Frank had caught sight of Andy passing along the street ahead and
entering the Bloomsbury postoffice. So as soon as he could get his
broken wheel into the bicycle store, where he left orders for its being
fixed at once, he hurried off, in hopes of intercepting his cousin and
breaking the great news.

He was just in time to see Andy coming out of the building and staring
hard at something he held in his hand. Frank could see that it was a
letter and he also noticed that his chum was unusually pale.

"Now I wonder what he's got?" asked Frank, talking to himself, as many
boys often do at times. "Looks like a letter, too. Once in a while the
colonel asks him to go down when the mail comes in and see if there is
an important one for him, which he can't wait for the carrier to bring
out. And Andy has got one this time, sure."

A moment later and he came upon Andy, who at sight of his chum showed
signs of relief.

"I'm awful glad you came along, Frank," he said, seizing the other by
the sleeve; "I was at your house and they told me you had gone downtown
somewhere. Then, as the mail was in, I remembered Colonel Josiah was
expecting one of his letters from London, and so I dropped over. But
there was nothing for him. Mr. Guthrie handed me out this and said he
guessed it was for me. Oh, look where it is from, Frank! Do you
think--can it be possible that it means some news, after all this time,
from my father?"

Frank saw it was rather a bulky letter and that the postmark showed a