"I thought it would be a good joke."

"It wouldn't have been much of a joke to me," said Frank.

"No; and to tell the truth it wouldn't have been to me. The fact
is, and I don't mind telling it, that I should never have thought
of such a thing if somebody else hadn't put it into my head."

"Somebody else?"

"Yes; I'd a little rather not tell who that somebody is, for I
don't believe he would like to have you know."

"Why didn't he come himself?" asked Frank. "It seems to me he's
been making a catspaw of you."

"A catspaw?"

"Yes, haven't you read the story? A monkey wanted to draw some
chestnuts out of the hot ashes, but, feeling a decided objection
to burning his own paws in the operation, drew a cat to the fire
and thrust her paw in."

"I don't know but it's been so in my case," said Dick. "I didn't
want to do it, and that's a fact. I felt as mean as could be when
I first came into your yard to-night. But he offered me two
dollars to do it, and it's so seldom I see money that it tempted
me."

Frank looked puzzled. "I don't see," he said thoughtfully, "how