Greenville Falls
Oct. 10, 1917.

My dear Mr. Teddy,

Jimmy has just brought me your letter, in great excitement, and I am
taking the liberty of answering it myself, as I don't think he could
do himself justice under the present circumstances. Mr. Teddy, did you
ever have a soft spot for a little girl, when you were about eleven
or twelve? I had one for a little boy; he was older than I, about
fourteen; his name was Robert, and he had freckles; I think he
squinted, too, and he teased all the girls a great deal. I am sure
he was a very horrid little boy, as I look back, but at that time I
thought he was wonderful, and it almost broke my heart when he said
he had no use for little yellow-haired girls and took a girl with two
brown pigtails to a big children's party, instead of me.

Jimmy has a very soft spot for his godchild, and it is more than
a passing fancy with him. You see, his family, while not actually
poverty-stricken, are not as well off as they used to be, and Jimmy
has practically supported Andree himself all the year, through
countless little odd jobs. I have seen him on the coldest winter days,
chopping wood or going from door to door asking to shovel snow, and
his fingers were so red and frozen he could scarcely hold the shovel;
yet he was always ready, with a smile, to do more work for his "kid in
France." Andree is his godchild, his sister, his whole family to him;
and he shoulders the responsibility of looking after her with all