Clanhammer Hall was in time turned into an alumni hall, and the former graduates of Woodcrest held many a stirring rally within its walls. There was no longer any mystery about the old hall, and clean windows and walls gave it new appearance.
On one evening just before Christmas the five boys, Vench, Rhodes, Terry, Jim and Don gathered in the Mercer boys’ room to discuss the reward. There had been offered the sum of five hundred dollars to the one who should discover information leading to the discovery of the whereabouts of the colonel. This reward had been turned over to them that morning, and they sat around the dormitory to discuss it.
Don told them of the card and the old station master. “This is the way I look at it, fellows,” he said earnestly. “Each of us would get a hundred dollars out of it by splitting, and no doubt a hundred dollars would come in handy in one way or another. But Jim and I don’t actually need ours. Perhaps some of the rest of you do. That old station agent is pretty well along in life, and some of that money would make the rest of his days a whole lot easier for him. If he hadn’t furnished us with the card we would have been in the dark on several points. Jim and I have agreed to turn over our money to him.”
“You may turn mine over, too,” said Vench. “I have all the money I need, and I’d gladly see him get it.”
“That goes for me, too,” nodded Captain Rhodes. “I am not rolling in wealth, but my father takes excellent care of me. The old man is welcome to my share.”
“Look here,” said Terry. “I’m perhaps the least well-to-do of all, but I’m not going to touch my share of it, either. The reward was for information leading to the discovery of clues that would be helpful, and the agent certainly deserves it under those circumstances. Give him the whole thing and make his Christmas a happy one.”
This was done. Just before Christmas the boys went home, and Don, Jim and Terry got off the train at Spotville Point, where, Don learned, the train would stop for ten minutes. They approached the ticket window and found the old agent seated before his desk.
“How do you do,” greeted Don. “How are you today?”
“Oh, so-so,” returned the agent, staring at them without recognition. “Got a bad spell of pain in my back and I ain’t just in position to call in a doctor. But no use kickin’, I suppose.”
“Do you remember us?” inquired Don.