Andy was in the depths of despair.

"It's no use," said Andy, at last; "he's gone, and my chance has gone
with him."

Pete looked sympathetic and downcast.

"I s'pose it's my fault," he said, dismally.

"No, it's my fault," said Andy. "I should have kept my eye on him all
the time."

"Yer've got the letter," reminded Pete, by way of consolation.

"What's the use of the letter when I can't understand it?" replied Andy.

"What don't yer understand?" asked Pete.

"Any of it 'What does 'Gone with Uncle Mike' mean? What does 'Watch the
Mirror' mean?"

"Huh!" said Pete. "I can tell yer that much."

"You can."

"Yer bet I can. Come on, an' I'll show yer."

Andy looked suspicious and doubtful. How could Pete be so knowing as
that? If he could not understand the letter, how could Pete?

Pete, however, led him without a word, but with a wonderfully knowing
air, along several blocks, and finally stopped at a news stand and
looked it over.

"That the last Mirror, boss?" he asked, of the man in charge.

"Yep."

"Give it ter me?"

And Pete handed over his quarter, received his change and a paper and
then led Andy up a side street and gave the paper to him.

Andy saw that its name was the Mirror, and that it was devoted to
theatrical news. That was enough to give him confidence in Pete's
intelligence, but he was in the dark yet.

"I see so much," he said; "but I don't understand about Uncle Mike."

"Andy," said Pete, with a compassionate air, "yer a dandy with yer
dukes, an' yer square as a brick; but yer ain't cut yer eye-teeth yet.
Gimme the paper an' let me show yer."

Andy gave him the paper and the knowing Pete took it and turned to the
back pages.

"There!" said he, pointing to a column beaded "Dates Ahead." "Look at
that an' see if Uncle Mike ain't mentioned."

Andy, with a glimmering of Pete's idea, looked along the column until
he came to "U," and there he saw, at the head of the list, "Uncle Mike
Co.; Philadelphia, July 8--week."

He read it aloud to Pete, and Pete nodded his head, as if to say, "Of
course, I knew you'd find it."

"Does it mean that Uncle Mike is a theatrical company?" asked Andy,
eagerly.

"That's what it means, sonny, an' it means that Uncle Mike is goin' ter
play Philadelf fer the week wot begins on the eighth. So all yer've got
ter do is ter add that up an' there yer air. What! ain't we on ter his
nibs? Oh, no, I guess not!"

And Pete dashed his old hat down over his