sent me down with it, lickity-split," and the boy held out an
envelope bearing a special delivery stamp. Blake took the missive
mechanically.




CHAPTER V


ANOTHER SURPRISE

While Blake was tearing off the end of the
envelope, preparatory to taking out the enclosure, Joe looked
sharply at the red-haired lad who had so unexpectedly delivered
it.

"How'd your father come to get our letter, Sam?" asked Joe, for
the lad was the son of a farmer, who lived neighbor to Mr. Baker.

"Sim Rolinson, the postmaster, give it to him, I guess,"
volunteered Sam. "Sim generally takes around the special delivery
letters himself, but he must have been busy when this one come in,
and he give it to pa. Anyhow, pa says he asked him to deliver it."

"Only he didn't do it," put in Joe. "I thought something was the
matter with our mail that we hadn't heard from New York lately.
Your father was carrying the letter around in his pocket."

"But he didn't mean to!" spoke Sam quickly. "He forgot all about