py and Boyne to breakfast, and after I
came up, father went to the reading-room to get a paper, and that
Bittridge was there waiting for him, and wanted to speak with him
about Ellen. Poppa wouldent say a word to him, and he kept
following poppa up, to make him. Boyne says be wouldent take no for
an ansir, and hung on and hungon, till poppa threatened to hitt him
with his cane. Then he saw it was no use, and he took his hand and
rubbed it in poppa's face, and Boyne believes he was trying to pull
poppa's nose. Boyne acted like I would have done; he pounded
Bittridge in the back; but of course Bittridge was too strong for
him, and threw him on the floor, and Boyne scraped his knee so that
it bledd. Then the porters came up, and caught Bittridge, and
wanted to send for a policeman, but father wouldent let them, and
the porters took Bittridge to the desk and the clerk told him to get
out instantly and they left as soon as old Wiggy could get her
things on. I don't know where they went, but he told poppa they
were going home to-day any way. Now, Dick, I don't know what you
will want to do, and I am not going to put you up to anything, but I
know what I would do, pretty well, the first time Bittridge showed
himself in Tuskingum. You can do just as you please, and I don't
ask you to believe me if you're think I'm so exciteable that I cant
tell the truth. I guess Boyne will say the same. Much love to
Mary. Your affectionate sister,

"Lottie.

"P. S.--Every word Lottie says is true, but I am not sure he meant
to pull his nose. The reason why he threw me down so easily is, I
have grown about a foot, and I have not got up my strength. BOYNE.

"This is strictly confidential. They don't know we
are writing. LATTIE."

After reading this letter, Richard Kenton tore it into small pieces, so
that there should not be even so much witness as it bore to facts that
seemed to fill him with fury to the throat. His fury was, in agreement
with his temperament, the white kind and cold kind. He was able to keep
it to himself for that reason; at supper his wife knew merely that
he had something on his mind that he did not wish to talk of; and
experience had taught her that it would be useless to try making him
speak.

He slept upon his wrath, and in the morning early, at an hour when he
knew there would be no loafers in the place, he w