the same class with her."

"That's just it, Paul. I'd hate to have either of them know anything
about this trouble."

Paul swung his friend around so that he could see into his face; for they
were just passing a street lamp at the time.

"Oh! I can look you in the eyes, old fellow. It isn't anything
disgraceful I've been doing, not at all. But you see," and again that
frown darkened Jack's brow as unpleasant things presented themselves
before his mind's eye, "it's a family affair, I'm afraid, and must be
kept quiet."

"Now you _have_ got me to guessing good and hard. Suppose you tell me
what it's all about. I hope your brother, Karl--" and there Paul stopped,
for by instinct he seemed to feel that he had guessed the truth the first
shot.

Jack had given a huge sigh that seemed to well up from his heart.

"Yes, it's about Karl, only I do hope that it will prove a false alarm,
because I just can't believe he'd do such a rotten thing," the other went
on, slowly.

"But he's only a little fellow after all, Jack?"

"That's so, but old enough to know better. You shall hear it all, and
then perhaps you'll advise me what to do," went on Paul's chum, with
a vein of relief in his voice, as though he felt better already, after
deciding to share his trouble with another.

"That's right, and you know that it goes no further, Jack."

"Karl got into some mischief a week ago, and to punish him father cut off
his allowance of spending money for a whole month. Now, Karl belongs to a
boys' club, and I heard that at their last meeting the other day he paid
up his dues, and seemed to have plenty of money. The question that is
bothering me is, where did he get it?"

"Oh! is that all? Why, you forget that your brother is a bright chap; and
I imagine you'll find he's been earning it some way or other; or perhaps
his mother gave it to him. But see here, there's more back of this than
you've told me?" declared Paul, suddenly.

"There is," replied his chum. "Listen now, and for goodness sake I hope
you can cheer me up some, by explaining a mystery that's bothering me.
It's about those old coins Uncle Reuben sent to me two years ago. There
are some twenty-one in the lot. They're copper coins, you know and I
don't suppose worth much. I've always kept them in a little open cedar
box on my table up in the den; you've spoken about them more than once."

"Sure, I remember all about them; but you don't mean to say--" and there
Paul stoppe