& Co. will feel just a bit green with envy over our good luck."

"It's a mighty fine gift," Dick went on, "yet I'm almost inclined
to wish the girls hadn't done it. It must have made a big inroad
in their Christmas money."

"That's so," nodded Darrin, thoughtfully. "But say, Dick! I'm
thundering glad I got wind of this before it happened. Thank
goodness we didn't have to leave the girls out. Though we would
have missed if it hadn't been for you."

"I wonder how the girls like their gifts?" mused Dick.

It was sheer good luck that had enabled these youngsters to make
a good showing. A new-style device for women, consisting of heater
and tongs for curling the hair, was on the market this year.
Electric current was required for the heater, but both Laura and
Belle had electric light service in their homes. This new-style
device was one of the fads of this Christmas season. The retail
price was eight dollars per outfit, and a good many had been sold
before the holidays. The advertising agent for the manufacturing
concern had been in town, and had presented "The Blade" with two
of these devices. Despite the eight-dollar price, the devices
cost only a small fraction of that amount to manufacture, so the
advertising agent had not been extremely generous in leaving the
pair.

"What on earth shall we do with them?" grunted Pollock, in Dick's
hearing. "We're all bachelors here."