“If we win the prize riddle to-night, we’re going to give that to the collection, too,” she said.
“That reminds me of something I have to say,” Mr. Williamson declared. “I said I had a secret for you, and this is it: I’ll pay ten cents to the school collection for every riddle that is guessed correctly here to-night and an extra five dollars if the prize riddle is solved, the extra money to go in the club bank.”
Polly saw that Mr. Williamson had chosen that way of helping Fred make up the money lost, and she thought it was a most generous way. She didn’t say so, but she smiled at Mr. Williamson and he knew that she understood what he was trying to do.
“I thought we’d open the answers to the prize riddle first,” said Polly.
Choosing from the six folded papers on the table before her, she opened one and read it aloud.
“The riddle was, ‘Why do pianos bear the noblest characters?’ And this answer says, ‘Because they’re always cheerful.’”
“They’re not,” said Margy, positively. “I guess I ought to know.”
“No piano is cheerful when you’re practicing your music lesson on it,” agreed Mrs. Williamson, smiling.
“The second answer reads, ‘Because they keep in tune,’” read Polly.
“Not so bad,” said Mr. Williamson. “But it doesn’t happen to be the one we’re after.”