This morning a note came to me from Mr. Denton. So nice a man to have so wretched a relation!
Your good father is so poor a correspondent that I have struck his name from my letter-list. But you are always considerate of a lonely old man. Therefore I write to inform him, through you, that I am leaving this asphalt wilderness presently, for the White Mountains. Perhaps when my vacation there draws to a close, I may drop down to see you before returning to the 'demnition' grind. I shall look forward to a pleasant visit with you, and a quarrelsome time with your father, to whom, despite his neglect of me, I beg to be remembered.
I am sending you some books and some exotic fruit, hoping to tempt your literary and physical palates, respectively.
My nephew writes me that he has seen you. I envy him! But I am more than sorry, my dear, that your first encounter should have taken place under such unfortunate circumstances. I shall be grateful to you for any kindness you care to show him, for he has not had a very happy, albeit successful, career, and he is far from his Western home and his people.
Remember me to your elderly and amiable handmaiden, whose beaten biscuit I recall with such felicity.
Write me now and then, Mavis, and if I can in any way be of service to you, you have but to command me.
Faithfully and affectionately your friend, JOHN DENTON
This afternoon the fruit and books arrived. Quantities of both. Sammy Simpson, Jr., who adds the arduous duties of expressman to those of milk purveyor, staggered upstairs under the burden of them. Into this very room, with his own hands, ably chaperoned by Sarah, he brought them. We had a little conversation. It ran something like this.
M----: "Anything exciting happen in Green Hill lately, Sammy?"
S----: "Nothin' in perticular, Miss Mavis."
"Why, Sammy, you told me yourself, not ten minutes back, that your folks found old man Thomas hanging to the rafters of his own barn this morning!"
Sarah, sharply, "Suppose you think a hanging aint nothing worth mentioning, Sammy!"
"Why, Sammy," I here ejaculated, with real horror, "that's dreadful!"
Sammy shifted to his other foot for a change.
"Yes'm," he remarked. "Paw found him. That's the third man," he continued with satisfaction, "that Paw's cut down. He never did have much luck."