ould not be able to duplicate
his much-wanted Christmas gift, and that he would have to wait until
some dim time in the future before he could hope to carry a watch of his
own.

So all three went out to the breakfast table. Dick, to do him justice,
thought more of his mother's loss than of his own.

"Are you going to the police about this, my dear?" Mrs. Prescott asked
her husband presently.

"I could," the elder Prescott replied, "but I don't imagine it would do
much good. The stuff that has been taken isn't likely to be restored to
us. I doubt if the police would think it even worth any effort. It isn't
an important robbery, as crime goes. It was just a little trick of
revenge."

"Mr. Fits is revenged all right, then," admitted Dick, with a bitter
smile. "Oh, I only hope that I get a fair chance to pay him back one of
these near days! But, at any rate, my Christmas isn't going to be
spoiled. You have already agreed to my going away on the camping trip
to-morrow, and that is going to be more fun for me than two
Christmases."

"I'm glad you're looking forward so to enjoying your vacation in the
forest," smiled Mrs. Prescott. "It does seem fortunate that you have
such a treat at hand to repay you for your disappointment."

Suddenly Dick looked blank for an instant. Laying down his knife he
employed his right hand in making a frantic thrust into one of his
trousers' pockets. Then he fished up a banknote.

"Thank goodness that is all right," he gasped. "Mr. Fits didn't think to
look for that. It's my five dollars left out of Mrs. Dexter's present,
and is the money that I'm going to pay my share of the camp expenses
with. But, on second thought, I believe I'll drop out of that camping
scheme."

"Why?" asked Mr. Prescott, in a rather sharp, queer voice.

"Because this five dollars will fool Mr. Fits in another way. I can go
to-morrow and get mother another fan like the first one."

Mr. Prescott's eyes flashed proudly for a moment as he answered, a bit
huskily.

"You could do that, of course, young man, but your mother would never
forgive you for cheating yourself out of the one pleasure you want
most."

"Sometimes," spoke Dick gravely, "there's more fun in doing without a
pleasure, when you can find another that is worth more to you."

The tears stood in Mrs. Prescott's eyes. She rose and dropped both arms
around her boy.

"If we absolutely needed your money, Dick," she said, "I know how
cheerfully you wo