“I am not sure,” replied Ruth, hesitatingly.
“Or is it a Christmas present and you are looking a gift horse in the mouth?” and Mr. Crouch chuckled as he bent above the banknote. “This appears to be all right. Do you want it broken—or changed for another note?”
“No-o. I guess not. I only wanted to be sure,” Ruth said. “Of course you can’t be mistaken, Mr. Crouch?”
“Mistaken? Of course I can,” he cried. “Did you ever hear of a mere human who wasn’t sometimes mistaken?” and he laughed again.
“About that being a good bill, I mean,” she said, trying to laugh with him.
“I’m so sure that I’m willing to exchange good money for it,” he said, with confidence. “I can say no more than that.”
Ruth gravely folded the bill again and tucked it into one compartment of her purse, by itself. She looked very serious all the way home with her laden basket.
While the eldest Corner House girl was absent Tess and Dot had been very busy in their small way. Life was so “full of a number of things” for the two smallest Corner House girls that they were seldom at a loss for something to do.
First of all that morning Tess insisted upon calling at the Pinkneys’ side door to ask after Sammy. She felt it her duty, she said.
When they approached the porch Dot’s quick eyes caught sight of a brilliantly red card, about four inches square, tacked to the post.