Their idle banter was interrupted by Westy Martin of Roy’s and Pee-wee’s troop who paused at the tree as they returned from the village.  Westy was waving a newspaper triumphantly.

“What do you know about this?” he said, opening the paper so that the scouts could see a certain heading.

“Oh, me, oh, my!” Roy said.  “Isn’t Temple Camp getting famous?  Talk about red! Oh, boy, watch Hervey’s beautiful complexion when he hears this.  He’ll have cinnamon taffy beat a mile.”

Willy-nilly, Roy snatched the news sheet from Westy and read: 

    TEMPLE CAMP HAS NEW HERO

Yesterday was a gala day up at the scout camp.  More than five hundred people from hereabouts, as well as the whole population of the famous scout community, cheered themselves hoarse when Mr. John Temple, founder of the big camp, distributed the awards for the season.

For the first time in four years Temple Camp produced an Eagle Scout in Hervey Willetts of a Massachusetts troop who won the award under circumstances reflecting unusual credit on himself and bringing honor to his troop comrades.  Mr. Temple’s remarks to this young hero were flattening in the last degree——­

“You mean flattering,” Pee-wee shouted.

“Excuse myself,” said Roy.

and it was decided to give Hervey the award, because Scout Harris proved excruciatingly—­I mean exclusively—­I mean conclusively—­that a bird is an animal just the same as Mr. Temple is, only different——­

“Let me see that!” shouted Pee-wee.  “You make me sick!  Where is it?”

“Here’s something to interest you more,” Roy said; “here’s the real stuff—­a kidnapping.  A kid was taking a nap and got kidded.”

“Where?” Pee-wee demanded.

“There,” Roy said, pointing triumphantly to a heading which put the Temple Camp notice in the shade.  “Just read that.”

But for that sensational article, doubtless Hervey would have been more of a newspaper hero instead of being stuck down in a corner.  The article was indeed one to arouse interest and call for big headings, and the scouts, gathered about Roy, peered over his shoulders and read it eagerly.

    MILLIONAIRE HARRINGTON’S SON KIDNAPPED

    ALARM SENT OUT FOR CHILD MISSING MORE THAN WEEK

    TRAIN HAND GIVES CLEW

Police authorities throughout the country have been asked to search for Anthony Harrington, Jr., the little son of Anthony Harrington, banker, of New York.  The child, aged about ten, disappeared about a week ago and since then an exhaustive search privately made has failed to yield any clew of the little fellow’s whereabouts.

    When last seen the child was playing on the lawn of his father’s
    beautiful estate at Irvington-on-Hudson on Friday a week ago.  From
    that time no trace of him has been discovered.