me relative has died and left you a lot of money," added
Harry Hazelton.

"Well, in any case," replied Dick, "we six fellows haven't the same
relative, anywhere, and Fred said his father wanted to see all of us."

"We haven't been doing anything--nothing wrong, anyway," declared Dan
virtuously.

"We won't know the answer until we've seen Mr. Ripley," declared Dick.
"We'll have to go around there after dinner to-day."

"Why not go now?" proposed Tom Reade. "We haven't anything special to do
with our time."

"You fellows haven't much imagination, have you?" laughed Dave, his eyes
twinkling mysteriously.

"Have you guessed?" demanded Dick Prescott.

"Well, it's only a guess, of course, and it may be a wild one."

"Out with it!" ordered Tom Reade sharply.

"You know, fellows," Dave continued, "that we did some service for Mrs.
Dexter last fall, and that she tried to reward us. Now that she's gone
away to parts unknown, perhaps you also know that Lawyer Ripley is
managing her money affairs these days."

"Then----" gasped Greg.

"Why, fellows, now that Mrs. Dexter is away, and we can't stop her, and
as to-morrow will be Christmas, why, perhaps----"

Not one single member of Dick & Co. was at all lacking in imagination
now!

"Why, do you think----"

"I wonder if----"

"Fellows," hinted Dick Prescott dryly, and in a tone that hid the
excitement going on within him, "it won't take us long to skate back to
Gridley!"

CHAPTER II

DICK & CO. FIND CAUSE FOR GLEE

Lawyer Ripley was one of the important men of the little city of
Gridley. His law practice, which he did not now follow on account of the
need of an income, put him in touch with all the wealthier people of the
place.

In manner the lawyer was rather severe and austere. He was a good deal
of an aristocrat. While he did not seek to repel people, he had little
of the knack of drawing people to him in democratic fashion.

"Come in!" he called, in answer to the knock that Dick gave on the door.

As the boys entered they saw the lawyer pausing beside his coat rack.

"I am afraid we have gotten along a little too late, sir," apologized
Dick Prescott.

"I can spare you two or three minutes," said the lawyer, turning and
going back to his desk.

"Your son said you wished to see us," Prescott continued.

"Yes," said the lawyer, pulling a drawer in his desk open and glancing
inside. "Late yesterday afternoon I received a letter from my client