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changes.” He smiled. “Then we’ll have Pickett’s Perfect Paint forever and a clean river, too!”

    Everyone clapped. Benny turned around to see what Jud and Troy were doing. They were on their feet, clapping and edging toward the aisle. Were they going to slip out before the meeting was over?
    The moderator called for order. He thanked everyone, then smiled and said, “If we work together, we can solve our problems. Meeting adjourned!”
    Now Benny saw that Jud and Troy weren’t going out. They were hurrying over to the other side of the hall. Suddenly they were running toward Mr. Pickett. People cleared the way for them, and some of the crowd smiled.
    “Dad!” Jud said. “You were wonderful! You were great!”
    Mr. Pickett had started to frown when he saw the boys. Now his frown turned to a wide smile. He saw all the Aldens and Frank coming over, too.
    “Meet my sons, Jud and Troy,” Mr. Pickett said to Mr. Alden. “And Frank, let me shake your hand. You and my boys and everyone else are going to have a clean river.”

CHAPTER 11
    Back to the Station
    I t was a beautiful summer night. When the meeting was over many people stopped to talk before starting their cars. There was a light wind, fresh and clean.
    One man said, “This is the way it should always be. There should be clean air everywhere. I’m glad we had the meeting tonight.”
    An older man said, “It was time something was done. I don’t know how the people living near the river have been able to stay there.”
    “My kids don’t want to play outside,” replied another man. “But we never dared to say anything to that Mr. Pickett. He’s too powerful.”
    “Well that Mr. Alden isn’t afraid,” a woman said. “He got things straightened out in a hurry. But it was really Mr. Alden’s grandchildren that gave Frank Timmons courage to face Mr. Pickett. I have a feeling that with Mr. Alden to help, it won’t take much time to get the air fit to breathe.”
    The four grandchildren heard this with a smile as they watched the people drive away.
    “I guess the public is with us,” said Jessie. “What a surprise it was to learn that Jud and Troy were Mr. Pickett’s sons!”
    Frank said, “I guess I thought you knew.”
    Henry asked, “Did you call them troublemakers yesterday because they were Mr. Pickett’s boys?”
    Frank smiled. “Yes,” he said. “Well, at first I thought that Mr. Pickett’s own sons would of course be on his side. When I got to know Jud and Troy a little better, I liked them because they were interested in plants and animals. I knew they wanted their father to do something about his factory. But I didn’t agree with what they were doing.”
    “Picketing their own father wasn’t such a smart idea,” Henry admitted.
    “There was something else, too,” Frank said. “I was having a lot of trouble with Mr. Pickett. He thought I was the troublemaker. He wanted to make me move away. It didn’t help to have the boys around the station. It was bad, no matter how I looked at it.”
    “But now everything will be different, won’t it?” asked Violet.
    Benny looked around. The Aldens and Frank were the only people left standing in the moonlight in front of the town hall.
    “Well,” Mr. Alden said, “I think we must be leaving. Perhaps you can come along when my men come to talk with Mr. Pickett. A good chemist can be a real help.”
    “I’ll be glad to,” Frank said. “I’ve enjoyed meeting all of you.”
    “I guess this is good-bye then,” Jessie said soberly.
    “We’re always saying good-bye to bus stations and islands and boxcars and things like that,” Benny said with a laugh.
    But the Aldens hadn’t counted on what Frank would say next.
    “Good-bye?” he said in a surprised voice. “I won’t hear of it.”
    The Aldens looked at Frank. What was he thinking of now? They did not have to wait long to find out.
    “Good-bye for tonight, maybe,” Frank continued. “But I’d like you all to be my