“The Syndicate?” echoed Nell, in amazement.
Then she opened the envelope and drew out a short letter, accompanied by a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill.
“Oh, they have sent me some money, but I can’t keep it!” she cried, in profound astonishment mingled with dismay.
“Why not?” demanded Mrs. Nichols, trying not to look as if she knew about the contents of the letter.
“Because—oh, because it is just absurd that I should be paid for doing my duty,” flashed out Nell, with her head in the air.
“What is in the letter?” asked Mrs. Nichols, nodding and smiling as if vastly pleased.
“Read it and see. Oh dear, I don’t like such a fuss being made,” said Nell, ruefully.
“Read it to me; I can’t see by this light, it flickers so much,” replied Mrs. Nichols, and stooping forward to the fire, Nell began to read—
“Dear Miss Hamblyn,
“On behalf of the Syndicate, I have the pleasure of asking your acceptance of the enclosed one hundred dollars, as a small acknowledgment of our indebtedness to you in the matter of your action re the attempted burglary at Camp’s Gulch railway depot. We owe you our sincere thanks for catching the man we wanted so badly, and we trust you will soon find yourself recovered from your injuries.