"Boy," he said to Dick, "is this the bill you gave to be changed?"

"No, it isn't."

"You lie, you young rascal!" exclaimed the clerk, who began to find
himself in a tight place, and could not see the way out.

This scene naturally attracted the attention of all in the store,
and the proprietor walked up from the lower end, where he had been
busy.

"What's all this, Mr. Hatch?" he demanded.

"That boy," said the clerk, "came in and asked change for a bad
bill. I kept the bill, and told him to clear out. Now he wants it
again to pass on somebody else."

"Show the bill."

The merchant looked at it. "Yes, that's a bad bill," he said. "There
is no doubt about that."

"But it is not the one the boy offered," said Dick's patron.
"It is one of the same denomination, but on a different bank."

"Do you remember what bank it was on?"

"It was on the Merchants' Bank of Boston."