pocketbook has got at least a hundred
dollars in it. The owner ought to give you twenty-five for returning
it."

"Maybe he would."

"I'll tell you what I'll do," said the stranger, earnestly. "You take
the pocketbook, and give me ten dollars. If you can find the owner, you
can claim twenty-five dollars reward."

"An' supposin' I can't find the owner?"

"Then you can keep the pocketbook."

The temptation was strong, and Abner looked at his newly-made wife.

"Might as well take it, Abner," she said, promptly. "I guess we can find
the owner quick enough," and she pinched his arm suggestively.

The farmer drew forth his wallet, and began to count out ten dollars. At
the same time the stranger gazed again into the other wallet.

"Must be about a hundred and fifty dollars in this," he said. "I'll
trust you to do the square thing by the owner."

"Oh, you kin trust me," said Abner, quickly.

He was about to pass over his ten dollars, when he felt somebody catch
him by the arm, and turning, he beheld Nat.

"Nat!" he gasped.

"Not so fast, Uncle Abner!" cried our hero. "You had better keep your
money."

"Wh--what?"

"Put your money away."

"See here, what do you mean by interfering?" said the stranger, roughly.

"If he gives up the pocketbook take the ten dollars out of that," went
on Nat. "My idea is, there isn't a dollar in the pocketbook."

"Nat!"

"That's right, uncle. This is an old game. I heard all about it only a
few days ago."

"Oh, you go to grass!" cried the stranger, with a malicious look at Nat,
and then he hurried away with all speed.

"Where did you spring from, Nat?"

"I was in this neighborhood on an errand, Uncle Abner. How do you do,
Mrs. Guff."

"I'm not Mrs. Guff any more," said the lady. "I'm Mrs. Balberry, your
new aunt."

"Oh, so you're married, Uncle Abner."

"Yes," was the answer. "But see here, Nat, I don't understand about thet
pocketbook," said the farmer.

"It's simple enough. As I said before, the game is an old one. That
fellow had the pocketbook all the time. It was stuffed with old paper,
with a dollar bill wrapped on the outside. He wanted to get your money,
and if he had gotten it he would have left you with a pocketbook worth
about a quarter, with nothing but old paper and a dollar bill in it, and
maybe he would have taken the dollar bill out, too."

"Well, I never!" cried Mrs. Balberry. "Did you ever hear of such a
swindle!"

"They play all sorts of games