Mrs. Rushton's nerves had been worn
to a frazzle by having him around, and it was almost with a hysterical
feeling of relief that she pounced upon the letters that Martha brought
in. There were several, but that from Fred was on top.

"A letter from Fred!" she exclaimed delightedly, as she recognized the
writing. "I wonder what the dear boys are doing."

"Doing everybody, probably," said her brother-in-law gloomily.
"Especially that boy Teddy. He's either in mischief or he's sick."

"Now, Aaron, you oughtn't to talk that way about Teddy," protested Mrs.
Rushton, bridling in defence of her offspring. "There are plenty of
worse boys than Teddy in the world."

"Maybe, but I never met them," retorted Aaron Rushton.

"He has a great, big heart," went on Teddy's mother.

"His gall has impressed me more than any other bodily organ he owns,"
was the reply. Evidently Mr. Aaron Rushton's temper had a razor edge
that day.

"You forgot how he got back your watch and papers," Mrs. Rushton
indignantly reminded him.

"I don't forget that if it hadn't been for him I wouldn't have lost
them," snapped Aaron. "Who was it that hit the horse with a ball and
caused the runaway that might have cost me my life? Who was it that
painted Jed Muggs' team red, white and blue on the Fourth of July? Who
was it that nearly caused a panic on the common, when he set those mice
loose among the women?"

Mrs. Rushton knew only too well who it was, and she took refuge in
generalities.

"He's just the dearest boy, anyway," she declared defiantly. "He's fond
of mischief like all boys of his age, but he never did a mean or
dishonorable thing in his life. And didn't I hear you tell Mr. Barrett
once, just after you got your papers back, that your nephews were the
finest boys in Oldtown?"

"If I did, I must have been out of my mind," growled Aaron, as a twinge
of neuralgia made him wince. "But I'll admit that the boys are angels.
Heaven forgive me for lying. Go ahead and read your letter."

But Mrs. Rushton had already torn the envelope open and was deep in the
reading of its contents.

"Why," she remarked, after a paragraph or two, "Fred says here that
Teddy was writing a letter to you at the same time. I wonder if it's
among these," and she turned over the other letters in her lap. "Oh,
here it is, sure enough," she added as she saw Teddy's scrawling
writing.

Aaron Rushton himself was somewhat startled at the unusual occurrence.

"For me?"