"Yours truly,

"ASA DICKLEY."

CHAPTER V

WHAT ASA DICKLEY HAD TO SAY

Dave read the letter received from Mr. Asa Dickley with much interest.
He went over it twice, and as he did so the second time his mind
reverted to the communication received the morning before from Mr.
Wecks.

"What in the world does Mr. Dickley mean by writing to me in this
fashion?" he mused. "I haven't had anything from him in a long while,
and I don't owe him a cent. It certainly is a mighty strange
proceeding, to say the least."

Then like a flash another thought came into his mind--was Ward Porton
connected in any way with this affair?

"Somebody must have gotten some things in my name from Mr. Dickley,
and he must have gotten those shoes from Mr. Wecks, too. If the party
went there in person and said he was Dave Porter, I don't think it
could have been any one but Ward Porton, because, so far as I know,
he's the only fellow that resembles me."

Our hero was so much worried that he gave scant attention to the
letters received from Phil Lawrence and Shadow Hamilton, even though
those communications contained many matters of interest. He was
looking at the Dickley communication for a third time when his sister
entered.

"Well, Dave, no more bad news I hope?" said Laura, with a smile.

"It is bad news," he returned. "Just read that;" and he turned the
letter over to her.

"If you owe Mr. Dickley any money you ought to pay him," said the
sister, after perusing the epistle. "I don't think father would like
it if he knew you were running into debt," and she gazed anxiously at
Dave.

"Laura! You ought to know me better than that," he answered somewhat
shortly. "I never run any bills unless I am able to pay them. But this
is something different. It is in the same line with the one I got from
Mr. Wecks. I didn't get his shoes, and I haven't gotten anything from
Mr. Dickley for a long time, and nothing at all that I haven't paid
for."

"Oh, Dave! do you mean it?" and now Laura's face took on a look of
worry. "Why, somebody must be playing a trick on you!"

"If he is, it's a mighty mean trick, Laura. But I think it is more
than a trick. I think it is a swindle."

"Swindle?"

"Exactly. And what is more, do you know who I think is guilty?"

"Why, who could be guilty?" The sister paused for a moment to look at
her brother. "Oh, Dave! could it be that a