" Luella felt very proud when the postmaster asked her, as the
elder, to sign the registered receipt.
"What's that for?" asked Francis.
"It's for proof that you've received the letter. You see that a
registered letter usually contains something valuable."
"I wonder what it can be? It's from Aunt Maria. See, her address is
written on the side of the envelope?"
"Yes," said the postmaster, who was a very good friend of the children.
"It's certainly from your aunt, and it probably contains something for
you both, but, you'd better put it in your bag now and tie it up,
according to your father's wish."
The children obediently acted upon this suggestion and started for home.
On their way they talked constantly of their letter, trying vainly to
guess what it might contain.
"It's something small, anyway," said Luella, "for it doesn't seem to
take any room."
"Maybe 'tisn't anything, after all," said Francis.
"Oh, yes, it is; for the letter is registered, you know."
So they went on talking and wondering until they had gone about half the
distance toward home. Then they reached a spreading apple tree which
grew by a fence near the sidewalk, and beneath which was a large stone,
often used as a resting-place for pedestrians.
"Let's sit down a while," said Francis. "I feel tired; don't you?"
"Yes, but father wouldn't like us to stop."
"Oh, yes, he would, if he knew how tired we are. I'm going to rest a
moment, anyway.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68