"Late yesterday afternoon I received a letter from my client, Mrs.Dexter, who directed me to hand you each a new ten-dollar bill, with her best wishes for a Merry Christmas added." "I am afraid that Mrs.Dexter intends that as a reward for what we were able to do for her last fall," cried Dick, flushing.

"We tried to tell her, at the time, that we didn't want any reward and that we wouldn't feel comfortable in taking one." "Nothing was said in Mrs.Dexter's letter about a reward," replied the lawyer dryly.

"She directed me to hand you the banknotes in place of Christmas cards.

I suppose you young gentlemen have no objection to receiving Christmas cards ?" Lawyer Ripley took out several banknotes.

One of these he now held out to Prescott.
Dick flushed again, looked embarrassed, then reached out his hand slowly and took the money.
"Will you send Mrs.Dexter our thanks, sir, and tell her that we enjoyed the cards very much ?" "Especially the pictures on them," added Dan Dalzell, as he received his banknote.
"I will send all your messages," nodded the lawyer, as he continued the distribution.
"Say--whoop!" suddenly exploded Greg Holmes.
"What's the matter--yours counterfeit ?" laughed Dan.
"Say, fellows," Greg went on, "we were wishing we had the funds to build some sort of a camp.