ty of whoever can take it out of the pan
of water," and with a tinkle the five-dollar coin was dropped into the
pan.

"The pan," said the witch, being careful not to turn so as to hide the
pan, but, placing it on a taboret inside the tent, "remains in sight of
all. One at a time ye may try to pick the coin out of the pan--one at a
time. That all may have an equal chance, I will declare that as soon as
one candidate gets the coin another gold piece will be deposited in the
pan for the next person attempting the feat."

"Why, how silly!" cried Trix Severn, from the background. "If you want
to give us each a counterfeit five dollars, why not hand it to us?"

"If such exchange is desired, our master, Mr. Poole, stands ready to
exchange each coin secured by the neophytes for a perfectly good, new,
five-dollar bill," proceeded the witch.

"There's your chance, Trix!" laughed one of the boys.

"Oh! he's only fooling," replied the hotel-keeper's daughter. She loved
money.

"Each and every one who wishes may try," went on the witch. "But there
is a condition."

"Oh!" muttered Trix. "Thought there was some string hitched to it."

"And you're right, there, Trix," murmured Eva Larry.

"Silence!" cried somebody.

"A condition," went on the Hallowe'en Witch. "That condition will be
whispered in the ear of each candidate who tries to seize the coin."

"No, thank you! I won't try," cried Lucy Poole, laughing and shaking her
curls. "When he goes to make believe whisper in your ear, he'll bite
you! I wouldn't trust that old witch!"

The others laughed hilariously at this; but Trix Severn was pushing
forward. If there was a gold piece to be given away, she wanted first
chance at it--string, or no string.

"Keep your eyes on the pan!" cried the witch, waving empty hands in the
air all about the pan and taboret, to show that there was "no
flim-flam," as the boys called it. "Now! first neophyte step forward!"

"I don't believe he knows what that means," giggled Myra Stetson. "I
don't."

But she could not step in before Trix. Miss Severn pushed to the front
and was nearest to the master of ceremonies.

"Give me a chance!" she cried. "You're going to lose your old gold
piece."

"It's a perfectly new one, Trixie," whispered somebody, shrilly. "It
isn't old at all!"

Without a word the witch beckoned the girl inside the booth. The flap of
it dropped and they were hidden. The light was cast from a dim, green
globe hung at