Halloween at Merryvale | Page 6

would hold, and stepped forward.
Puff!
"How many?" shouted the others.
"Five," counted Father Brown, "that's a good beginning."
Reddy then gave Fat a poke with his elbow.
"Move up," he urged.
Toad came next and turned around three times for luck and then took a long breath. Puff!
"One, two, three, four," called Father.
"What," cried Toad in surprise, "only four--why, I was sure they would all go out."
Linn came next. Standing upon his toes and holding his hands together high above his head he turned slowly around, then, leaning down he gave a great blow.
"Six," counted Father Brown, "that's the best yet."
"Watch me," cried Chuck, who stood next, and placing his hands upon his hips he started dancing about before the table.
"Ha, look at the funny dancer," shouted Hopie.
Chuck gave a puff and blew out six candles which tied Linn's score.
Fat, who was now next in line, leaned far over. Placing his hands on the floor he lifted his right foot and shook it three times, then standing up he puffed out his cheeks for a mighty blow.
"Look out, you'll bust," warned Herbie.
Puff!
"By jiminy, he did it," cried Toad, "good boy, Fat," as every candle went out.
"Reddy may tie him," suggested Father. "Let's see."
Reddy turned three somersaults for luck and standing before the candles blew with all his strength, and seven went out.
"Fat gets the prize and it's just what he likes most," cried Toad.
"Oh, but I'm glad I came," sighed Fat, as he opened the big box of candy that Toad had handed him.
"Now all be good children," he added, "and I'll give you each a piece."
CHAPTER VII
THE SEARCH FOR THE SILVER COIN
"Shall we try to find the dime in the flour now?" asked Toad of Father Brown, after the boys had all tried some of Fat's candy and found it very much to their liking.
"Fine," agreed Father, "and I'll go to get the pan." When he returned a few moments later he carried a large tin dish-pan in his hands with an inch of flour in the bottom of it.
As Toad thought the floor the best place for this trick, the pan was placed there.
"How do you do it?" asked Reddy, standing with his back to the fire.
"It's very easy," answered Chuck with a grin. "There's a ten cent piece on the bottom of that pan and you've got to pick it up with your lips without using your hands to help."
"I'd have left my hands at home tonight, if I'd known they were to be of so little use," laughed Herbie.
"Oh, you'll need them later on," replied Chuck, "see if you don't."
"Three at a time," called out Father, "in a three minute try to see who can find the dime. Hopie, you, Toad and Fat try first."
[Illustration: The boys screamed with laughter as the queer-looking things bumped about on the table.]
Down went all three boys on their knees before the pan of flour and down into the flour went the three faces. Such a puffing and blowing that the flour rose like a white cloud and settled on the heads of the three who were pushing each other about in their efforts to find the money.
"They look like a lot of hungry pigs," laughed Reddy.
"You're not sick, are you Toad?" asked Herbie, "your face looks so pale," at which everyone laughed.
Suddenly Hopie Smith jumped up with the flour falling from his face and the dime held fast between his lips.
"Hurrah; three cheers for Hopie," shouted all the boys.
The pan was now carried out for a supply of fresh flour and a new dime. The three boys were brushed off and soon were watching the others trying to find the dime.
"Say, Reddy, you're an old man," cried Toad, "your hair is turning gray."
"Look out there, Linn," warned Fat, "you'll turn into a pancake if you eat all that flour."
At this Linn laughed, causing a great cloud of flour to rise from the pan.
"Chuck's digging for sil----" but before Hopie could finish Reddy stood up, his dancing blue eyes shining like two stars. Between his lips he held the dime.
"Good for you, Red," shouted Toad, "I knew you'd win it."
CHAPTER VIII
THE WONDERFUL PIE
Mother Brown now appeared in the doorway.
"Won't you come into the dining room?" she requested, and the boys lost no time in accepting the invitation.
"That means something to eat," whispered Herbie. "Wonder what it'll be."
As the boys entered the dining room they started with surprise, for there, hanging over the table, was the huge grinning face of a jack-o-lantern.
"Well," exclaimed Fat, "what a sweet face!" which brought a round of laughter from the others.
In the center of the table was a large paper pie and seven ribbons came from under the crust, each of them having a card on the end. A plate of paper snap-crackers of bright colors and the fancy yellow