tell you of a dozen boys who would be grateful for
help."

And so Mr. Horace Clapp's little plan had come to nought, and he took
his leave more than ever convinced that it is a very difficult thing
to spend one's money in a good cause. As he stood a moment, waiting
for his dog-cart, a boy came down the street with a parcel under his
arm.

"Say, Mister, do you know whether Daniel Fitch lives here?" he asked.

"Daniel Fitch?" thought Mr. Clapp, as the boy turned in at the gate.
"Daniel Fitch? Where have I heard that name? Oh, yes, Beatrice said
there was a brother; runs errands for Jones, the druggist. Plucky
children! It would be pleasant to give them a lift!"

As for Polly, she had not a twinge of regret. In fact, she rather
enjoyed dwelling upon the splendour of the opportunity she had thrust
from her, the better to glory in her escape. And she looked forward
with entire confidence to the time when she should test Dan's feeling
on the point.

On Christmas Eve they hung up their stockings, fairly bulging with
materialised jokes and ideas which the morning was to bring to light,
and we may be sure that they did not wait for the lazy winter sun to
put in an appearance before beginning their investigations. Amid
shouts of merriment the revelations of a remarkably inventive Santa
Claus were greeted, while Polly held her climbing excitement in check
until the hour should be ripe for greater things. But when, at last,
just as the sun was peeping in at the kitchen window, Dan's ferret
fingers penetrated the extreme toe of his sock, she grew so agitated
that she quite forgot to make a certain witty observation she had been
saving up for that particular moment. And so it came about that an
unwonted silence reigned as the unsuspecting Dan drew forth a small
flat parcel labelled: "A Merry Christmas from Polly."

Within was their familiar bank-book, wrapped about with a less
familiar sheet of note-paper bearing the following inscription:

"An Idea! Namely, to wit: That Daniel Reddiman Fitch, Esq., lay aside
his character of Mercury, and become a student at Colorado College!

"P. S.--An examination of the within balance will assure the said Dan
that there is nothing to prevent his thus delighting the heart of his
faithful Polly."

A glance at the balance recorded, a reperusal of the "idea," and the
impressive silence was broken into a thousand fragments.

"For you see, Dan," Polly explained, when, at last, she had secure