A stir of excitement went through the group. Nervous grins were flashed and the girls giggled softly.
"You've got exactly ten minutes. Then you leave that room and go into the next room, just behind the store, and wait. At eight-twenty, the girls do the same. You've also got exactly ten minutes. And remove everything but your shoes. If anyone cheats, it's up to the others to kick them out before they enter the store. I'll ring a bell signaling the beginning of the Mass. Then, and only then, do you open the door and enter."
On the bus ride back to Ridgewood the group was in high spirits. The other passengers were confused by all the attention everyone gave to "Ichabod Crane".
By Saturday, Kay had made sixteen capes instead of eight. There was more money in the treasury than Tom needed, and best of all, the guest list consisted of nine females and only six male names.
CHAPTER THREE
Surprisingly, Tom enlisted Jay Schmidtline to help him decorate the store. A convenient puppet to run errands, help hang the black-and-orange crepe paper along the walls, and any other odd jobs, "the brain" wanted done. It was Jay who was sent out to find a cardboard box that could be made into a coffin. It took three evenings, after working all day, to go from store to store in the shopping areas of Maspeth and Ridgewood, before he found a suitable box.
Since it was too big to take on the bus, he had to carry the awkward container about a mile and a half. Then he was dismissed and Tom put the finishing touches on the room.
By seven-thirty that Saturday night, everyone was gathered in front of the store. Kids were running up and down the streets dressed in costumes. The members of the club decided to move to the back entrance to get away from the wild kids on the streets. After the introductions were made the girls chatted nervously in one group, while the guys chain-smoked and joked in another.