'Your brother,

'Arthur Tracy.'




CHAPTER III.

MR. AND MRS. FRANK TRACY.


Mr. Frank, in his small grocery store at Langley, was weighing out a
pound of butter for the Widow Simpson, who was haggling with him about
the price, when his brother's letter was brought to him by the boy who
swept his store and did errands for him. But Frank was too busy just
then to read it. There was a circus in the village that day, and it
brought the country people into the town in larger numbers than usual.
Naturally, many of them paid Frank a visit in the course of the morning,
so that it was not until he went home to his dinner that be even thought
of the letter, which was finally brought to his mind by his wife's
asking if there was any news.

Mrs. Frank was always inquiring for and expecting news, but she was not
prepared for what this day brought her. Neither was her husband, and
when he read his brother's letter, which he did twice to assure himself
that he was not mistaken, he sat for a moment perfectly bewildered, and
staring at his wife, who was putting his dinner upon the table.