_Dear Sir_: I take my pen to say that the border
left yesterday without notis owin us fur the hole
time. He hadent a portmanter nor any luggage
except paper collars, which enabeled him to go off
without suspition. A tellygram which he forgot and
my wife afterward pikt it up said for him to go
right to Pensivania old Squir Hinson was dying. It
was from a party caling himself Janson K. The
border as I aught to enform you has told my
children inclooding Francis Ferdinand who bares
this letter a cockanbull story about bein related
to your honered self by witch we know he was an
imposture. I write insted of calling at the house
as I am laim from cuttin my foot with an ax
yesterday and it dont apear quite cuncistunt to
send you a verble message.

"Yours respecfully,
"ERASMUS DANBY.
"SATURDAY."

"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Reed, drawing a deep sigh of relief as he folded
the missive. Then, conscience-smitten at his indifference to the Danby
interests, and resolved that, in the end, Mr. Danby should be no loser
by "the boarder," he looked toward Master Danby. That young gentleman,
dressed in a made-over Sunday suit, still stood hat in hand in the
library doorway.

"Is your father badly hurt, my little man?"

"No, sir," repeated Fandy, rapidly, and with a solemn countenance. "His
thick boot saved him. The axe fell and cut through down to his skin, and
it bled a sight, and 'Mandy 'most fainted, and Ma bandaged it up so
tight he hollered a bad word."

"What?"

"Yes, sir. He said 'blazes!' And Ma said for him not to forget hisself
if he _was_ hurt, and he said he wouldn't again. And Ma devised him, as
Sunday was comin' so soon, to take Saturday, and so give his foot two
days to heal, and he's doin' it."

"But 'blazes' isn't a very, very bad word, is it?"

"No, sir, not very wicketly bad. But Pa and Ben mean it instead of
swearin' words, and Ma's breaking them of it. Ma's very partic'lar."

"That's right," said Mr. Reed. "So, Master Francis Ferdinand," referring
to the letter, "the boarder told you that he was a relation of mine, did
he?"

"Yes, sir, but we knew better. He was a bad lot, sir."

"A very bad lot," returned Mr. Reed, much amused.

"Ma said I could stay, sir, if I was asked."

"Ver