sure he merely was not trying to fool them. Once they parted from him, they might never see him again.

"How will we know where to find you?" Dan asked dubiously. "We can't come back here or we'll be accused of breaking in."

"I can't stay here any longer either," the stranger declared. "Tell you what! When is your next basketball game?"

"Friday night," Brad informed him.

"I'll see you at the church gymnasium then. That will give me a few days to wind up my business here. Also, I'll be on hand to identify that boy you call Pat."

"Say, that might work out all right!" Dan exclaimed. "But how do we know you'll keep your promise?"

"You'll have to accept my word."

Brad and Dan knew that they had no choice. They could not force the stranger to accompany them to see the church trustees. If they reported the man to police, undoubtedly he would disappear before they could return to his hide-out.

"I'll not fail you," the man promised, smiling as if he had read their thoughts. "Just one favor. You're to tell no one that you have seen me here."

"Not even our Cub leader?" Dan asked.

"No one."

The two boys hesitated, reluctant to give such a binding promise.

"I'll agree to come to the game Friday night," Mr. Smith went on, "but only upon condition that you keep my secret until then. How about it?"

"I guess so," Brad said unwillingly. Dan too nodded his head.

"Cub's honor?"

"Cub's honor," Dan repeated. "We won't tell anyone about seeing you here."

"I know I can trust you boys," the stranger said. He had gathered up a few belongings, and was stuffing them into a bag. "Don't look so bewildered. Everything will be explained in good time."

"There's one thing I'd like to know right now," Brad said.

"Shoot!"

"Well, maybe you can clear up the mystery of how the ice cream freezers were delivered to the Cubs. Did you see Pat Oswald and his bunch take them from the bas.e.m.e.nt here?"

Mr. Smith busied himself polishing his scuffed shoes with an old rag. He kept smiling to himself, apparently enjoying his own secret.

"You know all about those freezers!" Brad accused.

"Tell us how they happened to be delivered to us!" Dan requested.

"Well, it was like this," Mr. Smith said. "I overheard the Cubs talking about needing a couple of freezers. Maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I dug 'em out of the bas.e.m.e.nt here, and left them at the church."

"You certainly put us in a spot," Brad informed him. "We had a swell time making the ice cream, but Terry Treuhaft came looking for those freezers.

He would have made a fearful fuss, only as it happened, we didn't have 'em."

"Someone-we suspect Pat and his bunch-had swiped them," Dan explained, grinning at the recollection.

Now that the incident was half-way forgotten, his resentment at Pat gradually was fading.

"I shouldn't have done it," Mr. Smith admitted. "But no one was using those freezers. The Cubs needed 'em. So I thought I'd do them a friendly turn."

"You're certainly all for the Cubs," Dan said, studying the stranger curiously. "Is it because of Chub?"

"Well, I took a shine to the youngster."

Mr. Smith had finished picking up his toilet articles. Now that his hair was combed, his clothing brushed, he looked entirely presentable.

"You know," Dan said abruptly, "you look a lot like Chub. Same eyes-hair."

"Say, that's right!" agreed Brad, startled by Dan's observation. "Maybe you're a relative!"

"Maybe I am," the man admitted. "Maybe I'm a close relative."

"Not his father?" Dan guessed.

"Yes, his father," the stranger repeated, almost defiantly. "Anything wrong with it? You think he'd be ashamed if he knew the truth?"

"Why, no," Dan stammered. "Why should he be ashamed of you?"

"Because I've neglected him all these years," the man burst out. "Because I'm living in this belfry instead of in a decent house or hotel, the way other folks do. Because I have no job! Because if folks knew I was Chub's father they'd say I was no good."

"Not if it weren't true," Dan answered quietly. "Chub's terribly lonesome. He needs a Dad."

"One that he could be proud of," the man answered in a bitter voice.

"It's better that I go away and never tell him the truth!"

"Would that be fair to Chub?" Brad asked.

"It might be the kindest thing I could do. He has a good home here. I've checked into that."

"Chub has a good home," Dan agreed, "but he isn't happy. He's always mooning around, not talking much, but sort of wrapped in his own thoughts. He needs a Dad."

"Your name isn't Smith," Brad took up the discussion. "Is it Weldon, the same as Chub's?"

"That's right. He doesn't know who I am though."

Chub's father remained silent for some minutes. Then, apparently having made up his mind to tell the Cubs everything about himself, he said:

"Things are coming to a head fast. I expect to pull out of Webster City in a few days at the latest. I haven't decided yet whether or not to tell Chub that I'm his father. Can I depend upon you boys to keep the secret-at least for the time being?"

"Of course," Brad said at once.

"We wouldn't tell Chub unless you gave us permission," Dan added. "That wouldn't be square."