ome mischief was on. He wanted
to know if it was anything that would make good local reading
in 'The Blade,' so I told him I thought it would be worth a paragraph
or two, and that I'd drop around Monday afternoon and give him
the particulars. That was all I said."

Inside the package were three "sticks" of the kind that are used
for laying the little coins in a row before wrapping.

"Now, one thing we must be dead careful about, fellows," urged
Dick, as he undid the package, "is to be sure that we get an exact
fifteen coins in each wrapper. If we got in more, we'd be the
losers. If we put less than fifteen cents in any wrapper, then
we're likely to be accused of running a swindling game."

So every one of the plotters was most careful to count the coins.
It was not rapid work, and only half the partners could work
at any one time. They soon caught the trick of wrapping, however,
and then the little rolls began to pile up.

Saturday afternoon Dick & Co. were similarly engaged. Nor did
they find the work too hard. Americans will endure a good deal
for the sake of a joke.

Monday morning, shortly after half-past seven, Dick and his chums
had stationed themselves along six different approaches to the
High School. Each young pranker had his pockets weighted down
with small packages, each containing fifteen pennies.

Purcell, of the junior class, was the first to pass Dick Prescott.

"Hullo, Purcell," Dick greeted the other, with a grin. "Want
to see some fun?"

"Of course," nodded the junior. "What's going?"

"You remember that Prin. asked us, last Friday, to bring in our
fifteen pennies for the Christmas music?"

"Of course. Well, I have my money in my pocket."

"_In pennies_?" insisted Dick.

"Well, no; of course not. But I have a quarter, and I guess Prin.
can change that."

Dick quickly explained the scheme. Purcell, with a guffaw, purchased
one of the rolls.

"Now, see here," hinted Dick, "there'll be such a rush, soon,
that we six can't attend to all the business. Won't you take
a dozen rolls and peddle them? I'll charge 'em to you, until
you can make an accounting."

Purcell caught at the bait with another laugh. Dick noted Purcell's
name on a piece of paper, with a dollar and eighty cents charged
against it.

All the other partners did the same with other students. With such
a series of pickets out around the school none of the student body
got through without buying pennies, ex