“That’s up to the treasurer, Kid.”
“We haven’t any treasurer. And if we had maybe I wouldn’t want to trust him with so much money. No, you’d better take it. You see, I agreed to give ten dollars toward the Fund and there it is.”
“Well—” Bert counted the money, rolled it in a piece of paper and dropped it into his pocket. Kid viewed the proceedings wistfully, looking very much as though on the point of changing his mind. But he didn’t. He only heaved a deep sigh and said as the money disappeared from sight: “Perhaps—perhaps, Bert, you’d better give me some kind of a receipt for it!”
XVIII
CONFESSION AND PUNISHMENT
After Bert had gone, having pledged himself to secrecy regarding the amount of Kid’s reward, Kid wandered downstairs. That is, he appeared to be wandering, but in reality he had set forth on a very definite errand, which was to rescue “Hairbreadth Harry” from the Encyclopedia Britannica. Practically all the fellows were out of doors, on slide or rink, and Kid, too, was eager to get his little red sled and go coasting. But that story-paper must be found first. Having escaped detection and its unpleasant results so far, Kid had no mind to get into trouble. In fact, realizing that Fortune had dealt most kindly with him of late, Kid was grateful and had firmly resolved to lead a better life.
The hall was empty when he came nonchalantly down the stairs, whistling idly, and, when he had paused beside the newel post to listen and had heard no alarming sounds, he loitered across to the bookshelves and stretched his hand out for Volume V of the encyclopedia. Then he stared and his jaw dropped in dismay. Volume V was gone!
Attached to the woodwork was a little black tin box filled with narrow slips of cardboard and it was the rule that when a book was taken from the hall the borrower should write his name on one of the slips and substitute it for the book. The slip was there and Kid raised it anxiously and read the name written.
“Folsom!”