of me hitched to a gold watch! Oh, it's
mine all right. Have a look inside the back cover. There's my name, you
see, in perfectly good English."

"Where _did_ you get it, Hal?" demanded Mrs. McGregor, as the
gift traveled from one admiring hand to another.

"You'd never guess, any of you. It came from my worst enemy." The big
fellow threw back his head and laughed a ringing laugh.

"But that tells us nothing. You have a million enemies," blurted out
Carl.

"It certainly is from our friends we learn the truth," Hal replied with
cheerfulness. "You're not a flatterer, are you, Carlie?"

"But I can't imagine who should present you with a gold watch," Carl
mused, ignoring the comment.

"Oh, you're not half bright to-day. What's the matter with you?"
hectored Hal, who was enjoying the sensation he had created.

"He's eaten too much turkey," Tim piped.

"I guess that's it," agreed young Harling. "Come, gather your wits
together. Louise guessed the conundrum. You ought to be as smart as she
is."

Vaguely Carl studied his friend's face.

"Of course it couldn't be from Corcoran," ventured he, as if thinking
aimlessly.

"And why not?"

"Why, because--why Corcoran wouldn't--why should Corcoran give you a
present like that?"

"The very words I said myself!"

"Do you mean to say it _was_ Corcoran?"

"Well, it wasn't from Corcoran himself. But he had the buying of it.
The watch came from the Corcoran kid and Midget, the dog."

"Oh!" Carl gasped, a wave of understanding flooding his face. "It was
because of what you did that day. I'd almost forgotten."

"So had I. Corcoran thanked me up at the works some time afterward; you
remember I told you about it. Well, I thought that was the end of the
matter," Hal explained. "But evidently the Corcorans thought they
wouldn't leave it there. So--" with a flourish he held up the gift.

"Oh, Hal, I think that was splendid of them," Mrs. McGregor declared.
"You deserve it, too. Carl said you might have been killed that day."

"Nonsense! That's Carlie's yellow journalism. He told you a great yarn,
I've no doubt. You ought to be on one of the daily papers, kid."

"But you did take an awful chance, you know you did," insisted Carl
stoutly.

"Oh, you have to take a chance now and then to put a little spice into
life. It was no great stunt I did," Hal protested. "I just happened to
do it before anybody else did, that's all."

"I guess that's your way of putting it, laddie,"