t by some of the Boy Scouts at
Spring Lake. You see they came up in full force to Hiawatha on the
night when we held our Grand Council Fire. It was a complete surprise
on us, exceedingly well done and about as clever as you could expect
from the cleverest boys. Before they left, several of them boasted
openly that they were planning another surprise for some of us, and
they dared us to find out in advance what it was."

"No doubt that is what this note means," Mr. Stanlock declared so
positively and such a gleam of interest in his eyes that Marion
could not help wondering just a little.

"What makes you so certain about it?" she inquired. "I don't see any
real proof in those words as to what they mean or who wrote them."

"No, no, of course not," agreed Mr. Stanlock with seemingly uncalled
for glibness; "but then, you see, it is more reasonable to suspect
that this note came from the boys than from the strikers. If it is
between the two,--the boys and the strikers,--I say forget the
strikers and be sure that the boys sent this note."

"I wish that the boys would spring their surprise tonight and settle
the question of that note," said Marion.

"Why?" inquired her father with the faint light of a smile in his
eyes.

"Because I don't like the uncertainty of the thing. Uncertainty always
bothers me, and this is a more than ordinary case."

"But how could the boys spring their surprise without coming to
Hollyhill?" her father asked.

"That's just it," she returned with a quick glance of suspicion toward
both her father and her mother. "Do you know, I found myself wondering
several times if Clifford wouldn't bring some of those boys down here
some time during the holidays."

Mr. Stanlock laughed, but he would have given a good deal to be able
to recall the noise he made. It was really a noise, as he must have
admitted himself, and so hollow as to indicate something decidedly
unlike spontaneous amusement.

Marion caught herself in a brown study several times over these
circumstances and her father's manner before she went to sleep that
night.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XI.

A MAN OF BIG HEART AND QUEER NOTIONS.

Christmas was a big event at Hollyhill. Hollyhill was well named.
Perhaps some old patriarch a century or two back conceived the
inspiration of the name while playing Santa Claus with the little tots
of the household and pretending to have slid down the chimney withou