On their way back Fritz had said, “If the money is under the pillow we can get it, and there will be no need of telling the hotel people why we came back.  Then they will not have a chance to laugh at us.”

The others agreed to this, so he was ready with his reply.

“Yes, sir; we left a trifle under our pillow, and came back to get it.”

“Only a trifle?”

“A small package, but as we do not wish to leave it, we came back for it.”

“That was quite right.  You can go up and seek for it.”

The three flew up the steps, but soon returned with long faces and tearful eyes.

“We have not found it, Mr. Swan,” they said.

“But if it is only a trifle, why need you care?” asked the landlord, laughing heartily.  “But,” he added, “there are sometimes important things left by travelers, for this morning our chambermaid found in one of the rooms this handkerchief in which is tied three small pocketbooks,” and he held it up out of reach of the boys.

“It is ours,” cried the boys gleefully.  “Give it to us, please,” and they reached for it.

“Hands off!” laughed the landlord.  “How am I to know that the purses are yours, when you said you had left a trifle?  So it cannot be your money; for money is no trifle to a traveler.  In truth nothing is more useful to him.  It will supply him with a bed, comfortable room, good meals, and with it he can pay something for having his dusty shoes cleaned after a day’s walk.  Now do you think money is a trifle when with it you can have bed, meals, and service such as brushing dusty shoes?  All these things can be had for a piece of paper, or a coin that you can hide under your tongue.  Then is money really a trifle?  Even if there is not much money in these little purses, yet what would you do if they were not returned to you?”

“Oh, please forgive us that we have been so foolish,” pleaded Fritz.  “The purses are ours and we came back to get them, and we can tell you of every penny that is in each of them.  I have a—­”

“Oh, you do not need to tell me!  I knew that they could belong only to you.  They are just as Letta, our chambermaid, found them.  Our people are honest.”

“Where is she? and where is Peter?  We wish to give them something.”

“Peter, Letta, come!  You are wanted,” called the landlord, and they came and stood waiting to hear the reason for being summoned.

Each of the boys in the meantime had his purse in his hand, and they were holding a hurried and whispered conversation which ended by them taking twenty cents from each purse, ten for Letta and ten for Peter, who received it with smiling faces.  The travelers felt that they had done the right thing, their self-respect was restored, and they were about to start again upon their travels when a new thought came to Fritz.

“At what time do you have dinner here, Mr. Swan?” he asked.