o extend an invitation to Miss Bruce Douglas to
dine with them on any day that might be convenient for her. "I was
included in the invitation, of course," Aunt Ella added. "What day had
we better fix, Quincy?" she inquired.

"Make it Christmas," replied Quincy. "Tell them Miss Bruce Douglas has
invitations for every other day but that for a month to come. What a
precious gift I shall present to my father," said he, caressing his
wife, who laid her fair head upon his shoulder.

"Do you think he will be pleased?" asked Alice.

"I don't know which will please him most," replied Quincy, "the fact
that such a talented addition has been made to the family, or the
knowledge, which will surely surprise him, that his son was smart enough
to win such a prize."

The next morning Quincy arose early and was at Curtis Carter's office as
soon as it was opened. Alice had signed an order for the delivery of the
package to him and he presented it to Mr. Carter's clerk, to whom he
was well known. The ponderous doors of the big safe were thrown open and
the precious document was produced. When the clerk passed the package to
him and took Alice's order therefor, Quincy noticed that a five-dollar
bill was pinned to the envelope; a card was also attached to the bill,
upon which was written: "This money belongs to Mr. Quincy Sawyer; he
dropped it the last time he was in the office."

Quincy would not trust the package to his hand-bag, but placed it in an
inside pocket of his coat, which he tightly buttoned. After leaving the
lawyer's office he dropped into Grodjinski's, and purchased a box of
fine cigars. He had the clerk tack one of his cards on the top of the
box. On this he wrote:

"MY DEAR CURTIS:--Keep the ashes for me; they make
good tooth powder. QUINCY."

The box was then done up and addressed to Curtis Carter, Esq., the clerk
promising to have it delivered at once.

Quincy had found a letter at his aunt's from Mr. Strout, asking him to
buy a line of fancy groceries and confectionery for Christmas trade, and
it was noon before he had attended to the matter to his complete
satisfaction. A hasty lunch and he was once more on his way to New York,
and during the trip his hand sought the inside pocket of his coat a
score of times, that he might feel assured that the precious document
was still there.

Arriving, Quincy proceeded at once to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Sir Stuart
was eagerly awaiting his arrival, and